IBC Accelerated drying.

[neiln]

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[Woodworks]

Is devon colder than fairbanks in Feb?

 

No but its very much wetter. We are talking about RH here and just to prove the point it's 99% RH outside at the moment. But this is beside the point as I don't doubt that a proper polly tunnel works very well in summer and fairly well in winter but Pete mentioned putting a clear tarp over his logs instead of a coloured one not making a polly tunnel. For UK polly drying there are lots of members on here that use it to dry their logs. Some good info in here http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/13064-polly-tunnel-storage.html

 

Pete I think you have to use what you have. I guy just a few miles from me but down in a valley tried drying logs in IBCs with hats just the same as us but the logs went mouldy due to almost no wind in the valley and little sun in the winter months. We are on hill and very breezy so always got good air circulation. Some places are sunny some are windy. If lucky you get both. Don't think there is a one hat fits all solution.

Edited October 1, 2016 by Woodworks

[arboriculturist]

Don't forget the science behind the optimum MC Firewood should be to burn and still give the maximum calorific value a particular species is able to produce.

 

Accelerate drying by all means, but not to the very low levels of MC that some of the 'Imported' kiln dried is coming in at. Support the local economy every time.

 

Any solar gain from enclosing your firewood will be negated by the loss of airflow - protect the tops and sides of containers from wetting, preferably with a standalone roof.

[cornish wood burner]

In an ideal world you need airflow and temperature. As Beau says Polytunnels work very well in summer and reasonable in winter. We have a few logs stored in a Polytunnel and they soon went from saturated to very dry.

We find that without ventilation our glasshouses and tunnels would heat up unbearably in summer and comfortably warm in winter. To maintain some of this free solar energy the ventilation is lower in winter than summer. We still need to vent some moisture laden air in winter, but limit it otherwise the temperature would drop too low in unheated tunnels, or we would need to pump in a huge amount of heat where we have that facility to maintain

temperatures.

[MonsterMonster]

Having inherited a polytunnel for a couple of years I can vouch that anything left inside it will dry quickly so long as there is good ventilation. I like the idea of the clear pallet wrap/cling film. If the base is open and there is enough venting at the top then you should get a chimney effect through the stacked wood pulling in cool air at the bottom and releasing the warm wet air at top.

Edited October 7, 2016 by MonsterMonster

[Woodworks]

Pete did you ever try a clear tarp? Got to buy a couple and wondered how you got on.

[arboriculturist]

The lowest cost pole barn is the most viable solution every time - stack 4 high.

[Goaty]

Found the guy with e diy poly tunnels, Fairbanks alaska. he hit 7% MC (claimed) drying over the summer. was hitting 128F inside in May,someone else claiming 168F summer from a shrink wrap version and claimed to get wood to 18-20% in just Feb, just one month. Softwood probably but hey.

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Is devon colder than fairbanks in Feb?

 

Probably damper, the cold places lock up the moisture and dry somehow, like when we used to get freezes and puddles dry out under the iced over top. you walk on them and the crumble to a dry airpocket/

[pie eater pete]

Pete did you ever try a clear tarp? Got to buy a couple and wondered how you got on.

 

Hey Woodworks i did get some and been very good! Been very dry and not tool any moisture readings but logs are splitting at ends so seems ok

[Woodworks]

Hey Woodworks i did get some and been very good! Been very dry and not tool any moisture readings but logs are splitting at ends so seems ok

 

Great thanks Pete:thumbup1:

 

I need them anyway and found clear ones are no more money than coloured so think I will give it go. Still leaving lots of ventilation but hope the clear will raise the temps a bit on sunny days. What weight tarp did you go for? Only seen them in lightweight for market stalls but was looking at the 610 gsm ones.