I have seasoned oak that is stacked in 2 cords. After covering the wood it has developed lots of mold and burns poorly. It burned well prior to mold growth. What can i do to eliminate the mold and prevent further growth?
Answer
Mold needs several conditions to grow: proper temperature, moisture and a host (firewood). You can only really control one of those conditions - moisture. My suggestion is to uncover the pile and only put a cover on the top of the wood to keep rain out of the top of the pile. A good idea is to use plywood or something similar.
Depending on how far rotten the wood has become and weather conditions, it should eventually dry out enough to burn. If it is too far rotten, you are pretty much out of luck.
I only recommend covering firewood when it is already fully seasoned, elevated and you live in a climate that receives a lot of rain. It's best to only cover the top of the stack as mentioned above.
Good Luck!
-Firewood Matt