What do you guys cover your stacks with?

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CHeath

Feeling the Heat
Feb 18, 2013
273
Northwest NorthCarolina Mtns
As you all know, I just finished my first stack. Its 30 feet long and 4 feet high, double rowed because I dont have alot of room. Where do you all get your covering for the tops of the stacks? Thanks!
 
I'm just using tarps right now on 10' long by 5' wide stacks. I've been curious about other cover ideas as well
 
A Shed.:cool:
Used to use tarps, but they don't last long.
Some use various roofing material. They'll be here shortly, I'm sure.

I have a 20x12 brown Tarp, its at least 10 years old. Cant even remember when/where I got it but I looked atnew ones the other day, SHEESH! Why so high?
 
I have a few stacks (about 25 cord worth) and thus go with a variety....
* small pallet wood "shed" with a roof under my deck that holds about 3/4 cord, near my garage door
* A few stacks are covered by the metal siding of an old round above the ground pool. This works well as it is the same width as the pallets I stack on.
* A few are under tarps
* there are a few sheets of old plywood out there
* about 1/2 are not covered - although I will get them covered a few months before I plan to use
 
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I've done the whole redneck curcuit of just about everything. But Im in the galvanized roofing group. Only because the wind here has chewed up my tarps. Not to mention UV rays. Old scrap metal siding or roofing may be found for free but since it gets scraped by some demolition companies you might have to search a little.
I like the woodchucky charm of metal roofing. And the neighbors seem to like it too. lol
 
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Wood that gets burned in the upcoming winter goes in the shed. Wood that doesn't burned in the upcoming winter doesn't get covered.

How long does it sit in your shed before you start burning it?
 
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How long does it sit in your shed before you start burning it?

Depends. If I cut it standing dead and it is dry it will go right in the shed to be burned in 2 years. If it is cut green it sits outside for 2-3 years and then gets moved into the shed on a nice dry, relatively cool late August or early September weekend.

I would only consider top-covering wood outside if it was going to be burned in the coming winter...but that's just one guy's opinion.
 
As you all know, I just finished my first stack. Its 30 feet long and 4 feet high, double rowed because I dont have alot of room. Where do you all get your covering for the tops of the stacks? Thanks!
I top cover mine with old metal roofing as soon as the stack is finished . The main reason is that I have tons of Larch on the property and the needles turn to mush when the get wet . It's a real pain to get out of the splits ,and acts like a sponge .
I have had to use two tarps to cover some of my stacks because they were ugly . :)
 
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Nothing for the first year or so . . . and then it's in a shed for a year or so before being used in Year 3.
 
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As stated above uncovered for a year. After that 30" wide used conveyor belting.
 
Old galvanized roofing. It can be found when someone is tearing down an old building. I had some then a couple years ago our township wanted a building torn down that was in one of the cemeterys. I tore the building down just to get the roofing but I also got quite a bit of lumber too. So the township got the building torn down for free and I got the goods for the labor.
 
Roofing works best, but personally I don't cover with anything. I put some under a deck to stay dry, but most of the year I'll pull off the main pile that is uncovered all the time.
 
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I have covered outside stacks with rubber roof tear off in the past but a neighbor brought me a roll of felt discarded from a paper mill, that stuff is so heavy I don't even have to weight it. I imagine it is toxic though.
 
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I have a woodshed now, but I use to use used lumber tarps, I can get an endless supply free from a beam laminating factory, because they are free I didn't mind cutting them to exactly fit the top of my stacks.
They also work well for other things like painting drop sheets, and landscaping material, not to mention for covering lumber. ;)
 
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I used tarps last year and they tore quite easily. I used thick 5 mil plastic this year. Slap stapled to the stack/rack.

All still there. Added some duct tape around the top (helped with the flapping noises). None ripped. That said. I hope to build a bigger wood shed this year.

You make what you have work...

2012-09-30_10-01-26_35.jpg 2012-10-09_17-50-53_557.jpg
 
I used to not top-cover my stack, but always ended up disappointed because it seems to rain almost NONSTOP from late August until late November here anymore. So I started top-covering only the wood I planned on using that season in late August before the monsoons came. I used to use tarps, and frankly, they suck. They break down from wind, rain and sun, and they are ugly.
I ended up finding a TON of reclaimed rubber roofing at a local building demolition company, and that stuff is phenominal for top covering my stacks! I paid 40 bucks for four pieces of that roofing (each piece was 6' x 31'), you can't even buy tarps for that kind of money!! I ended up top covering both this year and then some.....(I'm three years ahead). This winter I had the driest wood to date......

2012-09-02_12-48-41_629.jpg 2012-09-02_12-47-46_387.jpg 2012-09-02_12-50-30_806.jpg
 
Good lord dexter and Scotty. That's awesome. I thought my stack of 2.25 cord was awesome. Lol
 
Rubber roofing. Can't imagine anything better. Got it free from a tear off on a hotel. Will last forever. Easy to cut. Won't blow away. This pic was taken right after processing all the wood that is not covered. All my wood is covered now.
 

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I just picked up a truckload of lumber covers from a contractor. Look forward to using them on my pallet racks
 
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