Advice on wood drying/stacking

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mtek

Member
Dec 7, 2010
33
Rhode Island
Hi All,
I know this is a woodburning/stove site but I've always received great advice here so I thought I'd pose my question;

I'm splitting wood from a maple tree we had to get cut down but my wood shed is stuffed full in readiness for the Winter. Obviously it will have to be stacked outside. It'll be around 1/2 to 2/3 of a cord in size.

What's the best way to do this? If I need to build a frame is there somewhere recommended with a drawing or pic? Also, should it be covered and if so what is recommended to avoid rodents etc. taking up residence?

Thanks in advance.
 
mtek said:
Hi All,
I know this is a woodburning/stove site but I've always received great advice here so I thought I'd pose my question;

I'm splitting wood from a maple tree we had to get cut down but my wood shed is stuffed full in readiness for the Winter. Obviously it will have to be stacked outside. It'll be around 1/2 to 2/3 of a cord in size.

What's the best way to do this? If I need to build a frame is there somewhere recommended with a drawing or pic? Also, should it be covered and if so what is recommended to avoid rodents etc. taking up residence?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

This works well for me. Best if you stack wood in a windy and sunny location. But if you have to pick between the two, go for windy.

wood pallet storage.png
 
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I do the same as Tenn Dave, but instead of building the bookends, I use pallets with the same knee bracing. Very quick, cheap, and effective.

I use black plastic instead of clear, because it looks better stacked at the back of my property, against the backdrop of the woods.
 
That looks like a very good idea. Next question is where to get pallets? Is there any one of the big chain stores that's helpful???
 
My neighbor went to Wal-Mart and asked them for pallets. They gave him as many as he felt were safe to load in his pick up truck, and would have given him more. They must get hundreds of palletized deliveries a week at big box store, so you're generally getting clean, dry pallets.
 
The local ACE Hardware would bury me in them if I let them. They have to pay to have them hauled away.
 
BrotherBart said:
The local ACE Hardware would bury me in them if I let them. They have to pay to have them hauled away.
Click to expand...
Interesting. My local Ace has an enormous supply of clean pallets constantly stacked by the side of the store. I've asked twice about taking some off their hands, but have told they're not available / they re-use them.
 
Joful said:
Interesting. My local Ace has an enormous supply of clean pallets constantly stacked by the side of the store. I've asked twice about taking some off their hands, but have told they're not available / they re-use them.
Click to expand...

I bet your particular Ace has an employee who makes pallet furniture. It's all the rage with hipsters these days, and there's a nice profit margin when your raw materials are free.
 
Since you have a year to get it ready I think in most climates, mine for sure; the main thing is to get it off the ground - stacked on pallets is the path of least resistance for most of us. I use string and slip knots to make the ends of my stacks square. Doesn't matter, just get it off the ground.

I wouldn't worry about covering it this late in the summer. I would brush the snow off it in late winter and cover it on top right about the time your local temps come up to freezing.
 
Yep, up off the ground is the most important thing, otherwise it will turn into compost and insect food. No need for a frame or anything - the wood can support itself if you cross stack the ends.
IMG_1324.JPG IMG_1327.JPG
 
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When everyone chimes in regarding "getting it off the ground", I agree. However, I keep mine stacked in braces between trees all across the property. When a brace gets exhausted, I leave the last layer ( against the ground ) and the restack on top of the "sacrificial" logs. I realize this wastes some logs, but makes life easier for stacking.
 
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Spletz said:
When everyone chimes in regarding "getting it off the ground", I agree. However, I keep mine stacked in braces between trees all across the property. When a brace gets exhausted, I leave the last layer ( against the ground ) and the restack on top of the "sacrificial" logs. I realize this wastes some logs, but makes life easier for stacking.
Click to expand...

I've always been a bit leery about the 'between the trees' method. I don't want to make it any easier for the bugs that may be migrating out of my splits, to find new homes in my healthy trees.
 
I currently have 2 piles of splits on the ground because I'm out of room in my stacking area. One pile of fresh maple and one of fresh oak. I'm not worried about them drying much over the winter so they'll stay in a pile on the ground until next spring. This stuff is for 2 years out though so I'm not concerned. This year and next year are all stacked and ready to go.
 
Joful said:
Interesting. My local Ace has an enormous supply of clean pallets constantly stacked by the side of the store. I've asked twice about taking some off their hands, but have told they're not available / they re-use them.
Click to expand...

$2 each at my Ace Hardware
 
I happened across some free 2x6s at my local Home Depot that they were giving away for free. Most were cut to around 32-33" and I used them to make a base to stack my wood on. I didn't put braces on them but rather cross stacked on the ends. You can do the same with 2x4s as well - but I think it's important to get air flow underneath the stacks. The more air that can move around the splits the better.

1519344_10202818927415487_885970439697572425_o.jpg
 
For pallets, also check your local woodstove shops. Chances are, they sell pellets too, and pellets come on pallets. Both local shops here have huge stacks of pallets in the back that are free for the taking, the only ones you can't take are the plastic ones.
 
Cross stacking the ends works, but never quite as secure or fast. For a guy who barely has time to split 10 full cords per year and always runs out of wood before running out of cold weather, I'm not wasting time on it! I can chuck splits between pallets braced as bookends much quicker than the most experienced hand can cross-stack their ends.
 
mtek said:
That looks like a very good idea. Next question is where to get pallets? Is there any one of the big chain stores that's helpful???
Click to expand...

I saw around 40-50 pallets outside behind my local HD a few weeks ago.
 
I scored a whole bunch just asking my friends on Facebook. Lots of people handle them at work, and have the inside scoop as to when and where they might be available. And they can set them aside for you so someone doesn't scoop them up before you get the chance to.
 
It's worth mentioning that many of the pallets you'll find at Lowes Depot and other big box stores are not really up to the task of holding a 6 foot tall stack of wood for 3 years. Around here, pallets are traditionally oak, but lighter softwood pallets are creeping into the inventories of many national chains I see here. I stack on a slight slope, so I'm usually using bricks under the corners and mid-span on one edge of each pallet to make it level. Using less than premium pallets usually results in one failing before the stack is fully seasoned / ready to burn.
 
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Cement blocks work, in a pinch.
 
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