Outside storage

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
chrisasst

chrisasst

Minister of Fire
Aug 13, 2008
1,289
cortland ny
I am sure there is a topic somewhere on here.
I will have to keep about 5 tons outside this year ( first time bulk buying).
What's the best way to keep them dry.
Just cover with a couple of tarps? car cover. ?
Build some sort of box around them?
 
Most Pellets are stored outside before you buy them. Long as they stay packed on pallets should b fine because there is a cover. U can use a tarp if it makes u feel better.
 
I would cover them with a tarp.
They can be had for cheap money.
Less than one bag of damaged pellets that you throw away..
Some pellet brands come very well covered,
others are junk..
Cheap insurance, to be sure.

Dan
 
  • Like
Reactions: bags
reallyte said:
Most Pellets are stored outside before you buy them. Long as they stay packed on pallets should b fine because there is a cover. U can use a tarp if it makes u feel better.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I have to transport 25 bags at a time. So they will be unwrapped.
 
chrisasst said:
Unfortunately I have to transport 25 bags at a time. So they wiil be unwrapped.
Click to expand...
Find yourself some rubber roofing. Here in mass uou can buy it from most supply houses. Its heavier than the tarp snd doesnt need to be tied down. Look for ut on craigslist 1st.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Peterfield
corkman said:
Find yourself some rubber roofing. Here in mass uou can buy it from most supply houses. Its heavier than the tarp snd doesnt need to be tied down. Look for ut on craigslist 1st.
Click to expand...
Do you know how much that stuff costs???
about the same as a ton of pellets..
And how does it stay in place without some sort of tie downs?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jack Morrissey
Pete Zahria said:
Do you know how much that stuff costs???
about the same as a ton of pellets..
And how does it stay in place without some sort of tie downs?
Click to expand...
Indeed i am. Thsts why you search craigslist. Hoping to find a contractor looking to offload any job leftovers. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and got a 10 by 12 piece free. Split down the middle and i have 24 by 5 which will cover a lot of pellets. Rubber roof is thick and heavy and it woild take one heck of a wind to lift it. You can buy a 10 by15 piece from roofing supply house here in mass for $75. Money well spent in my opinion if you're storing pelletd outside
 
corkman said:
. .. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and got a 10 by 12 piece free. .Rubber roof is thick and heavy and it woild take one heck of a wind to lift it. You can buy a 10 by15 piece from roofing supply house here in mass for $75..
Click to expand...

You were lucky. Good find!
But It's not like Craigslist has freebies like that all the time..
And perhaps you are talking about different stuff than I am thinking.
A piece large enough to do his job, of the stuff I refer to as rubber roofing
would be a lot more than 75 bucks..
As for the wind, good luck. We've seen sheets of OSB fly off
in the winter like leaves...

I would not recommend your particular application to the original poster.
It may work great for you, and that's cool.
He is storing his without the factory covers or wraps.
If you don't cover the stack 100%, and keep them off the ground, you can plan on
throwing away a lot of pellets. (IMO)

What I would suggest, is when you go after the pellets, cut the shrink wrap off,
exposing the cover from the factory. take the cover off, and load your pellets.
When you get the second load, which should be the pallet.. make sure you take the pallet.
Put all of your pellets back on the pallets, put the covers that you saved back on.. You own it, why not...
Buy a $17 tarp, and some $1.65 cent cement blocks, and cover 100% of your stuff, and weight
the tarp down.. on the ground
Remember.. the bags are NOT water tight.. they WILL get wet, and you WILL throw stuff away
if you don't cover them well..
You are probly spending over a grand for your pellets. Don't skimp on the protection.

We buy about 2000 tons. For the winter, we cover the tops with plywood, and then tarps with tires on top,
and this is in addition to the factory wraps..
Where his will be exposed to rain before snow, I would NOT leave the sides exposed to the weather..
But that's me.

Wet pellets SUCK!
Pardon my French.

Dan
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jack Morrissey
You definitely want to cover your opened and unopened pallets of pellets. I have mine under roof in an open side bay of my barn and still cover them just in case there are driving rains etc; It is cheap and simply a wise thing to do. Tarps work just fine and are not difficult to secure.

That being said EPDM or rubber roofing works great too but cost more than tarps. I use some to cover firewood etc; but I would not say it sticks like a magnet and doesn't need to be secured or weighted down. I have had it blow off many times even weighted down. It is heavier than tarp material but think about what wind can really do at times. Like blow buildings down so tossing a small piece of EPDM is like a kid blowing bubbles. The pieces of EPDM that I use are left overs as well from rubber roofing jobs I have done. I wouldn't necessarily go pay for it specifically to cover pellets when a cheap tarp works just fine. But I have the luxury of left overs.

A big reason I prefer to cover my pellets is because things can and do happen in shipping like holes in plastic covers and even in some bags themselves. It also keeps the lot cleaner etc; which makes handling the bags easier. Covering them makes sense in so many ways and as Dan states for the tarp costing what a bag of pellets does. Loose one bag and your tarp is paid for. Tarps can be re-used for a long time on limitless things. Very cheap at Harbor Freight too if you have one locally. Pretty inexpensive elsewhere too.

Here is how I do mine: I get a big enough tarp that covers the whole pallet sides and all. I put the tarp over it or them and then fold it around the sides keeping it tight thus making it harder for any wind etc; to grab ahold. I weigh it down on top and around the sides. Anything can be used you might have around. In fact I use the remaining skids from the previous pellets and lean those up the sides.
 
Hope you have some left-over pallets to restack them on. I would definitely cover with tarps ... maybe even two. I built a shed that stores approximately 2-1/2 tons. Since I reused wood that was still in good shape from a deck we removed, it cost me the plywood for the flooring and steel for roof and sides. Recycled an old door too. You may want to consider a shed in the yard or lean-to addition on a garage for a long-term solution.
 
It sounds like the OP has to store his 5 tons off site outside somewhere and can only transport 25 bags per trip. Might live in an area or where the HOA or such frowns on storing stuff outside in the yard or whatever.

But I think we can agree that if storing outside then it's a no-brainer to cover them. Only time I wouldn't cover is if completely inside sheltered on all sides. I am sure mine would be fine under roof where they reside with an open side but why risk it, I do not cover any that are stored in the garage or inside the core of the barn.

I keep them where I do so they do not jam up my inside garage or barn space. Call me an insensitive jerk but I love my motorcycles, toys, and rides much more than a pallet of pellets although I am fond of my pellets too. I do keep one ton stocked and located inside the garage though throughout the heating season.

In fact, I've had a ton in there all summer stacked neatly where they live until fed to the stove. It is nice to keep a stash in there so I do not have to mess with the nasty weather running out to the barn to snag a bag. Another big reason I enjoy the pellet stove vs. heating with wood. No suiting up trudging thru snow and cold nasty stuff once nestled in to keep the heat rolling. I have a lot of space here both in and outside. That makes things like dealing with pellets and firewood easier.

Some only have yards or limited outside space for pellet storage. If that was the case here I would definitely go the neatly covered tarp route. It is economical and easy. Plus if you spend a few minutes you can have some very neat and tidy good looking stash stacks.

If you are serious and plan to heat with pellets for awhile I'd consider doing a shed or such if you can because Mother Nature can and will be a major PITA at times. Many wood burners here on the forum have wood sheds for a good reason. Others have come up with clever and great ways to protect their wood without one so it is all up to what works for you and what you have to work with. Storing outside year round is perfectly doable but you need to maintain tarp integrity and monitor that they do stay covered. Otherwise, you risk losing some cash with wet destroyed pellets.

Cord wood is much more forgiving and some guys / gals handle their splits with kid gloves. Bags of pellets can and will turn into a spongy saw dust mess if neglected. Nothing to be overly concerned about though and easily remedied with quick and dirty tarp cover up.
 
bags said:
It sounds like the OP has to store his 5 tons off site outside somewhere and can only transport 25 bags per trip. Might live in an area or where the HOA or such frowns on storing stuff outside in the yard or whatever.

But I think we can agree that if storing outside then it's a no-brainer to cover them. Only time I wouldn't cover is if completely inside sheltered on all sides. I am sure mine would be fine under roof where they reside with an open side but why risk it, I do not cover any that are stored in the garage or inside the core of the barn.

I keep them where I do so they do not jam up my inside garage or barn space. Call me an insensitive jerk but I love my motorcycles, toys, and rides much more than a pallet of pellets although I am fond of my pellets too. I do keep one ton stocked and located inside the garage though throughout the heating season.

In fact, I've had a ton in there all summer stacked neatly where they live until fed to the stove. It is nice to keep a stash in there so I do not have to mess with the nasty weather running out to the barn to snag a bag. Another big reason I enjoy the pellet stove vs. heating with wood. No suiting up trudging thru snow and cold nasty stuff once nestled in to keep the heat rolling. I have a lot of space here both in and outside. That makes things like dealing with pellets and firewood easier.

Some only have yards or limited outside space for pellet storage. If that was the case here I would definitely go the neatly covered tarp route. It is economical and easy. Plus if you spend a few minutes you can have some very neat and tidy good looking stash stacks.

If you are serious and plan to heat with pellets for awhile I'd consider doing a shed or such if you can because Mother Nature can and will be a major PITA at times. Many wood burners here on the forum have wood sheds for a good reason. Others have come up with clever and great ways to protect their wood without one so it is all up to what works for you and what you have to work with. Storing outside year round is perfectly doable but you need to maintain tarp integrity and monitor that they do stay covered. Otherwise, you risk losing some cash with wet destroyed pellets.

Cord wood is much more forgiving and some guys / gals handle their splits with kid gloves. Bags of pellets can and will turn into a spongy saw dust mess if neglected. Nothing to be overly concerned about though and easily remedied with quick and dirty tarp cover up.
Click to expand...
bags said:
It sounds like the OP has to store his 5 tons off site outside somewhere and can only transport 25 bags per trip. Might live in an area or where the HOA or such frowns on storing stuff outside in the yard or whatever.

But I think we can agree that if storing outside then it's a no-brainer to cover them. Only time I wouldn't cover is if completely inside sheltered on all sides. I am sure mine would be fine under roof where they reside with an open side but why risk it, I do not cover any that are stored in the garage or inside the core of the barn.

I keep them where I do so they do not jam up my inside garage or barn space. Call me an insensitive jerk but I love my motorcycles, toys, and rides much more than a pallet of pellets although I am fond of my pellets too. I do keep one ton stocked and located inside the garage though throughout the heating season.

In fact, I've had a ton in there all summer stacked neatly where they live until fed to the stove. It is nice to keep a stash in there so I do not have to mess with the nasty weather running out to the barn to snag a bag. Another big reason I enjoy the pellet stove vs. heating with wood. No suiting up trudging thru snow and cold nasty stuff once nestled in to keep the heat rolling. I have a lot of space here both in and outside. That makes things like dealing with pellets and firewood easier.

Some only have yards or limited outside space for pellet storage. If that was the case here I would definitely go the neatly covered tarp route. It is economical and easy. Plus if you spend a few minutes you can have some very neat and tidy good looking stash stacks.

If you are serious and plan to heat with pellets for awhile I'd consider doing a shed or such if you can because Mother Nature can and will be a major PITA at times. Many wood burners here on the forum have wood sheds for a good reason. Others have come up with clever and great ways to protect their wood without one so it is all up to what works for you and what you have to work with. Storing outside year round is perfectly doable but you need to maintain tarp integrity and monitor that they do stay covered. Otherwise, you risk losing some cash with wet destroyed pellets.

Cord wood is much more forgiving and some guys / gals handle their splits with kid gloves. Bags of pellets can and will turn into a spongy saw dust mess if neglected. Nothing to be overly concerned about though and easily remedied with quick and dirty tarp cover up.
Click to expand...
bags said:
It sounds like the OP has to store his 5 tons off site outside somewhere and can only transport 25 bags per trip. Might live in an area or where the HOA or such frowns on storing stuff outside in the yard or whatever.

But I think we can agree that if storing outside then it's a no-brainer to cover them. Only time I wouldn't cover is if completely inside sheltered on all sides. I am sure mine would be fine under roof where they reside with an open side but why risk it, I do not cover any that are stored in the garage or inside the core of the barn.

I keep them where I do so they do not jam up my inside garage or barn space. Call me an insensitive jerk but I love my motorcycles, toys, and rides much more than a pallet of pellets although I am fond of my pellets too. I do keep one ton stocked and located inside the garage though throughout the heating season.

In fact, I've had a ton in there all summer stacked neatly where they live until fed to the stove. It is nice to keep a stash in there so I do not have to mess with the nasty weather running out to the barn to snag a bag. Another big reason I enjoy the pellet stove vs. heating with wood. No suiting up trudging thru snow and cold nasty stuff once nestled in to keep the heat rolling. I have a lot of space here both in and outside. That makes things like dealing with pellets and firewood easier.

Some only have yards or limited outside space for pellet storage. If that was the case here I would definitely go the neatly covered tarp route. It is economical and easy. Plus if you spend a few minutes you can have some very neat and tidy good looking stash stacks.

If you are serious and plan to heat with pellets for awhile I'd consider doing a shed or such if you can because Mother Nature can and will be a major PITA at times. Many wood burners here on the forum have wood sheds for a good reason. Others have come up with clever and great ways to protect their wood without one so it is all up to what works for you and what you have to work with. Storing outside year round is perfectly doable but you need to maintain tarp integrity and monitor that they do stay covered. Otherwise, you risk losing some cash with wet destroyed pellets.

Cord wood is much more forgiving and some guys / gals handle their splits with kid gloves. Bags of pellets can and will turn into a spongy saw dust mess if neglected. Nothing to be overly concerned about though and easily remedied with quick and dirty tarp cover up.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the cardboard on the Pallet. It is treated to repel water, and I used it to protect the sides of the bags
on the floor of the garage. It is tight with the car and the snow and rain on the sides of the bags.
Works for heads-up of an oil leak, after a service.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CleanFire
Stored ours outside for 3 yrs now. For those 3 years I had access to a 18ft box truck from where I used to work and would pick up 3-4 pallets of pellets and just have the place load them onto the truck.
When I got home I could usually pull the factory plastic up and off the pellets (I bought Greene Team and it was more like a giant plastic bag just barely heat shrunk over them). I'd then restack as tightly as I could and was always able to slide the plastic back down over the pellets. I would then take two large tarps (I think they're 10x18 or maybe 12x20) to cover them and use cement blocks to hold them down. Even with snow and rain they stay dry.

Have a new job this year, no big truck to use, so I'm having the pellets delivered but after they place them where I want them they'll still be covered by a couple tarps.

Sam
 
  • Like
Reactions: CleanFire, Lake Girl, Pete Zahria and 1 other person
+1 for tarping over, and using a pallet underneath, with a layer of carboard between the pallet and 1st course of bags when stacking.. Saved our pellet bacon this winter. I'd spend the extra $$$ for the heavy-duty rip stop tarps up-front, I had a standard (blue) tarp last -one- night here during one of the numerous Nor'Easters in February.. Luckily no harm done, but sooo much fun brooming off, shoveling, and re-stacking at -5.. ( Get a good tarp. )
 
  • Like
Reactions: bags
Any tips on keeping the little critters away for the rest of the summer/fall?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Y
Wood storage: metal carcass+tarps VS wooden shade VS outside stack+tarp next to a stone fence?
Replies
5
Views
748
The Wood Shed
kborndale
K
E
To Cover or Not To Cover?
Replies
33
Views
5K
The Wood Shed
TheElementalCashew
TheElementalCashew
W
Any better way to cover wood racks?
Replies
17
Views
3K
The Wood Shed
Sawset
Sawset
E
Does wood season all year?
Replies
21
Views
4K
The Wood Shed
EbS-P
EbS-P
D
Noob firewood seller questions
Replies
54
Views
4K
The Wood Shed
MongoMongoson
MongoMongoson
Top Bottom
Back