Stacking on pallets vs other options

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woodhog73

Minister of Fire
Jan 12, 2016
780
Somewhere cold !
Just wondering if most people stack on the ground , on pallets , or something else like tarps ?

I've always stacked on the ground. Ofcourse problem is the first layer of wood doesn't dry since it picks up moisture. I've got lots of old tarps around the house. Do you think these will work or should I just go get pallets?

I've got close to 10 face cord split already . Roughly 8 is stacked the other 2 are in a pile. So I'm not restacking those they can stay on the ground. But I've got another tree to take down and need to start a new row. I don't want to really go out and get pallets so I may just use tarps.
 
I make a frame out of 10' PT 2x4s. 2 10' pieces spaced about 14" apart with a third piece cut into four 12" segments. Since my yard is not level I use a few bricks to make them level before I stack. The space lets some air under the wood and saves the bottom row of splits. I have used the same set of frames several times each. The oldest ones are under their 4th set of oak so they are over 10 years old and still in good shape.

KaptJaq
 
I use 7 concrete blocks spaced every 4 feet to make a 24' row. Then I lay two landscape timbers down side-by-side on the blocks for each 8 ft section. The ends are two 4' PT 2" x 4"s stuck in the holes of the concrete blocks.

16" rounds/splits make each row equal to 1 cord. The wood stays up off the ground by about 10 inches, allowing my string trimmer to get under it easily and clear out the grass.

Works for me.
 
What would you suggest for keeping plants and grass from growing up under pallets? I live in the PNW where everything grows like it is on steroids and my yard has many runner weeds that I can never seem to get the upper hand with. Throw in some extremely industrious moles who dig up dirt piles which then turn into planters for every errant weed seed...

A few years back I put down some pallets -- some directly on the ground and one on a layer of gravel. Their bottoms have started to rot (no huge surprise) so I would like to do a better prep job this year.
 
ChillyNoMore said:
What would you suggest for keeping plants and grass from growing up under pallets? I live in the PNW where everything grows like it is on steroids and my yard has many runner weeds that I can never seem to get the upper hand with. Throw in some extremely industrious moles who dig up dirt piles which then turn into planters for every errant weed seed...

A few years back I put down some pallets -- some directly on the ground and one on a layer of gravel. Their bottoms have started to rot (no huge surprise) so I would like to do a better prep job this year.
Click to expand...
Roundup
 
ChillyNoMore said:
What would you suggest for keeping plants and grass from growing up under pallets? I live in the PNW where everything grows like it is on steroids and my yard has many runner weeds that I can never seem to get the upper hand with. Throw in some extremely industrious moles who dig up dirt piles which then turn into planters for every errant weed seed...

A few years back I put down some pallets -- some directly on the ground and one on a layer of gravel. Their bottoms have started to rot (no huge surprise) so I would like to do a better prep job this year.
Click to expand...

I used this stuff for my wood shed. Far cheaper than gravel and gravel does nothing for weeds.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... Weed Block&qid=1458357182&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

51S3Ox%2B6BjL._SY450_.jpg


Pics of the wood shed:

IMG_20160219_141052972_HDR%20Large_zpstjkv4qgm.jpg
 
I have always stacked on pallets. Why after doing all the work to gather split and stack it would you let the bottom layer rot? Tarps will only speed up the rot as they hold the water rather than let it drain. Pallets can be had for free at any local lumberyard leave an air space for the splits to breath and season.
image.jpeg
 
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Pallets are the way to go! I pitch them in a pile when they rot out and cover with cedars. Rabbits and birds love it. Keeps the yotesfrome nosing in.
 
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Oh and never had any issue with weeds. Weeds tend to like sun.
 
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Vikestand said:
Oh and never had any issue with weeds. Weeds tend to like sun.
Click to expand...
Same here even the pepper bush will not grow under the pallets. We heat our pool with a wood stove so I just chop up the old pallets and burn in the out door pool stove.
 
Sorry photos did not show in first post.
image.jpeg

image.jpeg
 
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Using pallets here. I get em for free and throw em/burn em when they have exceeded their usable life span.
 
I stack on pallets also. I can get them free from work.. Have not had any rot out yet because I am in my first year of burning. Not any problem with weeds either. Very few grow around the pallets and the wifey hates weeds, so they do not last long.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I do have some weed fabric handy so I will put that down followed by concrete blocks to get the pallets off the ground. This will be my spot for seasoning wood before it goes into my relatively small shed. Now I just have to improve my stacking technique since I don't have an easy way to add vertical supports. Would 2x4s uprights screwed to the pallet base work?
 
Nice racks, Jason! Can you tell me the rough dimensions for one? And how is the base built? Thanks!
 
Nice system Jason!! Might have to try that.
 
I've always used pallets, they're free and keep everything off the ground. I had about 10 yards of landscape stones that I put down in my stacking area to keep weeds down. As my pallets have been rotting and breaking I'm changing to the 2 x 4 method on concrete blocks this year. Pallets have their good points but also some not good ones.
 
ChillyNoMore said:
Nice racks, Jason! Can you tell me the rough dimensions for one? And how is the base built? Thanks!
Click to expand...
They are 8ft long by 4ft high by 14in wide. Base has two parallel 8ft long 2 x 4s, on end, 14in wide to the outside edge to accept a 14in split. The rack is sitting on 14in 2x4 crossmembers spaced 4ft apart. On top I ran two flat, parallel 2 x 4s. In the picture I have two racks screwed together for each row, to make 16ft. The top has two sheets of 10ft steel roofing, overlapped and screwed down. With treated wood each face cord rack costed around $26. The only thing I am going to change when I refill them is that the racks will be sitting on cut off timbers for more airflow. My first year, trial by error.
 
I used to stack on old 2x8s from my old deck, until I found this place. Now I stack everything on pallets, they are easy for me to replace when they rot. As was previously stated I work too hard to have the bottom layer rot out
 
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