Why stack Rounds?
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I split by hand, and like to split and stack as I go.
Here's some poplar and fir I split, and stacked the day after the photo was taken:
I don't like to keep any wood just in a pile. They stay wet, get moldy, etc. I have stacked
some big rounds to be split a week or a month later. Just good housekeeping, IMHO.
Here's some poplar and fir I split, and stacked the day after the photo was taken:
I don't like to keep any wood just in a pile. They stay wet, get moldy, etc. I have stacked
some big rounds to be split a week or a month later. Just good housekeeping, IMHO.
The previous owner of my property cut down a lot of trees. When I bought the place, some of the trees had been left on the ground to rot, some had been cut to 8'lengths and left on the grond to rot, and some had been cut into rounds and stacked between trees. Of the latter, most of the bottom course had rotted away, and a lot of the top layer was excessivly punky. THe rest kept my house warm last winter and was some of the nicest wood I ever hope to see. Dragged a couple of truckloads of the rotted wood out of my yard last summer and threw it in the dumpster, along with a lot of bugs that I didn't want reinhabiting the wood I planned to stack there. Pretty damned sad to see all that wasted heat. I remained grateful that they had taken the time to stack wood that they didn't end up using, or that would have been bug food, too. So there's one reason I won't leave wood just laying around.
Had a problem delivery from a seller who shorted me last summer. I stacked it to measure it, and ended up a cord short and a half a cord cut too long for my stove out of a three-cord delivery. I've been calling this guy regularly since May to put it right, and given him several options for doing so. Talked to him again Tuesday and he was going to drop off a check for what he owed me yesterday. Didn't happen. I'll call him again when it gets a little later. Each time I talked to him, he asked if I had measured the wood before I split it or after. Even though many folks would define a cord as split and stacked, this has given me the leverage to say, "I measured it after I stacked it and before I split it." That's another reason to stack: if you think a wood seller might have shorted you, the sooner you try to settle up, the better. And you might not have time to get it split sooner.
I also found it pretty easy to work with that way. I'd take wood off the round pile, split it, and stack it, and worked my way right down the row converting unsplit to split. I worked on it as time permitted, or quit when it got too hot or too buggy. It was March when it was cut, May when it was stacked (had to wait until the snow melted to work in that area), and late June before I got the wood split. The moisture in the wood was such that the bottom of the wood was starting to deteriorate where it contacted the ground. Had I left it in a pile, I suspect the center would still have been frozen.
The half-cord he left that was too long sat in a heap and rebuked me each time I looked at it. I stacked it and racked it, and felt a little better about it after that. It's been out in the sun and the wind all summer, and might not be in too bad a shape even though it hasn't been split. I'm going to cut it up this weekend, and get it split and stacked and the work wrapped up. I'm really glad I'll be dealing with stacked wood instead of a pile.
For the most part, I like to get stuff split asap because I want it to get seasoning asap, and it gives me a good feeling to see piles of wood split and stacked and wrapped up. But like Dave says, everybody has their own reasons for doing what they do. Sometimes there's the ideal, and then there's the real world. Gotta do what you can with what you've got.
Had a problem delivery from a seller who shorted me last summer. I stacked it to measure it, and ended up a cord short and a half a cord cut too long for my stove out of a three-cord delivery. I've been calling this guy regularly since May to put it right, and given him several options for doing so. Talked to him again Tuesday and he was going to drop off a check for what he owed me yesterday. Didn't happen. I'll call him again when it gets a little later. Each time I talked to him, he asked if I had measured the wood before I split it or after. Even though many folks would define a cord as split and stacked, this has given me the leverage to say, "I measured it after I stacked it and before I split it." That's another reason to stack: if you think a wood seller might have shorted you, the sooner you try to settle up, the better. And you might not have time to get it split sooner.
I also found it pretty easy to work with that way. I'd take wood off the round pile, split it, and stack it, and worked my way right down the row converting unsplit to split. I worked on it as time permitted, or quit when it got too hot or too buggy. It was March when it was cut, May when it was stacked (had to wait until the snow melted to work in that area), and late June before I got the wood split. The moisture in the wood was such that the bottom of the wood was starting to deteriorate where it contacted the ground. Had I left it in a pile, I suspect the center would still have been frozen.
The half-cord he left that was too long sat in a heap and rebuked me each time I looked at it. I stacked it and racked it, and felt a little better about it after that. It's been out in the sun and the wind all summer, and might not be in too bad a shape even though it hasn't been split. I'm going to cut it up this weekend, and get it split and stacked and the work wrapped up. I'm really glad I'll be dealing with stacked wood instead of a pile.
For the most part, I like to get stuff split asap because I want it to get seasoning asap, and it gives me a good feeling to see piles of wood split and stacked and wrapped up. But like Dave says, everybody has their own reasons for doing what they do. Sometimes there's the ideal, and then there's the real world. Gotta do what you can with what you've got.
I only stack rounds if I know they wont get split for several months. Around here, the rounds in a pile just stay wet. Yes, it's an extra step, but at least my wood gets a little head start on seasoning versus the rounds deep in the unstacked pile. My rounds check up very nicely on the ends while they are awaiting their splitting demise...
kbrown
Feeling the Heat
I stack my rounds for many reasons:
1. Safety - we have kids, and the last thing I need is to have to perform extrication from a wood pile or from under a big round.
2. Respect - not being able yet to have a nice large piece of land, we try to keep everything looking acceptable out of respect for our neighbors and the area.
3. Room - once we fill up our racks, we don't turn away chances of prime wood (oak, cherry, ash) so knowing that we will not be splitting it until space opens up, we will stack the rounds until it's their time to say hello to the splitter.
4. Care - a couple of the previous posts spoke about keeping the rounds from going punky...very much agree that when stacked and off the ground, the wood is better taken care of and will give us the longest "shelf life" possible.
....Now, this does not mean if we had more land that we wouldn't have a small pile of rounds - but then again there would be more room for more stacks!
1. Safety - we have kids, and the last thing I need is to have to perform extrication from a wood pile or from under a big round.
2. Respect - not being able yet to have a nice large piece of land, we try to keep everything looking acceptable out of respect for our neighbors and the area.
3. Room - once we fill up our racks, we don't turn away chances of prime wood (oak, cherry, ash) so knowing that we will not be splitting it until space opens up, we will stack the rounds until it's their time to say hello to the splitter.
4. Care - a couple of the previous posts spoke about keeping the rounds from going punky...very much agree that when stacked and off the ground, the wood is better taken care of and will give us the longest "shelf life" possible.
....Now, this does not mean if we had more land that we wouldn't have a small pile of rounds - but then again there would be more room for more stacks!
Kenster
Minister of Fire
I always stack my rounds until I have time to split them. Looks neater in my work area, plus I like to keep them off the ground. I stack rounds and splits on pallets - uncovered.
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