Changed my "rear" stacks around to help with seasoning

  • 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.

rdust

Minister of Fire
Feb 9, 2009
4,604
Michigan
I noticed when I moved wood from my rear stacks to my front stacks this spring the rear stacks weren't seasoning well. It had a lot to do with air circulation and just being stacked too tightly. I made the stacks longer and no longer have more than 2 rows stacked together. As the 2 row stacks get used those will become single stacked, elevated rows like the others. The rows now have about 6' between them so I can easily mow them to keep the weeds down and also have room for the garden tractor and cart when moving wood around.

I know pics or it didn't happen. ;) A couple before shots and some after shots.

Oh yeah, the pallets stacks are 54' long, middle stack 48' and the outside single stack 45'(this ones not full yet). Pallet stacks the one row is half oak/half honey locust, the other is all ash. The middle stack is a mix of cherry/silver maple with a splash of ash and the single outside stack is white oak and ash.
 

Attachments

  • Before1.JPG
    Before1.JPG
    187 KB · Views: 179
  • Before2.JPG
    Before2.JPG
    188.9 KB · Views: 203
  • 1.JPG
    1.JPG
    178.8 KB · Views: 227
  • 2.JPG
    2.JPG
    187.6 KB · Views: 208
  • 3.JPG
    3.JPG
    200.3 KB · Views: 214
  • 4.JPG
    4.JPG
    182.8 KB · Views: 212
Oh yeah here's one of the little man posing with the honey locust. :)
 

Attachments

  • LittleMan (Large).JPG
    LittleMan (Large).JPG
    156 KB · Views: 141
There's a guy at the junction of M32 and M65 who has his stacked like your before shots.
Another just outside of "town" going west.
I always wondered how the stuff in the middle fared when stacked so tight.
I'm in the process of moving my single rows to almost 9' apart to allow the sun to hit the bottom of the north stack in the dead of winter (it doesn't now).
Good job letting the wood breathe. You should see a nice result from that change.
 
Moving wood in to burn is enough work, let alone moving entire stacks. I'm glad I have enough wide open space to stack it only once.
 
Moving wood in to burn is enough work, let alone moving entire stacks. I'm glad I have enough wide open space to stack it only once.

Oh I didn't move entire stacks just to do this. The three left rows of the 5 row stacked in the before2.jpg shot were moved up to my stacks near the house in the spring, the stack of 2 rows on the left in before2.jpg needed to be split so I had to deal with those anyway. The middle row of cherry/maple and outside row of the white oak are fresh from this season so I made new stacks. I have plenty of room to stack near the house but didn't want to give up anymore space so I keep about 8 cords stacked "near" the house and the rest get moved to the "back" stacks until seasoned. I hate moving wood so much but it keeps the space near the house less cluttered.
 
There's a guy at the junction of M32 and M65 who has his stacked like your before shots.
Another just outside of "town" going west.
I always wondered how the stuff in the middle fared when stacked so tight.
I'm in the process of moving my single rows to almost 9' apart to allow the sun to hit the bottom of the north stack in the dead of winter (it doesn't now).
Good job letting the wood breathe. You should see a nice result from that change.

For me it didn't work well but all the tall weeds growing up around them sure didn't help. Last summer I was down recovering from back surgery so those stacks in the back lacked maintenance! I've been playing catch up this year, we're almost there!
 
  • Like
Reactions: PapaDave
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Another member of the straight stack club (SSC) :)
 
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Another member of the straight stack club (SSC) :)

Thanks! Not even close to your stacks or many others on this site! :)
 
I wish I had the space you have. I'm going to start making some drying stacks in the backyard, but I think I still will need to do 3-wide with 5' rows for the lawn tractor & cart. I'll wait til I draw down the front yard stacks, though, through burning!
 
Looks great. It sure helps to be able to mow around it too that grass sure seems to block the wind and hold moisture..

Billy
 
Oh yeah here's one of the little man posing with the honey locust. :)

Wow, that cowboy has grown a lot!!!

Good work rdust.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.