Holz Hausen (Haufen?) Pics

The wood dried well. I don't think it was any faster than rows, though, maybe a bit slower if I had to guess.

The porch? Well, it's still there. I need to work on it. My temporary deck support is still on the job. I work at the speed of molasses. I finally finished up the flower boxes (just today) that I started last Summer. (see: http://tinyurl.com/5fkh58 for Google pics)

I've got to put up a couple more rain drip strips to stop water from getting in through the windows and rotting my sills. Then to finish up the rotted window sill repair in the bedroom, which has most of the design work sitting in place, just need to make sure things have stopped leaking before I nail it all in there and paint.

Then it's on to the deck repair if the chain saw repair doesn't push it back.

Gald to see ya pop in MO!!
LOL, gotta love how the lonnnnggg list of home repairs never ends. Start a project, and 5 more spring up.
Good to hear from ya.

Mo-
I noticed your center splits were stcked randomly in a horizontal pattern. Have you tried building a holz stacking the center splits vertically? I just wonder if this technique would season the wood faster. Nice stacks and thanks for sharing the pics.

I tried stacking the center splits vertically on holz #1, but it became unwieldy and took more time. And after a few vertical rings radiating out from center, there was so much space between leaning splits that I couldn't keep them standing upright very well anymore, so I abandoned that approach and started just tossing them in.

Personally, I think the "just throw 'em in the middle" method dries faster than stacking the middle pieces tightly. It allows more space between center pieces and thus more air movement. I figure randomly thrown-in pieces take up 50 - 100% more area than if I stacked them symmetrically somehow, same as with nice rows vs. just thrown in the truck bed. Or criss-cross stacks vs. parallel stacks. It's a LOT faster to just toss 'em in there, too.

More space = more air movement = better drying (unless perhaps you hold to the holz compost heat generation theory, the holz chimney effect theory, or the holz corealus affect theory).

hey guys

what if you were to not put in any vertical and kept that space open with a small tarp over the whole thing, would that really increase the air flow and drying? oh ya and some how keeping the tarp up off the wood high enough to keep the air flowing.

mo
i noticed in the picture that shows the beginning row that the splits were not level and angled inward would that bring in rain water to the middle? if so that would be a bad thing over here in mass. we had rain everyday this summer so far after 3:00 pm

frank

I'd think that would be the case, but that middle space adds stability (if populated) and is the best place to dry my odds and ends. It would be an interesting experiment if you were a little short on drying time that season (if it worked).

That was my first thought too, but it doesn't seem to do that, at least not enough to cause persistent wetness. If you start with a gravel, a pallet, or similar elevated foundation, things will be pretty dry even if the ground is wet.

BTW: that inward slant is crucial to the structural stability of the whole thing IMO. In fact, one of the big things I've learned is to make sure the bottom courses are markedly slanted inward and that as I stack upwards I never allow any pieces to tilt outward, and when I notice I've got a course that is looking like it is, or will be, level, then it's time to put in some batons to lift the outside of the next course to re-establish the inward slant. I believe all my "blow-outs" occurred where wood was either level or slanted outward.

I use 4 pallets for my base.

do you also slant the bottom pieces inward?
how big do you guys make them?
when you put down pallets do you put down 4 ?

Yes to both questions, 4 pallets per base, and slant first row for sure. Six to 7 feet tall.