How do you bring in your wood?

[Slow1]

My wood has a complex journey from the winter woodpile to the stove... it is a long trip.

From the woodpile I load the wood into plastic recycling bins that I set into the wheelbarrow. Two fit nicely in there, this I wheel to the base of my deck, then I carry the plastic bins up to the rack by the back door (22 steps) to unload and fill the rack - about once a week during peak burning season, less often rest of the time (rack holds 1/4 cord). When I need wood inside, I wheel my baker's rack over to the back door and leave the door open as I fill it up, then wheel it next to the stove where it can sit until burning time.

I have three shelves on this rack and another (without wheels) that also has three shelves next to it by the stove. I burn from the stationary rack, then refill from the wheeled one before refilling it. This rotation of wood gives me nice dry wood and enough supply by the stove that I can go 2-3 days minimum between filling from the back door/deck. This way I decide when to hold the door open and don't have to do it when it is raining, snowing, or blowing bitter cold wind into the house. Generally this is an afternoon task so I don't cool the house down too much.

My plan is to pass much of these tasks over to the child labor crew as they get strong enough to do so. Last year the oldest (now 9 and 8) were proving quite capable of stacking on the rack as well as loading the boxes at the pile. May be a while before they carry the full boxes up the deck stairs, but I expect they will be filling the baker's rack this winter. With four kids growing up I look forward to lots of help

Out of all the posts to this thread I think your wood trip from pile to the stove is the most labor intense, I feel for you.

Well, I could make it simpler - Just fill up tubs from the woodpile and hump them directly up the deck stairs and across the house to the stove when I need them, but it is a bit of a trek. I don't like the idea of tracking in snow/ice/whatever that far into the house and having to clean up the mess all that often. So I make it a two step process.

It really isn't all that bad. I fill up the deck rack about twice a month or less during shoulder season, then once a week (and it isn't totally empty many times) during peak season for about 6 weeks. This is a weekend job - generally takes an hour or so at worst when there is ice and snow to deal with. Filling the inside rack every few days (or once a week during should season) takes all of 15 minutes and is not hard work since I just have to roll the rack across the floor, load (moving the wood about 5' or so), then roll it back across to the stove. Any shifting of wood from the rolling rack to the stationary one happens throughout the burning days gradually as I 'pick my splits' to burn.

However, I do envy those who don't have to carry their wood up stairs in the winter - that must be nice

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Is there any way your deck could accept more wood?

 

[Flatbedford]

Garden tractor with cart and/or wheelbarrow about 10 days worth from the stacks to the covered front porch. A canvas carrier like this from the front porch to the stove. No steps involved. Front door is into stove room.
http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Canvas-Log-Carrier-image_2.jpg

 

[Slow1]

Is there any way your deck could accept more wood?

I imagine so - I wonder about the weight, but given it is well dried and the deck well built (only a few years old and has had many adults standing on it without any concern etc), I bet I could put more on it. I still will have to carry it up there though in any case so I'd have to build some sort of rack system to hold it. I can't put a whole years supply (3-3.5 cord) I'm sure so I'll have to refill the deck rack periodically. If I put a cord up there I can only imagine how tired/sore I would be after carrying that much wood up the stairs. Now if I could find a good (and inexpensive to build/deploy) mechanical solution to getting the wood up the deck I might be inclined to go ahead and put more storage up there.

Doing the regular one every week or two task of refilling the 1/4 cord is a nice bit of exercise and excuse to get outside even if it is a chore. Perhaps I'm applying rationalization... If I could fill a wheelbarrow full of wood and bring it directly to the deck door without lifting (manually) that would be really nice. I've considered building a lift of some sort - like a dumbwaiter - that could lift my wheelbarrow or even simply my rolling rack, then I could just roll it out there right to the wood pile... I'd have to deal with the dirt on the wheels perhaps, but if it was a direct route and only once every couple days I might be willing to make that trade off.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

The reason I brought it up is because I do it and it becomes very convenient in the tougher months not to have to go in the yard. I can put 2.5-3 cord on my deck. I use maybe 2-3 weeks of periodic work to get it up one set of stairs and I'm done til about February.

 

[maple1]

What about an old hay elevator?

Man there is a lot of wood handling going on in some places.

Starting to feel fortunate with my layout - I think if I had to go up 22 steps with all my wood I wouldn't be burning wood any more.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

What about an old hay elevator?

Man there is a lot of wood handling going on in some places.

Starting to feel fortunate with my layout - I think if I had to go up 22 steps with all my wood I wouldn't be burning wood any more.

One year I tossed my wood up 9 stairs onto a piece of plywood. The stairs is the worst part of the process .

 

[stephiedoll]

My little CargoMaxx electric wheelbarrow works pretty well.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

My little CargoMaxx electric wheelbarrow works pretty well.

Can't say I have ever seen one of those before.

 

[rdust]

Once we get a couple good frosts I'll use my tractor and garden cart to haul about a 1/3 cord of wood into the garage at a time. From the garage to the stove I used to use one of the canvas bags. This year I may get some type of hand truck to save my back some. I had back surgery a couple months back some I'm trying to take it easy. If I skip the hand truck I'll just make multiple trips in hopes of saving some pain. :lol:

In the warmer weather I usually park a wheelbarrows worth at a time in the garage.

 

[stephiedoll]

Found it on craigslist. Use it several days before needing charged. Great power. We keep several weeks supply in the garage and that is right next to the stove. Not a big deal getting wood to the garage as it is downhill. Another story getting it to the back yard. Not sure they are made anymore

 

[tsquini]

I use a wheelbarrow to bring the wood to the back door. Then I transfer it to a firewood box on casters.
I then roll it to the stove.

 

[Dune]

Wheelbarrow, up a ramp and right through the slider to the indoor would rack.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Wheelbarrow, up a ramp and right through the slider to the indoor would rack.

Dune, your trip has got to be one of the best and easiest setups. I just put a visual in my head of a wheelbarrow going across the dining room floor. Ha!

 

[Dune]

Wheelbarrow, up a ramp and right through the slider to the indoor would rack.

Dune, your trip has got to be one of the best and easiest setups. I just put a visual in my head of a wheelbarrow going across the dining room floor. Ha!

For some reason my wife has never had issue with the wheelbarrow in the house.

 

[Deron]

I'm lucky in that I have a good sized covered porch just outside our family room door.
Easily room enough for 3+ cords while taking up only half of our porch.

For me, I just open my back door and walk 3 feet to my pile with a canvas log carrier
two or three times a day.

 

[ruserious2008]

We pass wood thru a sliding window. Last year I brought it from the wood pile to the window using a wheelbarrow and my wife would have a plastic laundry basket that I would put the wood in and she would then carry it to the stove area. This year there's a wood shed about 6 ft from that window I expect I'll just carry them from the wood shed to the window and laundry basket.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

To bring wood in the house, I use rectangular kitty litter buckets, in 28 to 38 pound sizes. Very similar in size to round 5 gallon buckets. I have around 8 to 10 of them. Rectangular buckets will stack real close with no wasted space. I can carry two to four at a time, fully loaded.

We also use a canvas tote bag.

For moving splits around outside, piles to stacks, a wheelbarrow works for me.

For moving bigger, heavy rounds, half rounds, etc.- a hand truck is just great.

 

[Stump_Branch]

When i was younger, my task was to bring firewood into the house. Mom being quite the seamstress, made a heavy duty bag out of material that wad pure 1970's brown with orange tan zig zags, i will get a picture. Anyways i grew to hate that bag, was a bit big for me and held alot of heavy wood.

Now that burn, with such fond memories i asked for one. Turns out she still had some of that material, and presto, a brand new blast from the past. Wood goes in there into a small indoor wood rack, also customized by the moms, with cloth bottom to catch dirt snd bark, and handy pocket for super cedars and lighter. Bags nice to also bring in sticks and not make a huge mess.

 

[basswidow]

I use my Pick up to fill one side of the garage with half a winter's worth of wood. It's so nice to take mere steps into a warm garage and get warm dry wood for the fire. I can't imagine how much it suck to venture outside in the snow and weather to trudge a load in.

To bring wood into the house for my hearth side storage bin, I use a BEACH TOWEL. It's similar to a canvas totes, but it holds more and is easier on the back.

I lay the towel flat, position 2 armfuls of splits in the middle. Gather up all 4 corners and hold it up to my chest, and walk it to the bin. (a short trip). Usually 2-3 trips fills it for a 24 hour period. The towel keeps the crud from leaving a mess and because its longer, it gives me more leverage for lifting. A tote has short handles and I'd be leaning bent over. With the towel - I stand straight up and my back feels great.

I may post some pics this season of the old BEACH TOWEL in action. It works well for me. I can't use anything wheeled due to the steps leading up from the garage, and I pass thru a narrow path in the kitchen before making it to the family room and I don't want anything banging into the cabinets or messing up the wood floors.

 

[Remmy122]

Wood goes in there into a small indoor wood rack, also customized by the moms, with cloth bottom to catch dirt snd bark, and handy pocket for super cedars and lighter. Bags nice to also bring in sticks and not make a huge mess.

hey sounds familiar!

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I have a new routine and loving it. I load the bucket on the Bobcat up and raise it up to the railing on the deck. Put it in a nice covered spot where I can hold about 2 cords and it is a short walk with a canvas bag to the stove. Bobby has made alot of jobs easier, I would never climb the stairs with all that wood. I used to bring it to a rack with my ATV and a cart to a rack by the garage but this is way slicker.

 

[TK-421]

Last year was wheelbarrow to the 7x7 covered porch then load up an arms full a few times a day to the living room. This year my wife wants the porch free so she said she'll make the 50' trek to the pile. She just picked up two canvas carry bags from LL bean. She got two so the weight would be distributed equally and you wouldnt be lopsided with a full load. They are nice, sturdy closed ended bags that stand up and have nice fat handles. They will fit a 24" log.

Next year I'm planning to build a 10'x14 shed off the house that will have a door to the porch. Should hold a full winter for me plus the wood will be completely enclosed but for a small opening for loading and ventilation drying.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Last year was wheelbarrow to the 7x7 covered porch then load up an arms full a few times a day to the living room. This year my wife wants the porch free so she said she'll make the 50' trek to the pile. She just picked up two canvas carry bags from LL bean. She got two so the weight would be distributed equally and you wouldnt be lopsided with a full load. They are nice, sturdy closed ended bags that stand up and have nice fat handles. They will fit a 24" log.

Next year I'm planning to build a 10'x14 shed off the house that will have a door to the porch. Should hold a full winter for me plus the wood will be completely enclosed but for a small opening for loading and ventilation drying.

Your a lucky fella to have your wife volunteer for the trek to the woodpile.

 

[TK-421]

Yes. Yes I am. She's a stay at home mom so she does most of the wood. I make sure it's split and stacked. I'm also a commercial pilot so she gets the chore quite often.

Those carry bags are really nice. You can get them cheaper than beans. We had coupons so we got them free. They don't hurt your forearms, distribute the weight better so also protect your back since you walk upright, and also keep your living room cleaner as the wood chips, dirt, bugs and other debris are neatly contained in the bag.

My neighbor has the dolly and loves it. The issue we had was wheeling it in the house with mud and dirt on the wheels. If your wood is in the garage that would be great. If you're trekking arose the lawn I'd think it would bring in the dirt.