How Much is Too Much Wood for Residential Neighborhood??

[iron]

i, too, have about 9-10 cords on 1/4 acre in a suburb. it's consumed a good deal of my currently awkward yard (i will reorg the yard in a year or two, including a few wood sheds).

half of the wood follows a fenceline under some trees. the other half occupies an old basketball court that is lumpy and going to be removed.

 

[jscs.moore]

View attachment 183753 View attachment 183754 View attachment 183755 View attachment 183756

Here's a few pictures of my wood supply. Not the most beautiful thing to have in front of my house, but it works. I feel like it looks crappier in pictures, but that could just be me.

I am always jealous of guys with huge lots of land posting these incredible pictures of there wood supply. I'd like to see how you other guys with small lots stack your wood supply.

OMG!...I was feeling a little guilty about all the wood I have stacked until I saw these photos! Wow, more power to you brother...it's your home, do what you want Looks great to me!

 

[Poindexter]

I'm very curious to see what ten cords looks like on .25 acre. Can you post a picture of this incredible feat?

See posts 123 and 125 in this thread, each 8 foot module holds right at one green cord...

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/experimental-passive-solar-wood-kilns.149388/page-5

 

[iamlucky13]

As long as your stacks aren't a fire hazard or at risk of toppling onto their property, your firewood isn't hurting your neighbors any, regardless of what they think about how it looks.

The wife is the one you need to negotiate with, as she actually has a legitimate say in the use of your property, in addition to the general need to maintain familial harmony. It sounds like her yard went from empty to having most of a side occupied by firewood she doesn't care for in a relatively short time. An occasional gift or nice dinner out with some of the money you save burning wood might help, as should some quality time spent enjoying a cozy fire once winter rolls around.

Do you have a specific amount of wood you're shooting for? If somebody asks if you have enough wood and you explain that you always want to be at least 1 year ahead so your wood is properly seasoned, which among other benefits helps minimize the smoke you make, and you burn X-cords per year, that answers the question pretty authoritatively without being antagonistic.

 

[jscs.moore]

As long as your stacks aren't a fire hazard or at risk of toppling onto their property, your firewood isn't hurting your neighbors any, regardless of what they think about how it looks.

The wife is the one you need to negotiate with, as she actually has a legitimate say in the use of your property, in addition to the general need to maintain familial harmony. It sounds like her yard went from empty to having most of a side occupied by firewood she doesn't care for in a relatively short time. An occasional gift or nice dinner out with some of the money you save burning wood might help, as should some quality time spent enjoying a cozy fire once winter rolls around.

Do you have a specific amount of wood you're shooting for? If somebody asks if you have enough wood and you explain that you always want to be at least 1 year ahead so your wood is properly seasoned, which among other benefits helps minimize the smoke you make, and you burn X-cords per year, that answers the question pretty authoritatively without being antagonistic.

Thanks for the feedback! My stacks are very neat and run down the fence line in a single row on 8ft black tubular steel wood racks. In terms of taking up actual space in the yard...they really don't because they only occupy about a 20" inch wide strip running down the fence line. For my wife it's not an issue of losing yard space...I think it's more about the look of the yard. We live in a 2000sq ft Center Hall Colonial in a very nice tree lined subdivision, so in her mind I don't think all the stacked firewood fits her vision of what our yard should look like? She wouldn't come out and say it, but she probably thinks 4 cords of wood stacked in the back yard is for hillbilly's and doomsday preppers But I think the wood looks very neat, orderly and beautiful, so it stays! I also know the after the first major blizzard of the winter, when we have lost power...she will appreciate all the wood heat sitting in the yard

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Anyone here with large piles of wood on suburban lots concerned with the liability of kids climbing on or around those stacks? I'm young enough to remember the appeal of climbing on "stuff", and old enough to be terrified of a neighbor kid getting hurt by a tumbling aisle of wood.

There are only four kids within a half mile of my wood piles, and two of them are my own. All four have been instructed on the dangers of playing on wood stacks, and we make sure they stay away from that part of the property.

It varies by state but we deal with liability concerns regularly as we are large landowners, who also own a road. You can't prevent everything but protect yourself by putting up clear signage as to the dangers, verbally instructing the kids along with their parents to stay away and why, and don't charge admission to be on your property. Make sure a reasonable person would say that your wood is stacked 'safely' and poses no clear danger. I would also look into liability on your homeowners insurance and what it covers regarding accidents and land use. Finally, I would look into what the rules in your area are on fences required around pools and build one accordingly around your wood area. The wife may like the way that looks better too.

I know it sounds like a lot but just some ideas to be aware of.

 

[blades]

All depends on your municipal codes- all it takes is one neighbor or some other a..... making a complaint and then H to pay . I know Just went through that and I had close to 40 cord on my place. All neatly stacked and no weedsor such growing around it. Don't know whose nose was in my business and it is in excess of 120 yards to any neighbor in 270 degrees no one behind me as I am on the edge of a conservatory. What really grinds my bones is all the c... the city tossed at me yet every one else in the area is also breaking all their arbitrary rules. Maybe when I told them that if I got rid of my wood heat and brought in 5 ton of coal they had some second thoughts ( no codes on coal, I looked it up, ) Oh, I still have at minimum 30 cord ( 128 cf ea) on my 3/4 acre lot and around 12 more at my shop css + a couple more to be processed yet. Yes I have a conventional gas furnace just dislike paying the inflated charges from the power company. Sure would be nice to have a low speed generator powered by a Sterling type engine to cut the electric down to size as well. bonus on that would be domestic hot water. Yep, can't have an owb either but I could likely bend that ruling some as technically it would not be a owb in the classical sense. The joys of living in populated areas, Eh? I am not running a selling operation either.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I have 2 small kids...ages 2 and 4. I tell them not to play on the stacks. If they disobey and get hurt,,,then that was a hard lesson for them. Such is life.

As long as your stacks aren't a fire hazard or at risk of toppling onto their property, your firewood isn't hurting your neighbors any, regardless of what they think about how it looks.

The wife is the one you need to negotiate with, as she actually has a legitimate say in the use of your property, in addition to the general need to maintain familial harmony. It sounds like her yard went from empty to having most of a side occupied by firewood she doesn't care for in a relatively short time. An occasional gift or nice dinner out with some of the money you save burning wood might help, as should some quality time spent enjoying a cozy fire once winter rolls around.

Do you have a specific amount of wood you're shooting for? If somebody asks if you have enough wood and you explain that you always want to be at least 1 year ahead so your wood is properly seasoned, which among other benefits helps minimize the smoke you make, and you burn X-cords per year, that answers the question pretty authoritatively without being antagonistic.

When I'm thinking about doing something that dramatically changes the look of our property, I run it by my wife and we talk it out. She doesn't have much 'vision' for what property should look like (her words), so I take it on myself. She trusts me and that is that.
If she wants something to change, she has 2 arms and 2 legs and she can change it herself. I love and care for my wife in every way, but I do not coddle her as if she were inferior or a child. Neither of us walk on eggshells or buy each other off with anything. We love it that way. We have a super strong marriage.

Equality is needed in marriage. But that doesn't mean everyone has equal say in every single issue, regardless of expertise. That'll drive ya both nuts.

 

[Ashful]

When I'm thinking about doing something that dramatically changes the look of our property, I run it by my wife and we talk it out. She doesn't have much 'vision' for what property should look like (her words), so I take it on myself.

I could repaint the whole house, and I guarantee my wife won't notice for at least 2 weeks. Heck, I planted a new tree that she drives right past in the front garden this spring, and it took her a month to notice that.

 

[BigFir]

Hey guys...I'm just going into my second burning season so I'm still a newbie. But have learned a great deal on this site about getting ahead with seasoned wood. I live in a single family home in a suburban like residential neighborhood where everyone has about a 3rd of an acre lot. I now have about four cords stacked in our back yard running down the fence line. I think my wife is a little annoyed at the amount of wood I now have stacked in the yard, so are some of the neighbors It seems most of the posters on this site who have tons of wood stacked live in more rural settings...at least that the impression I get from many of the photos. So my questions is...are there any wood burners in typical residential neighborhoods that have encountered raised eyebrows from either the wife or the neighbors regarding the amount of wood you have stacked in the yard?? My wide sarcastically said to me the other day..."do you think you're a homesteader now, this is getting ridiculous!"

Your wife may be more understanding if you didn't call her wide...... jus sayin....lol

 

[Dmitry]

Thanks guys for all the feedback. I actually do have an HOA in my community but there is nothing written about limitations on firewood. Matter of fact, there are some homes in the neighborhood who have wood inserts and a lot of wood stacked in their yards as well. Granted, this is not the norm but I'm certainly not the first to stack a lot of wood. However, I have tried hard to keep all my wood in neat stacks on 8ft racks. They run down the fence line and I think they look beautiful Of course my wife thinks I'm getting ready for end times What's also interesting is my immediate neighbor who has raised eyebrows and made a few comments like "think you gotta enough wood yet?" has created a crazy type of mixed jungle in his back yard with bamboo, coy pond, vegetable garden, little walkways with little lawn statues hidden in different places and almost no lawn because he's crammed so much other crap back there he can't grow grass It's definitely not my cup of tea, but I would never dream of saying anything to him about it...especially the 20ft bamboo jungle! But he managed to make a few sarcastic comments about my nice looking wood stacks Go figure

Does your neighbor know that bamboo is very invasive. Once it's going to have roots on your property there is no way you can get rid of it.

 

[Highbeam]

Here's my stack right now. I have one acre and the neighbor on the other side of the fence has 0.5 acres. You don't need a lot of land to store a lot of wood. This is about 12 cords and I have another cord up at the house for immediate burning.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

That is impressive! It is visually pleasing and neatly done. I guess people will always find something to complain about though.

 

[jscs.moore]

View attachment 183851 Here's my stack right now. I have one acre and the neighbor on the other side of the fence has 0.5 acres. You don't need a lot of land to store a lot of wood. This is about 12 cords and I have another cord up at the house for immediate burning.

 

[jscs.moore]

Wow...that is a beautiful site to behold. I'll stop feeling guilty now about stacking too much wood in my yard

 

[jscs.moore]

View attachment 183851 Here's my stack right now. I have one acre and the neighbor on the other side of the fence has 0.5 acres. You don't need a lot of land to store a lot of wood. This is about 12 cords and I have another cord up at the house for immediate burning.

Now those are beautiful wood stacks my friend...a job well done! I'll show your photos to my wife and just say, "you see, I only have four cords, could be worse

 

[Ashful]

Do I need to dig up a photo of my lot? I have 20 cords CSS'd, and another 7 in rounds, at the moment.

This may not help your cause, if your wife believes this is the direction you're headed.

 

[blades]

This is my main stack- neigborhood complainer called this a fire hazard-

 

[Lcback]

This is my main stack- neigborhood complainer called this a fire hazard-

That is impressively long. I have a hard time keeping my stacks from drooping the longer they get.
Good work sir.

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[snavematt]

I can't say Im in a residential neighborhood, so I can really do as I please, to an extent, heres mine, looks less than it is, built the wood shed, its 12wx5 deep, 8'high in the front, 4' high in the back

 

[Highbeam]

This is my main stack- neigborhood complainer called this a fire hazard-

A fire hazard. Well you certainly do hope to burn it but it's not like a pile of 1000 full jerry cans of gasoline. I would worry more about a large propane tank in the event of a fire.

 

[iamlucky13]

This is my main stack- neigborhood complainer called this a fire hazard-

I see more fire hazards growing up over the top of yours. Seriously, every summer there's homes destroyed when brush fires spread via vegetation close to the house in dry climates. I can't think of any houses I've heard of destroyed because they kept a stack of firewood nearby.

A fire hazard. Well you certainly do hope to burn it but it's not like a pile of 1000 full jerry cans of gasoline. I would worry more about a large propane tank in the event of a fire.

There was a very nasty house fire last year in my hometown - three people died, if I remember right - when a fire that started out quietly overnight apparently found some propane tanks kept on the porch or right up against the house.

Propane tanks are hardly ticking time bombs, but if caught in a growing fire with plenty of fuel, I don't think they can vent fast enough to control their pressure. Even the best case if they don't burst is that they help feed a fire. Potential accelerants like propane tanks, gas tanks, vehicle fuel, paint, etc, are why attached garages are required to have extra thick sheet rock and a fire-rated door, so you can store such things behind enough protection to give you time to escape if they're involved in a fire.

 

[HItz]

I live on I think 0.2 acre and I have about 8 cords - 4.5 of which are in a shed. Wife doesn't really approve of the piles of wood, but she really likes the toasty living room in the winter.

 

[tsquini]

If you have to ask that question you do not have enough.

 

[StihlKicking]

Amen. I simply can't do it. I can't see any of my neighbors and I can't imagine going back to a condo or neighborhood. Want to build a shed? Do it. Want to park 10 cars on your front lawn for a bbq? No problem.
Want to burn a huge brush pile? Sure..sounds fun.
I was attempting to tune a chainsaw at 11pm 2 weeks ago. No worries. The coyotes didn't seem to mind.

I love the country.

Me too, no neighbors here.



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