Permanent wood storage location...

[HybridFyre]

Looking for some advice on a permanent wood storage location. Currently I have wood in 3 or 4 spots as I've been experimenting in my first year in the new house on different spots to store wood. They all have pro's and con's. Here are the top two most convenient. What do you guys think. Long term if I were to get 3 years ahead I'd need 13-15 cord on hand for a frame of reference. In the end the biggest trade off is ease of location access versus more sunlight.

Location 1. Front of the lot. Pics below.

Pro's:
Right off the driveway so easy to get in and out year round with minimal snow blowing to egg to stacks. Decent wind. I would obviously clear out some of the brush to make it more open.

Con's:
No sunlight. Can see it from the street through winter. Wife doesn't exactly love the aesthetics of seeing it from the road either. I'm fairly rural so I'm not exactly worried about people stealing my wood since you can see it in the road but with the last few nasty winters I'd not rule it out 100%.


Option 2:
Back of the lot in the back yard. Pics below

Pro's:
Decent sunlight and wind. I'd clear the area to the right of the exising wood stack to make more room for a wood splitter location and many more stacks.

Con's:
Look at the last pic. You have to drive about 200 yards through the front and side yard to get to the back yard to this spot. Makes it tough to move wood back there in early spring or winter unless I hook the snow blower up to my tractor and make a hole.

 

[Ashful]

I have a very similar situation, although we're less rural than you. Wood is in back, so as to not have it seen from the road. It's only maybe 300 - 400 feet from where I stage it on my rear patio during winter. Every second weekend, or sometimes an evening after dinner if incoming weather provides incentive, I head down to the wood lot to bring another cord of wood up to the house. We rarely have enough snow on the ground to get the 4wd tractor stuck, although when it does happen, I can always use the 3-point snowblower set a few inches off the ground to clear what needs to be done. In our particular situation / setting, it beats seeing woodpiles from the street or driveway.

BTW... sunlight doesn't seem nearly as important in drying wood as does wind. Looks like your back yard might actually be better for wind, versus alongside the driveway.

Others will advise to use both spots. Stack it closest to where you fell it. Maybe conditions will favor drying in one spot one year, and the other another.

 

[HybridFyre]

Thanks Joful. Should have mentioned my game plan is to move a full 4 cord to the base of the driveway in the late fall so i have just about a winters worth that I can move a half cord at a time into the garage every two weeks. So yeah moving wood twice kind of sucks but I'd rather move it without snow everywhere if I can help it

 

[Ashful]

I hear ya. Depending on your available equipment, the solution of moving entire pallet loads at a time with forks mounted on your 3-point hitch or front-end loader, might be a good way to go. I'm still moving it manually, loading it into my front end loader and trailer, and then unloading it into a separate wood rack on the patio. I can go thru a cord in 10 days when it gets cold, so I'm moving some wood. I'm going to be experimenting with some more efficient methods myself, this year... although I can't say I ever minded the excuse to get outdoors and play in the snow with my tractor in the winter.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

If you need to have the wood season, I would pick #2. Wind and sun beats out a shady spot any day.....
Ideally maybe you should use both spots, one that is ready to go and two that needs time, that's what I wood do....

 

[firefighterjake]

Easy decision: Location #2.

Reason: As mentioned with Location #1:Wife doesn't exactly love the aesthetics of seeing it from the road either. My own take: my wife puts up with me playing with the wood, the mess, taking up room in the house and yard (and yeah, she also realizes it provides cheap heat so there is some give and take) . . . if simply moving it to a spot she finds better makes her happier with the wood processing/storage . . . go for it.

 

[HybridFyre]

Thanks for the feedback. Joful I should have been more specific when I said tractor. I meant garden tractor. I have a 43 year old Case 444. She's a little beast for her size but definitely not the kind of tractor you're talking about.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

In the end the biggest trade off is ease of location access versus more sunlight.

If you're drinking the "3 years ahead" kool aid then sunlight doesn't matter nearly as much - I say go with convenience

 

[HybridFyre]

If you're drinking the "3 years ahead" kool aid then sunlight doesn't matter nearly as much - I say go with convenience

I am drinking the kool aid because there is a lot of red oak near me. I stacked some last march and it's still over 35% so a least 2 years will be needed for sure for most of my stacks.

 

[Ashful]

If you're drinking the "3 years ahead" kool aid then sunlight doesn't matter nearly as much - I say go with convenience

Note Bigg_Redd's location. The hardwood he'll tell you he knows ain't the real thing.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I am drinking the kool aid because there is a lot of red oak near me. I stacked some last march and it's still over 35% so a least 2 years will be needed for sure for most of my stacks.

The point stands. Go with convenience.