Stacking wood - can I stack it on any of these things?

[joefrompa]

Hey all,

Going to start building a foundation for stacked wood. I know that ideally I'd build it on pressure-treated 6x6s, or pallets, or something to keep it off the ground and with airflow down around the bottom.

To keep the cost down though, I was wondering if I can simply stack it on even-ground with regular 2x4's/plywood/scrap wood that I loosely screw/nail together to build a solid and stable platform.

Is this non-ideal? Will it cause a problem for me in the next year or two?

Don't want to make a mistake out of ignorance.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Anything non- pressure treated will rot in contact with the ground. pallets are free- so they can be replaced every few years. I stack in 1/2 cord cubes on pallets (just box stack all 4 corners).

 

[IndianaTech]

I bought a few sets of "Seymours Stack-it Brackets" for about $15 each. You then use 2 x 4's at whatever length you want to make your racks. I used pressure treated wood, which brings the total to about $45 per rack.

 

[joefrompa]

Thanks guys. Guess I'll need to suck it up and find a way to transfer these pallets (no truck). Maybe I'll heavily blanket my roof and tie them down with ratcheting straps....

 

[vvvv]

Anything non- pressure treated will rot in contact with the ground. pallets are free- so they can be replaced every few years. I stack in 1/2 cord cubes on pallets (just box stack all 4 corners).

new PT has to be ground contact rated

 

[Danno77]

For me pallets last about 2 seasons. I would expect any non-treated scrap wood base would do the same. If I try to move the pallets at all after that first season then most start to fall apart because the bottom slats are all decayed so much. Pallets are easy (around here) to find for free, so I think that's the way to go. My ideal foundation would be a nice gravel base with pallets sitting on that.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I've used regular 2x4's and they are good for two years or so. I use mostly all pallets now.

 

[joefrompa]

For me pallets last about 2 seasons. I would expect any non-treated scrap wood base would do the same. If I try to move the pallets at all after that first season then most start to fall apart because the bottom slats are all decayed so much. Pallets are easy (around here) to find for free, so I think that's the way to go. My ideal foundation would be a nice gravel base with pallets sitting on that.

Not a bad idea. I can get a decent gravel base for around $10 (just buying 50 pound bags of gravel for $2-3 a bag). Then lay some scrap wood on top to get air flow under the base wood.....

I might hold off on the pallets for 2 years while the scrap wood rots on the gravel...

 

[fire_man]

I built ladders out of PT 2x4's. I use two 8 footers separated by three 12" rungs.Each 2x4 costs about $3.50 plus a few nails and a little construction adhesive. The ladders I built over 10 years ago look as good as the day I made them. I figure the cost is almost a one-time deal, these things should last 10-15 more years and they work great. Pallets work, too but rot quicker and can't be moved around without falling apart after a few years. It's the wood stack covers I still have not figured out how to get for cheap and that will last.

 

[Bubbavh]

It's the wood stack covers I still have not figured out how to get for cheap and that will last.

I use old plastic pool covers. My FIL replaces his every year and I snatch it up! I get a least a year out of them, which is all I need because I'll have a new one come spring!

 

[golfandwoodnut]

If you do not want to pick up pallets then cut a couple of saplings and use them for your base. Ideally if you cut Sassafrass or Locust they will last a long time, they use them for fence posts and you know how long they last. Your 2 X 4s will be fine as stated above. Or get a couple of pallets in the trunk and bungi cord it shut for the ride home.

 

[BrotherBart]

When I built the woodshed this year I made the floor the most expensive and unique one ever. $103,000 worth of ADC/Kentrox CSU/DSU units that were ruined when my warehouse roof collapsed in the back to back three foot snow storms and the insurance company didn't want the scrap and the dump won't take that much electronic scrap.

They now have four cords of oak on top of them. High tech holding up low tech.

 

[Dix]

My first year I set cement blocks on the ground, and spaced them so I could double stack rows. They were left over from out behind the shed, and weren't doing anything else.

I since have some pressure treated pallets that I'm working on filling up, but I 've got this years wood on the blocks. I just moved them over enough so they were out of the "settled" area and started again.

I got real lucky this year, as I lucked into 1 1/2 truckbeds full of pallets free, and only made 2 trips 15 minutes away. I've got about 25 of them outside, ready to process, or replace some of the older ones I picked up along the way that are getting pretty ratty looking I'm going to burn those first

 

[Danno77]

pallets sitting on a rock base will last a heck of a lot longer than they do on dirt. I have a couple of pallets with random crap sitting by the house and they've been there for about 4 years and still look pretty good. (well, the pallets look good, not the random crap on them)

 

[BrotherBart]

I have used pallets for years and never burned the old ones. Well, took 11 of the rotted ones to the dump this year and they charged me six bucks to dump the damn things. From now on the old ones are barbecue wood.

Hope the dump monkeys three miles away have to inhale the smoke. >:-(

 

[xman23]

I don't use pallets any more. I came up with this a few years ago. It's held up well.

Tom

 

[freeburn]

I don't use pallets any more. I came up with this a few years ago. It's held up well.

Tom

What size PVC is that?

 

[xman23]

It's 3' pressure rated type at HD. The 2X4 is 4' long. Measure from one end of the 2x4 , 6", 18" , 30" 42" this is the centerline of the pipes. I have a lot 18" + logs so that spaceing works for me. Use a scrap 2x 4 as a temp spacer, dropped on the center-lines. Mount the blocks on each side. I joined the end of the pipes with a short piece of 2x3 inside of each pipe. You could buy the connector's. 4" pipe would work but a bit more cost.

Tom