Dave A's stacks

[Ashful]

Thread moved from the Hearth Room:

I appreciate the point of view but I'm still at the learning how to stack stage. Techniques, and where to put it. To start building woodsheds is down the road after I move -- not planning on being here more than a few years. First year (only been at this two years) I used 2x lumber over 4x4 pieces as a base (materials I've been saving for other things), but didn't know how to support wood at the ends of the rows (my first wood guy showed me how to do it that way). This year I heard about free pallets, got some, and used long stakes in the ground to support the ends -- don't want to invest a lot of time and money on something that's relatively temporary at this point. The stakes didn't hold well.

But I'm thinking about killing 2 birds with this if possible. I lost most of my privacy fencing in the back over the last few years and been thinking about stacking wood along the perimeter of the property back there, but I can't really do it continuously -- as long as the fence-- so will have to do it in sections but supporting wood at the ends of the rows are still the problem.

We're in similar positions, in that I just moved a little over a year ago, and had to start from scratch as well. I came up with what I think is a good way to get some quick stacks up, which was to set up one-cord cribs using four pallets. Two lied flat on the ground, and two propped up as book ends. The only cost to me is two 2x4's and a few screws per crib, each of the 2x4's being cut in half and used as gussets to hold up the book-end pallets. If a pallet is 40" x 48", then my crib is 40" x 88" x 48" high. I stack the wood a little above the crib sides, knowing that a stack 5'-3" high in this crib will be exactly 1 cord.

You can sort of see one in the second row (partially hidden) in this photo from my first summer in the house:

View attachment 97437

That's a good idea. I considered something like that -- the bookends -- but the pallets seemed to be at a premium at the time, plus I wanted to go higher -- 6 feet, fence height. I do pick up scrap lumber for kindling -- might be able to use some of that and fashion something at the ends, or just get extra pallets and do that.

Just ran a search and saw something about criss-cross stacking. I guess that's like 3 16" splits one way then alternate the next layer direction, etc. I wonder if you could go 6' high doing that, and if it would even be sturdy enough. That's something to play around with.

Problem with the pallets, is that they're not always layed out so you can stack in the direction you want.

It would make sense to overbuy now and keep the wood stacked (buying cheaper unseasoned) for a year or so -- where I want the privacy. When I started doing it back there, seemed like a nice idea but by spring my wood pile fence was all gone. And back there was not really convenient for the current season. So what do you do? -- You move your stacks that are for the current season closer to the house after they've aged and then use the same area for unseasoned, I guess.

It's a lot of work. I like to bring wood in only about once a week. I've gone to a wheelbarrow. To be carrying 10 or so pieces at a time with a log carrier every day or so was not making me very happy. It does mean keeping a lot of wood in the house.

But I guess I have to check on the pallet availability soon. It's labeled as free firewood, so might not be a year round kind of thing.

So in your photo, looks like there's only one section with a tarp over. Do you not need to cover the stacks that are not seasoned yet? And you keep it all together and don't move the current season closer to the house.

You're pretty far away from the house. Though you don't want to get too close to the house with these large wood piles. I have to find some good articles on this -- what to do, not do.

Looks like this should be moved to another area. Maybe you know how to do that if you reply.

Those wood piles in my photo (above) are about 300 feet from the house, and 400 feet from the end of the house where I actually bring the wood in thru the basement. I keep only 1 cord stacked on the patio outside the basement, which is covered by my porch. So, I have to move a cord up to the house five times per winter, which is only once per month in the shoulder seasons, but more like every second weekend in the cold part of Jan/Feb. I use a tractor with FEL and a utility trailer to move the wood, but am currently debating ways I can move an entire half-cord skid at a time, to limit travel across the often-soggy part of the lower yard.
Criss-crossing your ends is a time-honored technique, used by many here. It works well, but requires some nice straight and uniform splits to make it come out nicely, and takes more time than just setting up some book ends and stacking like an idiot.
If you want a privacy fence, I'd build a privacy fence, then stack on your side of it. It will keep the neighbors from complaining about the appearance of your stacks, and eliminate your problems with having to constant burn your fence and move your stacks.
Pallets are around... but it can take a while to find some sources. I was in your boat a year ago.

 

[Dave A.]

...where I actually bring the wood in thru the basement. I keep only 1 cord stacked on the patio outside the basement, which is covered by my porch.

This house has fairly wide eaves in some areas and we used to keep the firewood next to the walls under the eaves. That was with a fireplace, that ended up not being used for years at a time, and the wood wasn't that good to begin with -- mostly branches from yard pruning. So the wood left there for years began to cause problems. When I began using the insert last year, I rejected storing the wood under the eaves because of the problems. But it might make sense to go back to that, especially since it's not going to sit there more than a few weeks at a time. It would be more convenient and I probably wouldn't have to keep as much in the house.

If you want a privacy fence, I'd build a privacy fence, then stack on your side of it. It will keep the neighbors from complaining about the appearance of your stacks, and eliminate your problems with having to constant burn your fence and move your stacks.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree about this, but I don't find neatly stacked rows of firewood any less attractive than a stockade wood privacy fence. And since I don't expect to be here more than a couple more years, I don't expect to replace the wood stack fence very many times.

Even so, same as you do moving your seasoned wood close to the house each year, I'd have to do the same thing, whether there's a fence behind it or not.

 

[PapaDave]

Dave, why not put some posts in the ground at the stack ends? I've been doing it that way for 7 years and it works very well and it's temporary (they'll eventually rot).
I put a post every 16'.
Did I miss something else here?

 

[Dave A.]

You mean dig-a-hole kind of post -- 4x4 size?

 

[PapaDave]

Small trees, landscaping posts......no need for 4x4's.
Piece of cake. I make 'em 8', then bury almost 3', then stack 4-5' high.

 

[Dave A.]

So you make them yourself by taking off the limbs and the bark.
That would work. Actually even a 4x4 would work, if I had some spares. Wouldn't need that many either. And if buying, pressure treated isn't much more and should last awhile in the ground, too.

But over then next couple years, till I move, I want to keep it as easy as possible. Just tried the criss cross technique or maybe it's not called that if you don't make a tower. But just changed the direction at the end of the row every few rows tilting up. That seems to work pretty well -- not taking credit -- saw it in a picture in another thread.

But it is more effort than mindless stacking. If you're putting the posts in the ground and keeping them there for a few years that's probably less extra time than the criss cross. I have to be thinking next winter might be my last here. Don't really have any small trees around that I can think of that have to go, but if I do, I'll give that a try.

 

[PapaDave]

I've also used the 3x5 landscape things that are half round on 2 sides and flat on 2 sides. They're on sale at HD for $1.97 quite often and are treated.
I can put one in the ground in about 5 minutes, and it takes longer than that to cross stack an end. Once it's in the ground, it's there for a long time but cross stacking has to be done every time you stack.
Not knocking that method, but it's not for me.
Oh, and when I put a log in the ground, I don't bother taking off the bark. It'll come off eventually.

 

[Dave A.]

I've also used the 3x5 landscape things that are half round on 2 sides and flat on 2 sides. They're on sale at HD for $1.97 quite often and are treated.

I'll look out for them.

 

[NortheastAl]

I've also used the 3x5 landscape things that are half round on 2 sides and flat on 2 sides. They're on sale at HD for $1.97 quite often and are treated.
I can put one in the ground in about 5 minutes, and it takes longer than that to cross stack an end. Once it's in the ground, it's there for a long time but cross stacking has to be done every time you stack.
Not knocking that method, but it's not for me.
Oh, and when I put a log in the ground, I don't bother taking off the bark. It'll come off eventually.

I use these landscape timbers to keep the wood off the ground. They are cheap and do the job. I like the idea of using them as end posts too.

 

[Dave A.]

If you want a privacy fence, I'd build a privacy fence, then stack on your side of it.

Not to beat a dead horse, but also with the privacy fence and then the wood stacked close to it for seasoning, it really wouldn't get the necessary air circulation (picked that up from another thread )

 

[Ashful]

Not to beat a dead horse, but also with the privacy fence and then the wood stacked close to it for seasoning, it really wouldn't get the necessary air circulation (picked that up from another thread )

Air circulation is key if you need to get wood dried fast. Usually an issue for folks in their first year or two of burning, or slackers who can't seem to get ahead. The advice there is to stack in a high sunny spot, in single rows, to get maximum air flowing thru the stacks. On the other hand, having your wood stacked a few feet from a fence isn't going to prevent it from seasoning, if given a proper three years.

 

[Dave A.]

Usually an issue for folks in their first year or two of burning, or slackers who can't seem to get ahead.

Air circulation is key if you need to get wood dried fast. Usually an issue for folks in their first year or two of burning, or slackers who can't seem to get ahead.

And you're serious about that too. Those who can't/won't/don't want to get several years ahead are "indeed slackers" when it comes to wood burning. Dunno what to say.

Can't help thinking about my first wood guy from Jersey "Well, you don't want that oak too dry. It'll just burn right up in no time."