The fine art of where the wood is stacked

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ddahlgren

Minister of Fire
Apr 18, 2011
555
SE CT
Last month I moved the wood from where I had it very easy to get to another location also easy to get to though might make the zoning cops a bit ticked off. Went from an endless 30+% moisture to 10% outside and splitting a random piece is 18% inside in a month. So I guess it is like buying a house location location location screw the zoning guy he will not be here to help clean the chimney in January! It actually went from very light tan to brown in a month with end grain showing deep checks it might be a very warm winter here burning this no matter what outside. I also scored a couple of cords of mixed oak maple hickory ash cut and split over 1 1/2 years ago so well over 2 years when I actually need it. Told the seller will check a random piece before duping for moisture before dumping and another after before getting paid and he has no worries being under 20% at any point in time so a hoorah if the case. It sucks buying wood but is usable wood it is a bunch less that fuel oil $500 a year to be warm for living in a little village with no place to cut and split myself is still a good deal in my eyes. That delivery will get me to 4+ cords and while not a hoarder certainly fixed for next year and a good part of the year after.
 
I agree on location. When I began I made the mistake of too many rows and too much shade. No more. Always single rows and in the sun.
 
It amazes me how many people stack wood between two dark evergreen trees. Glad to see you will be burning quality wood that is seasoned.
 
It amazes me how many people stack wood between two dark evergreen trees. Glad to see you will be burning quality wood that is seasoned.
If it is a windy location it should not be a problem. Plus, the trees will protect the stacks from rain making up for the shady location. IMHO sun has less of an effect than wind although having both is certainly best.
 
Sun dries the wood quickly. Most shady spots are shady because they are near other trees that drop debree. Debree either left on the splits from splitting or from nearby trees holds water. Clean splits that are in the sun and wind will stay forever.
 
Sun dries the wood quickly. Most shady spots are shady because they are near other trees that drop debree. Debree either left on the splits from splitting or from nearby trees holds water. Clean splits that are in the sun and wind will stay forever.
It sounds like harsh words but I think you are right. When you plant things in a garden and the seed packet says, "plant in Full Sun" it means full sun. If you are into gardening it makes a whole lot of difference. location, location, location.
I live on a hill, the constant wind ravages the roof shingles and in the winter it tests the limits of my insulation. But thru it all I know it is blowing freely thru the wood stacks.
There are plus and minus's to everything in life. Whether you live in the valley or live on a hill.
 
I stuck steel I-Beams down on the ground to stack my wood on. And they have sunk over time. And Im too lazy to weed whack around my woodstacks. Its not the sun and wind. Its the wet grass and damp ground thats making me think I should get the wood up higher.
Build a pyramid...and get that wood up to the sun.
 
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Last month I moved the wood from where I had it very easy to get to another location also easy to get to though might make the zoning cops a bit ticked off.

Pics, or it didn't happen.
 

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It amazes me how many people stack wood between two dark evergreen trees. Glad to see you will be burning quality wood that is seasoned.
Thats funny. I stack some of my dry ash and locust under huge evergreens in front of my house. Acts like a wood shed. Never get snowed on. Its also my back up location, just in case I can't get to other wood in the dead of winter.
I stack most of my stash in the sun in single rows.
 
How close would you put the next row knowing in the winter it can easily get 2 1/2 ft with just a little drifting by the house.
 
3 feet?
 
I set my pallet rows on 10' centers. The pallets are 40" wide, and I buck to 20", so my stacks are also roughly 40" wide. That leaves aisles roughly 6.5 feet = 78" wide.

I'd prefer more space, but I'm constrained by a property line on one side, and an enormous stone wall (old barn) on the other. My tractor (which is used for hauling the wood) is 54" wide and my mower (used for mowing the aisles) is 66" wide, so it's manageable, but steer carefully! Since I have a front end loader that sticks out 10 - 12 feet in front of the rear wheels of the tractor, backing up the aisle with my utility trailer on the tractor can be a little dicey.
 
1st pic is a nice neat stack & much better than the middl pic
should keep the zoning police at bay :)
 
Snow not much of a problem. The first 2 pictures were taken in early winter. Last picture was taken in April. We tend to stack mosly 3 rows together then a space wide enough to walk through without trouble. You can see in the first pictures that there were many rows stacked tight together. I think at one time we had 21 rows tight together. No problem drying.

I also have never had the problem that many seem to have when stacking next to trees. We've never had a problem with lots of crap, including leaf drop. Leaves fall and they also can blow away. Sometimes we'll find a nest where a red squirrel has built a nest using leaves and also some mice but they tend to use more grass and other things. We also have never had a problem drying wood that has been stacked in the shade.

Christmas-2008b.JPG Christmas-2008d.JPG Denny-April 2009h.JPG
 
1st pic is a nice neat stack & much better than the middl pic
should keep the zoning police at bay :)
Neighbors kid is a bit OCD and the guy that sells me the wood charges 30 to stack a cord so I pay the kid the same and if his buddy come along buy them a pizza for lunch and tick their moms off for the junk food lol.. Unlike their parents i encourage and praise them for doing a good job and the joy in doing something well. Geeze it is just so easy to say 'Great job you have them nicely stacked and sorted I hope you are proud of your effort I am' 99.99% of kids are good kids and just need a positive reinforcement and eager to please. I am of the belief kids that cause problems start out feeling un wanted or unappreciated and it just gets worse from there. The first stack the kid and his buddy spent 3 afternoons for maybe a bit over an hour stacking and that is ok and told them to sort the cash themselves and let the kid first hired be the 'project manager' and run the job so learned a bit about responsibility and delagating to others and a bit about cooperating with others lots of good lessons in all. Second pic is next pile of them to stack last is where it used to be and moving it from there where there was some sun but little wind to dry the wood. First / second year wood burner mistake in the end. Recently resplit a piece and since moving has dropped 10% moisture content to get well under 20%and 4 or 5 moths to go so should be good wood when needed. The second pile that needs stacking the reason to ask about spacing and in the end when the snow is blowing do not want to walk too far LOL..
 
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We had two sons and we never paid them for stacking wood. Nor for the splitting. Nor for the bringing to the porch the next day's wood. Why, we didn't even pay them for helping gather the wood. We simply worked as a family. Yes, my wife was also present except for the splitting part. That does not mean we did not give them some allowance but we never paid them for any one job. We felt it was better to learn to work at all parts of keeping up the home. Shock! We also never paid them for hoeing in the garden or mowing the grass. Some perhaps think we were mean.....but our sons don't.
 
Thanks for the like Grisu. I came very close to deleting that post and I sincerely hope that ddahlgren does not think I was putting him down in any way as that certainly was not my intention. I simply posted what I was thinking and, like most of us do from time to time, we say some things we later wish we had not said. Well, I'm still not certain if I did right or wrong so if anyone is offended, I beg your forgiveness.
 
I liked both posts, and am not so far from being a 'kid' that I forget the difference between working for parents vs. neighbors. My parents never paid me for mowing or shoveling, they simply allowed me to live and eat. When I was done shoveling my parents house, I'd head for the neighbors, and make a few bucks to spend at the hobby shop.
 
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