Cheapest / Best / Prettiest way to cover stacks

[Rob_Red]

Hey All, looking for some clever ideas

I'm looking for a good way to cover stacks that wont break the bank and will look nice and neat. I don't really have access the used barn tin, is there any other paneling that works well?

I would run to home depot and get cheap roofing tin but its only 24 inches wide. I really don't want to mess with tarps.

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

I was going to say scrap roofing metal/tin as that is what I use but looks like it might not be an option for you.

One alternate kind of wood shed roofing material I've often thought of using has been plywood boards. Obviously with the price of lumber right now you'd likely be taking on a second mortgage to pay for it but when prices go back to normal (and they will), plywood boards might be an option. For me if I were to use boards, I would also invest in a few gallons of some good weather proof and/or water proofing paint or sealant. Something to coat the boards in to help keep them from getting warped from being wet or getting moldy super fast.

There's also some kind of rubber roofing material that has been discussed on here from time to time but I don't know much about it or if it would be cost effective to use on a project like a wood shed.

 

[clancey]

How about that plastic awning stuff and they have it in different colors too and I wonder if that would work? clancey

 

[Rob_Red]

I've done scrap plywood in the past and I painted it with left over exterior grade latex paint. It worked for the 12 months I had it setup, one thing I learned is it would work best if both sides were painted. My version only painted on one side ended up curling pretty badly.


Not a bad option.


on the topic of scrap barn tin... where do you guys find it?

 

[peakbagger]

I have posted this before. Here are 5 piles. The red roof is 2' wide metal tin screwed to wood supports underneath with an air gap. They are shorts that are shipped with metal roofing to protect the actual order, many lumber places will give you them or sell them to you for cheap The roof is not flat but tilted toward the back. The next two (which blend together is old galvanized barn tin laid left to right with pallets on top to keep the tin from lifting up in the wind. Not visible is layer of pallets under the galvanized roofing to provide an air gap at the top of the pile. The one covered in black plastic is solar kiln. Its sits on bent galvanized electrical conduit. The solar kiln "experts" insists that the plastic need to be clear but the black plastic and what I had and the interior still heat up impressively. There is air gap on the sides and top with an air vent on each end at the highest point. I fill it up in the spring and break it down the next spring mostly as I dont have permanent place to store all my wood. Snow does stretch the plastic down in the winter to the top of the pile but it didnt leak. The white covered pile to the right is an old plastic sign board similar to AZEK used for trim in houses. I use scrap so the cross pieces are left long. The plastic is screwed to the crosspieces. Even with bit of tilt I had blocks of snow on top of these piles about 30" high in late winter. The blocks eventually slid off the red roof and the white roof but stayed a lot longer with the piles covered with pallets. The blocks on the plastic slid off eventually but it took much longer.

I think the air gap on top of the pile is quite important, it allows vapor rising through the stacks to disperse. The bottom photo shows a close up of the red roof. I just screw the uprights to the face of the logs with long deck screws. In my town I get hit with property tax if the structure is permanent so screwing to the stacks seem to be regarded as temporary. BTW, these are double stacks, I start out with 10 " gap between them at the bottom and slowly taper upwards until the gap is gone. I throw non standard uglies into the gap loosely

 

[Dix]

I use clear plastic shower curtains from Dollar Tree. I get 2-3 years out of most of them, and as they are clear, from a distance, all you see is the firewood.

Follow me for more cheapo hacks

 

[Gearhead660]

The best cover is a woodshed!
I have used pallets on top of stacks, then lay old plywood, metal scraps, anything that will divert the water off. I have rolls of plastic film that I roll out on top of the pallets. The pallets give it some structure for fastening the top cover and allow an air gap. I get the pallets and other materials for free from work, CL, or FB marketplace.

 

[shortys7777]

If you go with the plywood why not just shingle the top? You could maybe even fabricate something out of pallet or scrap wood found on facebook or Craigslist. Shingle one side. It'll look like a nice roof from far.

 

[Rob_Red]

I agree and I've thought about doing some sort of light weight shingled cover. Thing is I'm trying to get 4 more cords covered and not end up spending 300 bucks on making a nice roof for them.


Also yes a shed is the best answer but I already have two of those and they are full! I'm trying to keep 9 cords on the property on a 3 year rotation. I want to cover it and forget about it. I don't want to deal with drying it out in the open and then tranfering into a shed when burning season comes.

 

[Dmitry]

I use clear plastic shower curtains from Dollar Tree. I get 2-3 years out of most of them, and as they are clear, from a distance, all you see is the firewood.

Follow me for more cheapo hacks

What are the price and the size of it? I've learned that nothing lasts long. Not tarps, not plastic. So, the cheaper, the better.

 

[Highbeam]

I agree and I've thought about doing some sort of light weight shingled cover. Thing is I'm trying to get 4 more cords covered and not end up spending 300 bucks on making a nice roof for them.


Also yes a shed is the best answer but I already have two of those and they are full! I'm trying to keep 9 cords on the property on a 3 year rotation. I want to cover it and forget about it. I don't want to deal with drying it out in the open and then tranfering into a shed when burning season comes.

You just need a bigger shed. I too have a full shed and extra wood. So I stacked like the old days and used a 10’ wide strip of 6 mil plastic from Home Depot doubled over so it’s five feet wide. Then mason string staples to the splits to hold it down. You can buy clear or black.

I also have some metal roof remnants that I use on top of that. I hate wet wood and no top cover prevents all the water on the sides from runoff and wind. Woodsheds are far superior for keeping wood dry but I don’t want to restock.

 

[Rob_Red]

Awesome setup! How long have you been using that shed? Any difference in seasoning time compared to stacking the old fashioned way?

also your property looks gorgeous, I bought our property about a year ago and the prior owner let a lot of the landscaping go, now it’s very over grown and wild. I have a lot of work to do to get it to your level.

 

[Montanalocal]

What are the price and the size of it? I've learned that nothing lasts long. Not tarps, not plastic. So, the cheaper, the better.

After trying many things, I have found something that will last It is the EPDM rubber roofing from flat roofs. I called around to all the roofing contractors in the phone book and found one that had a tear-off job coming up. He was glad to get rid of it. I learned about it here on some other thread.

It does have one drawback. It is 1/4 in. thick and is quite heavy. However, it looks to be indestructible for my use. You of course can buy it new if you are willing to pay over $5.00 per sq. ft. and you can find a seller who is willing to cut chunks off the standard 10 ft. roll. Usually they like to sell whole rolls.

 

[Hogwildz]

Rubber roofing scraps. EPDM

 

[Dix]

What are the price and the size of it? I've learned that nothing lasts long. Not tarps, not plastic. So, the cheaper, the better.

They are $1 each. The size of an average shower curtain liner... maybe 6' x 6' .

I am not heart broken when they die

 

[EbS-P]

A friend of mine is now using old billboard vinyls. He says they outlast tarps by 2-4 times and you score a nice looking one if you get lucky. His was a don’t do drugs as so he put the back side out.

 

[EPS]

I'm planning on using the method that this fellow NH yankee shows:

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It's using tarps but because you don't need to pile odds and ends on top to hold them in place, it stays looking much cleaner and neater.

My seasoning pile is visable from the road and I don't want people to see some dumpy looking thing as they drive by.

 

[peakbagger]

Sorry, it may look nice but will trap moisture in the top of the pile. Put a pallet on top to allow air flow and then cover it with a tarp but make sure it does not overhang the air space to allow air flow.

 

[stoveliker]

I used simple nails that I then bent over so the eyes did not slip off when the wind blows.

However, regardless of how tight or how loose I put the tarp, it *will* tear where it touches/moves over the edges of the top splits. Tarps suck. Hence I built this. Moisture trapping, no tarps tearing.

Not simple, not cheap. But pretty (in my eyes).

 

[Montanalocal]

A cheaper and simpler fastener is a 1 1/2 inch fencing staple. Much simpler to just hammer them in with one leg inside the grommet and one leg out.

 

[stoveliker]

It was supposed to read *NO* moisture trapping above, of course.

 

[EbS-P]

Tarps suck

Agreed. But Tarps are cheap and fast. And are temporary and movable next season or three. I saved my old gutters and use them to keep tarps off wood and make a bit of a peaked roof.