help with top covering

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steeltowninwv

Minister of Fire
Nov 16, 2010
768
west virginia
i am in the process of stacking a couple cords...it will be 2 rows deep stacked on pallets...about 10 inches left between rows for air to move......i wanna top cover the wood....what i invision is covering the rows seperate with brown tarps...do u all cut ur tarps to fit such a narrow stack?.....do u staple them down?....any ideas will help
 
Menards carrys them now just for wood stacks if you have one? I dont cover though.
 
Just throw one big tarp over it. put some wood in the gap every 2 feet to span the two rows and you you'll be fine. I also put other splits from next years wood on top to hold it down.
 
jay ..no menards around..looked online at their site and didnt see anything
 
nevermind jay..thanks i found them
 
The biggest problem with stacking and then covering with tarps that cover both rows as you have is that water will make some big pockets in that tarp unless you put something solid under the tarps. Also, when tarping more than one row, it can present a problem when removing the wood as then the tarp doesn't fit right; a real pain.
 
Old tin sheets, recycled steel roofing, etc. works much better than tarps. You don't get the pockets like tarps and the top layers stay dry. I wanted to build a woodshed, but using tin works well. Tarps wear quick, tear easy and when covered with snow are a bear. I stack our wood 3 rows deep with 12" or so between rows. The tin spans all 3 rows so there's no runoff between the rows.
 
haven't been able to score any metal roofing or anything and I'm only covering for the winter but I got some camo colored tarp from Harbor Freight that's 5x9 so I cut it into 2.5X9 pieces and it covers a little of the sides as my stacks are 2' wide. I hate those ugly blue tarps so the camo ones look better IMO. I use slats from the pallets I cut up and a sheetrock screw and secure it that way. Held just fine today on the one I've done so far in 40MPH winds. I figure if wind became a problem I'll throw some pallets on top but don't think I'll need to. Using the screws makes it easy to remove the covers whenever needed. I just screw them to the pallets on the ends and right to the wood along the sides and top of the stack.
On a side note about todays winds.... I spotted a small branch in my yard today with about 6 or so oak leaves on it. Must have been some nasty winds because there are no oak trees on my property or any of my neighbors. That sucker flew a long way from someplace in this wind!
 
If you do use tarps, put flat cardboard under them to make them last longer. It cuts down on the abrasion from the tarps rubbing against the top of the stacks.
 
BrotherBart said:
If you do use tarps, put flat cardboard under them to make them last longer. It cuts down on the abrasion from the tarps rubbing against the top of the stacks.

Good idea... I may try that for stacks I dont have metal covers for.
 
When we were looking for covers for the stacks, there was a post on here that suggested this place http://www.tarpsonline.com/complist.asp. Probably the same price; good quality and very happy.

Biggest hurdle is finding the best way to secure them. Our stacks all have one side against a wooden fence, so it's hard to hang weights or tie that side down. End up just putting splits on top, but that is not good for the tarps. A buddy and I were thinking of making up some small 5lb cement weights with clips attached.
 
heatit said:
When we were looking for covers for the stacks, there was a post on here that suggested this place http://www.tarpsonline.com/complist.asp. Probably the same price; good quality and very happy.

Biggest hurdle is finding the best way to secure them. Our stacks all have one side against a wooden fence, so it's hard to hang weights or tie that side down. End up just putting splits on top, but that is not good for the tarps. A buddy and I were thinking of making up some small 5lb cement weights with clips attached.

Empty milk gallon filled with water is cheaper. :)
 
Shari said:
heatit said:
When we were looking for covers for the stacks, there was a post on here that suggested this place http://www.tarpsonline.com/complist.asp. Probably the same price; good quality and very happy.

Biggest hurdle is finding the best way to secure them. Our stacks all have one side against a wooden fence, so it's hard to hang weights or tie that side down. End up just putting splits on top, but that is not good for the tarps. A buddy and I were thinking of making up some small 5lb cement weights with clips attached.

Empty milk gallon filled with water is cheaper. :)

Been there; used empty 1/2 gallon juice bottles.
 
About 3 weeks ago, I bought a 10'X50' roll of used rubber roofing for $100. Cut enough 3'X3' and 4'X4' squares to cover about 33 pallets (some of the rubber came apart and I was able to get two sheets for a single cut), or about 3 years of wood. I hope they last a long time. I used to leave the pallets completely uncovered, but, in particular, I didn't like the fall leaves working their way into the stacks and then getting wet after every rain - seemed to promote some rot, additional fungal growth, and perhaps a little slower drying. Seems to be working well. Cheers!
 
Shari said:
heatit said:
When we were looking for covers for the stacks, there was a post on here that suggested this place http://www.tarpsonline.com/complist.asp. Probably the same price; good quality and very happy.

Biggest hurdle is finding the best way to secure them. Our stacks all have one side against a wooden fence, so it's hard to hang weights or tie that side down. End up just putting splits on top, but that is not good for the tarps. A buddy and I were thinking of making up some small 5lb cement weights with clips attached.

Empty milk gallon filled with water is cheaper
. :)

Or filled with sand.
 
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