Holtz vs straight stack

[basswidow]

Last year I built my first Holtz on 4 pallets and it was all maple cut and split in January 2010. I had a good cord left over that I added to my straight stacks.

This winter - I burned the straight stacks first - leaving the Holtz for last. The straight stack wood was very dry and performed awesome.

Well this weekend - I brought a truck load of the Holtz maple into the garage for the remaining heating for the year. (still in the 20's over night and chilly day time temps).

There is a huge difference in the seasoning. This maple has been in full sun and wind in the Holtz for 14 months. The splits feel heavy and some even hiss. I don't have a meter to check MC, so this is just my opinion. Consider me disappointed in the results. Not scientific at all, but this maple should be farther along then it is.

I will only straight stack from here on out - as it's superior to me over the round house stacking.

The maple I put on the straight stacks was on the top which may have given it an atvantage, plus - it was brought into the garage last october and that gave it another atvantage over the round house which stayed out in the weather. Still disappointed. Gonna knock the rest of it down and straight stack it for next year.

 

[Jags]

It has been posted here before that the assumption that a Holtz seasons faster is bunk. I don't remember who did it, but it was a fairly intensive observation.

On the other hand, there is no debate on two positive attributes to the holz.
1.) coolness factor
2.) the ability to store a bunch of wood in a small foot print.

Just make sure you have the extra time to get it all seasoned.

 

[PapaDave]

W/O the experiment, you would never have known. Now you know, so, "Gonna knock the rest of it down and straight stack it for next year" seems like a smart move.
Stick with what works until something comes along proven to be better.
My plan to try one is now off the table. Thanks for that. :lol:

 

[midwestcoast]

Thanks much for sharing your observations.
I'm toying with tearing down my Holz (very similar to yours, but with a higher 'roof'') built last summer of Elm, Mulberry & (a little) Oak & moving to a single stack for the summer & fall to ensure it's dry for next season.

Curious if you used one outer 'ring' or 2. Is the inner core stacked vertically like the traditional Holz or is it tossed in? Mines just tossed in. Also what type of Maple is it?

I never bought the faster drying aspect, but I do need dry wood for next year!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've thought the HH was always just a thing that some folks think look neat. I imagine as they are being torn down they don't look so neat though. As for storing more wood in the same space, I don't see how that is possible and I also am not interested in doing it because all one has to do is look at it and think a minute and then come to the conclusion that it will definitely take more time to stack it. I just prefer to stack the wood right where I split it. This means I don't have to walk around the pile to put more in. I can just pretty much stand in one place and stack.

 

[Jags]

I've thought the HH was always just a thing that some folks think look neat. I imagine as they are being torn down they don't look so neat though. As for storing more wood in the same space, I don't see how that is possible and I also am not interested in doing it because all one has to do is look at it and think a minute and then come to the conclusion that it will definitely take more time to stack it. I just prefer to stack the wood right where I split it. This means I don't have to walk around the pile to put more in. I can just pretty much stand in one place and stack.

Ya gotta remember Dennis, all these young guys have lots of energy to burn off. :coolsmile:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well Jags, I am beginning to lack a little in that area.

 

[midwestcoast]

Yup, took me about twice as long to stack mine. Then again it was my first one ever & I didn't have to make a rack to fill. I have a small yard so I do stack everything in racks to 6-8' high otherwise. Anyway if the wood takes a bit longer to dry I'm okay with it. If it takes twice as long or more to dry, that ain't gonna work to good for me.

 

[oldspark]

Nothing new here, been said many time before, look neat dont work.

 

[Wood Duck]

I've thought the HH was always just a thing that some folks think look neat.

That is more or less why I do it. It seems to work OK seasoning the wood. I had one collapse this month, which will be a pain to restack, but in that respect the holz hausens don't differ from the straight stacks I have made.

 

[basswidow]

My interior was tossed in uglies and shorts.

In order to fill a pick up load, I took the top 1/3 or so off it, so it was outer and inner splits.

I thought it would season at the same rate - but surprized to think it was worse.

Not sure what kind of maple. I'd like to say silver but I am not sure. A typical landscaped maple that grew massive. A tree company took it down and graced me with some of it.

The maple I put in the straight stacks - seasoned and burned nicely.

When wood is not seasoned - you can tell in so many ways. It's heavier when you take an arm load. It has a thud sound when you drop and stack it. Takes much longer to get going. It just feels different. Cold and clunky like fresh bought pressure treated lumber that oozes when you run a screw in it.

Well, I'll let it all sit another year in straight rows.

 

[Jack Straw]

Is it possible to make a hollow HH- no center? To me that's the only way I can see one drying wood out properly. I am so bad at stacking I could never build one.

 

[oldspark]

Is it possible to make a hollow HH- no center? To me that's the only way I can see one drying wood out properly. I am so bad at stacking I could never build one.

They are usually hollow in the middle, if you started a fire in the middle it might dry wood quicker.

 

[Jack Straw]

Is it possible to make a hollow HH- no center? To me that's the only way I can see one drying wood out properly. I am so bad at stacking I could never build one.

They are usually hollow in the middle, if you started a fire in the middle it might dry wood quicker.

Oh-I thought the center was full of wood. Like I said, I'll never build one although they are very good looking.

 

[oldspark]

My bad there is wood in the middle stacked vertically.

 

[Got Wood]

I built mine last winter for fun (only here would people understand the notion that stacking wood could be fun).

I think it looks cool - gets comments all the time.

The squirrel's seem to love it as I see them crawling in and out of it all the time.

I do not believe it seasons the wood any faster - actually slower. Takes longer to build. Does not allow more wood on a foot print - I never got the idea how the math worked to say it does allow more.

 

[Jags]

I built mine last winter for fun (only here would people understand the notion that stacking wood could be fun).

I think it looks cool - gets comments all the time.

The squirrel's seem to love it as I see them crawling in and out of it all the time.

I do not believe it seasons the wood any faster - actually slower. Takes longer to build. Does not allow more wood on a foot print - I never got the idea how the math worked to say it does allow more.

They can be built taller because of the cylindrical shape and angled in wood vs straight stacks.
We have had people on this site building them tall enough to need ladders.

 

[midwestcoast]

Thank for the details Basswidow. I'better at least dig into the center of mine this spring to see how it's doing as about 2/3'rds of my wood for next winter is in there.
As to making one hollow, well everyone asks me if it's hollow inside when they see it. I think because they have visions of me hanging out in there, lol. You'd have to figure out how to hold the roof up (a palette?)

 

[Got Wood]

I built mine last winter for fun (only here would people understand the notion that stacking wood could be fun).

I think it looks cool - gets comments all the time.

The squirrel's seem to love it as I see them crawling in and out of it all the time.

I do not believe it seasons the wood any faster - actually slower. Takes longer to build. Does not allow more wood on a foot print - I never got the idea how the math worked to say it does allow more.

They can be built taller because of the cylindrical shape and angled in wood vs straight stacks.
We have had people on this site building them tall enough to need ladders.

I've read and debated that .... I contend that you could do the same with a rectangle/square style of stacking. I know when I built mine on the same foot print (4 pallets in a square) I had roughly the same amount (and I needed a ladder to get to the top)