Holz Hausen

[Redlegs]

I had seen these before, but wanted to take a pic to share here as these are truely impressive. This is on 10th Street in Leavenworth, KS and I am guessing the guys sells it.

Can you guess the diameter of one of these?

 

[loadstarken]

That's a good idea with the fencing!

I need to get mine started so I can get my huge pile of splits out of my driveway.

 

[Redlegs]

I have seen these kinds before but never in this size, and I know the rule around here..." post a picture of it didn't happen".

I am getting into a bunch of elm from a neighbor over to the west a mile. He says he is taking out twelve big elm trees in the 20-28in dia range and needs someone to take the wood. Another guy is getting the small stuff (5 inches and less) but I have dibs on the rest. I was thinking that after I get it all cut and split, taking some and doing an 8ft Holz Hausen, and then and equal amount in 5 ft high rows (double rows on pallets) and comparing moisture content afterwards.

 

[Redlegs]

That's a good idea with the fencing!

I need to get mine started so I can get my huge pile of splits out of my driveway.

BTW, I think that is four or five foot high pasture fence around the piles.

 

[loadstarken]

Even more impressive now knowing that the fences are that high!

 

[ozzy73]

If you look at the 2nd image you can see the outer side is nicely seasoned but inner side ??? Not being covered, it must be pretty wet on the inside.

The fence must make the base nice and stable. My guess is about 8' in diameter.

 

[Redlegs]

I'll have to go by and meet the guy to get measurements, but my guess is most stacks are around 16 feet dai.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not sure why some folks are impressed by those but I've never been so. I look and then think of the amount of work compared to more conventional stacking and wonder why. As for the drying effects, they used to say wood will dry faster but I've read a couple reports that said it is the opposite. If someone wants them for looks, no problem but they'd best be ready to spend a bit more time with it.

If you look at the 2nd image you can see the outer side is nicely seasoned but inner side ??? Not being covered, it must be pretty wet on the inside.

The fence must make the base nice and stable. My guess is about 8' in diameter.

Not necessarily so. We stack wood fairly close together and of course the inner rows won't be as dark than the rows more exposed to the elements. However, they dry just as well. One case in point is a stack we kept track of to see the effects of drying.


When we stacked this wood (April 2009) we took pains to stack it as close to 54" high as we could. Over the years, they have stayed the same height. If the middle row did not dry it would seem that it would not have shrunk as much. And fwiw, that stack shrunk about 6" in the first year due to drying.

 

[Shane N]

I'm with Dennis on this. It doesn't make any sense from a functional standpoint to go that route. I'd imagine it doesn't dry faster, and you are also taking the most green wood first and getting to the driest last. Rows make more sense in that regard in that you can grab from the side you stacked first and work your way to the other side. You should then have mostly equally dry wood.

I do find them attractive, but that doesn't mean I'd want to marry a smoking hot blonde who has an IQ of 40.

 

[CTFIRE]

I built 4 or 5 of them so far. I like them for two reasons. The first being stability. There are solid and wont fall over. I had built some 2x4 racks on cinder blocks, but worried the kids might tip it over. Not likely, but still a concern. The second is that it creates a chimney affect and dries the wood quicker. Air is drawn in from all sides and exit up the center. Just go my wood boiler this past year and have gone through 3 so far. Once you get the first course measured out it builds very quickly.

 

[jdp1152]

I built 4 or 5 of them so far. I like them for two reasons. The first being stability. There are solid and wont fall over. I had built some 2x4 racks on cinder blocks, but worried the kids might tip it over. Not likely, but still a concern. The second is that it creates a chimney affect and dries the wood quicker. Air is drawn in from all sides and exit up the center. Just go my wood boiler this past year and have gone through 3 so far. Once you get the first course measured out it builds very quickly.

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I'm curious. What empirical evidence makes you say that air is drawn in from all sides to the center? I've thought about the physics of this a good bit and can't really see how this is the case and would like something to grasp that says otherwise. I've read a bunch of websites in favor of this method with supporting theory and a bunch of websites with evidence showing it's not as good. Obviously, there aren't many controls in those experiments so it's hard to really determine efficacy. Would love to hear about your experience.

 

[ScotO]

I like them for looks, that's for sure......but if I had lots of space (and free time) I'd be building one of these instead.

These look better, and the wood will season quicker.

 

[willyswagon]

I do find them attractive, but that doesn't mean I'd want to marry a smoking hot blonde who has an IQ of 40.

I wouldn't want to marry her either, but if she could come over and play house on weekends, that would work for me!

 

[Redlegs]

ScottyO - That is the Gold Standard of stacks!

 

[ScotO]

ScottyO - That is the Gold Standard of stacks!

I know! It's not mine, I found it on the internet. Do a search for cool woodstacks, there's some dandies out there!

 

[jrcurto]

I started laying a small Holz out just to see if I am sane. Actually I am going to challenge my kids to get it up to 4 ft and see if I want to finish. It might be tempting for kids to clinb on though. I am splitting a mess of squared hickory to make it easy to start....we'll see.

 

[CTFIRE]

Not sure I want to participate in a science experiment. I think there are a lot more variables at play like sun shine and wind. That being said, they work for me and I like building them as opposed to straight stacking. No increase in time as far as I can tell. I will say the air is getting drawn into the center by all the dirt I see on the wood as I dismantle it.

 

[jdp1152]

If you like doing it and are happy with the results...that's all that matters when it's all said and done.

Not sure you're assessment of wind being drawn to the middle from all sides is correct based on dirt. Entirely too many confounding factors on that one. Could just be blow in from one side at a time and get trapped.

 

[Applesister]

There was a thread in here earlier of these types of stacks from Europe. Along with Alastairs felled tree. Back in December.