How to lift wood onto a deck?

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mdmallard

Member
Nov 20, 2014
16
Maryland
Hi Everyone,

We have a two year old Blaze King Princess, which we love, and I recently finished my deck/screened in porch project. I'm looking for suggestions on how to get the firewood onto a wood rack that we'll be placing by the door of our house where our storage bin is currently located in the attached picture. Other than carrying 100 loads up 8-9 steps, I've thought about building a removable/temporary gantry crane. I've also thought about somehow installing one of those pickup truck bed cranes into a concrete post in the yard and swinging a pallet of wood over the railing and onto the deck.

I'd like any ideas or solutions people on this forum have previously used to get wood onto a raised deck or porch.

Thanks!
 

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Many years ago we had a fellow that rigged up a clever hoist on swing out davit that could lift up a whole cart of wood at a time. There was another fancy version too.


And fancier yet: A wood waiter
 
They make small convayer belts that would not take up much room. If you could find one used, or even rent one, it would make a two person job go very quickly.

conveyor-rentals.html
 
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How much are you looking to put up on the deck? Same as what you have been? More? Can the deck take a larger load? Curious.
 
Didn't think of a conveyor belt. I'll look into that. Thanks! I have a 6ft storage rack that's 5ft tall. Yes the deck can handle the added weight.
 
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I use the Bucket on my Tractor. 5ft is easy. (Wife hauling my Son last year). Craiglist. I bet there is person around you can hire too.
 

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Didn't think of a conveyor belt. I'll look into that.
Have a treadmill? Point it up to the deck...turn on high...launch wood into bin (after dialing in the target ;) )
I just seen a video the other day where I guy had a treadmill pointed into the basement window to load wood into the basement...
 
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Every old barn had a rope hoist.
I have one in the shed I built for raising equipment to the overhead loft. Unistrut makes a trolley for use on their channels.
In winter, summer equipment goes up, and the winter stuff comes down for use.
 
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I have 4 steps from the paver patio up to my porch where I store wood.

I built a simple ramp out of galvanized floor decking, and picked up a DR Power Wagon so I can just put-put in first gear right up onto the porch to unload
 
Hi Everyone,

We have a two year old Blaze King Princess, which we love, and I recently finished my deck/screened in porch project. I'm looking for suggestions on how to get the firewood onto a wood rack that we'll be placing by the door of our house where our storage bin is currently located in the attached picture. Other than carrying 100 loads up 8-9 steps, I've thought about building a removable/temporary gantry crane. I've also thought about somehow installing one of those pickup truck bed cranes into a concrete post in the yard and swinging a pallet of wood over the railing and onto the deck.

I'd like any ideas or solutions people on this forum have previously used to get wood onto a raised deck or porch.

Thanks!
100 loads is just 10 trips/day for 10 days . just start doing it!
 
Cheap, but effective is get a heavy duty wagon and lay a ramp down. If you have a riding mower or atv you can figure out a way to mount a snatch block then pull it up the ramp. An ice fishing sled would work great too. Keep an eye on CL. I see handicapped stair elevators every now and then. You could mount a box where the chair sits and run it up.
Another option is to make a swinging gate out of one of the deck panels. Open the gate and the deck would be at the right height to set the wood on.
 
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Hauling wood up those steps is really consuming and takes you away from doing other things. Plus it's a health hazard in the winter.... at least that's how I'd pitch it to my wife before leading into the advantages of a compact tractor that we need to buy. :) (just got one this year, seriously more efficient and I don't know how I lived without it).
 
It's probably not what you're looking for but I'll mention it anyway just in case.
A lift that is designed to provide wheelchair access to a deck may work. You can sometimes find used ones online.

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Look into tile lifters. Roofers use them to lift tile and shingles to roofs. They are basically a vertical track that a cart rolls on to lift things. You can even build your own:

 
Is there a different place you could keep the wood rack?
 
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make more kids. they pay for themselves with the child tax credit and firewood hauling capability! it's a win win situation.
 
make more kids. they pay for themselves with the child tax credit and firewood hauling capability! it's a win win situation.
I think the shingle lift idea would be more reliable. No care and feeding, no coercion required.
 
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