How would you organize this

[Freeheat]

I have my wood pile in the back of my yard, probebly not in the best area but this is what I have. It's the tail end of June and I started to move the wood that I'm going to burn next to the house for some sunshine an some more drying. Ok so if this was your place how would you arrange the " pile" The two pictures are from the back patio. I wish I had more room for direct sun and wind.

 

[Hills Hoard]

hey...i would just re pile your existing wood where it is but do it on pallets to get it off the ground and stack them so there is good air flow between the rows.......that area where you have just started piling up next to your house isnt large enough to hold enough wood to to make it worth while in my opinion....like i would use that pile next to your house in a month and imagine for some a lot less.....if that vege patch wasnt there it might be a different story.....

tidy little back yard though....looks like a fantastic spot to spend the afternoon cooking on the bbq having a few beers!!

 

[Billybonfire]

+ 1 on the pallets or poles to get it off the floor, wind sun and time will do the rest.
Nice looking place you have .

 

[Freeheat]

When I posted this my thought was to come out 90 degrees from where its at in smaller rows ( off the ground) what your seeing is 3 rows of wood all together.

 

[cygnus]

I have a smaller yard for wood and find the answer is to go up. I try to get my stacks 6-8 ft tall. I haven't had a collapse yet and it really save on square footage. That area next to the house could serve you well.

 

[TreePointer]

Off the ground. Wind and sun are of secondary importance.

I do this with two parallel landscape timbers on top of cinder blocks. Drive two 6.5 foot heavy duty T-posts into the ground on each end, which will end up giving you over 4 feet of firewood (not counting cinder block and timber height) in your stacks.

 

[Paulywalnut]

The area the stacks are in now are ok. Wind and or air flow is important. Up against the garage kind of blocks one complete
side for air flow. I do stack very dry, ready to burn wood against my garage but it is only there for a few months. Good luck though.

 

[ScotO]

You'll be OK next to the garage, but you definitely want to get that wood off of the ground. And like Cygnus said above, go high if you can. Put end posts on your stack, or build a couple cribs like he has in the picture above. You could even make a 20' long version of that crib he has, make it 8' high, you'd be able to get a couple cord in a rack like that....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You can use saplings to get the wood off the ground like in the picture. You can even use the wood you have and sacrifice a few of those to use like poles to stack on. When the top wood is gone, just wait until the next year to burn those bottom 2 rows you have sacrificed. The reason for the wait is that they won't be dry enough.



I also would not stack that close to the house or any building. I like to keep a distance from buildings even if for no other reason than the fact they get more air flow. Air circulation and wind is your best friend for drying wood. Good luck.

 

[Freeheat]

Has anyone ever used PVC pipe to get it off the ground? Would it hold up to the weight

 

[ScotO]

Has anyone ever used PVC pipe to get it off the ground? Would it hold up to the weight

I imagine you'd be fine, if it was Schedule 40 pipe, not the thin stuff....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Would work but why spend any dollars? Make your own log out of what you already have cut or cut some small saplings in the woods and use them to stack on.

 

[lukem]

When I posted this my thought was to come out 90 degrees from where its at in smaller rows ( off the ground) what your seeing is 3 rows of wood all together.

That will be a PITA to mow around. Keep parallel to the garage.

 

[Freeheat]

That will be a PITA to mow around. Keep parallel to the garage.

I was going to go 90 degrees where its at under the trees come out 7-8 foot each row

 

[red oak]

Would work but why spend any dollars? Make your own log out of what you already have cut or cut some small saplings in the woods and use them to stack on.

Agreed. Virtually anything will work as long as it will hold the weight and keep the wood off the ground.

 

[StuckInTheMuck]

I'd recommend staying away from buildings too and not just for sun and wind. Stacking next to buildings causes the area behind the wood pile to stay damp longer after it rains and provides an ideal environment for the likes of carpenter ants and termites. Depending on what kind of siding you have, you could be providing them the camouflage, cover and concealment that they need to go to work. If nothing else, make sure you monitor the area for insects.

The longer the wood sits, the drier it gets (yeah, no kidding) which during a drought could make it a fire hazard too. Many have lost their wooden decks, sheds and even houses because the dry pile of firewood stacked next to or under them caught a spark from a passing wildfire. Stacking your firewood away from structures increases defensible space which you don't know that you need until it is too late. (broken link removed to http://www.readyforwildfire.org/defensible_space)

 

[Freeheat]

Worked a little this am , found the idea in another thread and it works great.i plan on a cover on top for the fall and keep it dry. My wife is much happier now that its more organized!

 

[HDRock]

Off the ground. Wind and sun are of secondary importance.

I do this with two parallel landscape timbers on top of cinder blocks. Drive two 6.5 foot heavy duty T-posts into the ground on each end, which will end up giving you over 4 feet of firewood (not counting cinder block and timber height) in your stacks.

I'm curious ,how deep do U drive the posts? Do U put the posts in the hole in the block? Do U have something under the stacks to keep grass or weeds from growing ?

 

[TreePointer]

I'm curious ,how deep do U drive the posts? Do U put the posts in the hole in the block? Do U have something under the stacks to keep grass or weeds from growing ?

Sorry I haven't posted the pictures. I'll try to do that later today.

Posts are driven with post driver.
One post goes on the end of each row.
Drive each post as far as you wish, as long as the anchor plate is buried.
Three cinder blocks per 8' landscape timber (one in the middle and one on each end).
If the row is more than one timber long, then the ends of the middle timbers share one cinder block.

I use 6.5' posts, so the result is that I get 52" of metal post for wood to lean against. That's 52" of wood above the landscape timbers.

Nothing under the stacks. I just mow around them and use a string trimmer to whack the grass underneath maybe every 3-4 weeks.

 

[Freeheat]

I didnt drive the post's in but I only went up 4.5 feet.

 

[TreePointer]

Here are those pics, as promised.

16' between the posts (two 8' landscape timbers long). Black locust:
(broken image removed)

Middle timbers share a block:
(broken image removed)

Long view:
(broken image removed)

8" between the posts here. Lose a half block on one end but gain it on the other for a full 8 feet. Shagbark hickory:
(broken image removed)

Post on end:
(broken image removed)

 

[rideau]

Nice neat looking stacks..and surely get plenty of air and wind. Quite impressive.

 

[xman23]

I use 3 inch PVE schedule 40 at 12 inch centers. 2 rows so 4 pipes on the ground. I have been converting the pallets to plastic pipes. Now have 100 liner feet of double row stacks on PVC. My pallet bottoms were bad after 3 or 4 years on the ground. In 3 years the PVC looks great. Not cheep but it works. I like the cinder block with timbers off the ground. It should last a long time.

Freeheat, I'm not a fan of wood stacked against the house. Bugs, ventilation ect. I move the wood to burn each winter under a covered porch deck. I do this in the late fall, after the freeze. The wood has about 1.5 feet clearance to the house.

 

[osagebow]

That is very cool, treepointer. Hve some long old PT 2x4's Might hafta try that.Less chance of copperheads hiding under the stacks!

 

[osagebow]

I didnt drive the post's in but I only went up 4.5 feet.

4.5 is good n safe. I noticed the playset in the first set of pics- make sure the little one(s) stay off the stacks. Mine had to learn the hard way.