Portable Wood Shed by House??? 1-2 Cord

[Mike.O]

Just finished the install of my Pacific Energy Summit in the upstairs of my house (Raised Ranch), and now I'm struggling with the seasonal wood storage by the house.

Does anyone use a portable type shed that can be moved in and out with tractor pallet forks seasonally? I'm picturing building something with a metal roof, slat sides/back and some sort of elevated base, maybe 4'x6'x7', weighing around 800-1000 LBS. This would hold a little over a cord and I would be refilling maybe every 4- 6 weeks.

I would like to set it right at the base of the deck stairs on my concrete patio.

Wondering what most people do that have their wood stacks far away from the house? This has never been an issue for me as my other wood stove is downstairs. My slider right by the stove opens up to under the sun room, which is perfect cover for a cord or two, refill a few times a season.

Anyone got pics of a portable storage setup?

-Mike

 

[billb3]

like maybe a large garbage can shed ?

 

[Mike.O]

like maybe a large garbage can shed ?

Ideally, I would like to build something.But that is an option I did not consider.

 

[Chas0218]

We are doing a wrap around deck on our house, my plan is to make a section of railing on a hinge so I can rotate it out of the way and I can use a tractor to set a pallet up on the deck or on it's own removable stand. I want to make the section 8' wide so I can get 2 pallets next to each other.

Right now I have a rack on our make shift deck (repurposed from the front of the house) that works pretty well. Just sucks I have to fill up the ATV wagon drive to the deck then walk up and down the stairs to load the rack. I have a lot to do at my house so the less time I take doing one thing will allow me to work on something else.

 

[Dobish]

having the ability to pallet it up would be really nice. Right now i have no way to get wood up from my pile to the porch except by hand.... or i drive the truck down, load up the truck and drive it up the hill, then unload into a wheelbarrow and walk it almost as far as if I had just carried it up the hill. When we redo the landscaping, I am making sure that the wood is accessible.
I was even contemplating a small section of railroad

 

[Hogwildz]

Pallet manger, easy set up, easy tear down. Holds about 1 cord or a lil more

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Just finished the install of my Pacific Energy Summit in the upstairs of my house (Raised Ranch), and now I'm struggling with the seasonal wood storage by the house.

Does anyone use a portable type shed that can be moved in and out with tractor pallet forks seasonally? I'm picturing building something with a metal roof, slat sides/back and some sort of elevated base, maybe 4'x6'x7', weighing around 800-1000 LBS. This would hold a little over a cord and I would be refilling maybe every 4- 6 weeks.

I would like to set it right at the base of the deck stairs on my concrete patio.

Wondering what most people do that have their wood stacks far away from the house? This has never been an issue for me as my other wood stove is downstairs. My slider right by the stove opens up to under the sun room, which is perfect cover for a cord or two, refill a few times a season.

Anyone got pics of a portable storage setup?

-Mike
View attachment 231990

I just use a wheelbarrow. No need for a gym membership here!

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

So basically you want a larger version of what's in the picture? Is that your current setup? Doesn't look too bad. Could you just build a couple of them?

My easy access storage is about 15' away at the edge of the woods. It can be broken down easily once the racks are empty. It seasons nicely too with 3 exposed sides and rain cover. If every section is filled to the top it will hold 2 cords. When the picture was taken there was about 1 cord.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

So basically you want a larger version of what's in the picture? Is that your current setup? Doesn't look too bad. Could you just build a couple of them?

My easy access storage is about 15' away at the edge of the woods. It can be broken down easily once the racks are empty. It seasons nicely too with 3 exposed sides and rain cover. If every section is filled to the top it will hold 2 cords.

That's a good looking setup, VCS.

 

[Mike.O]

Pallet manger, easy set up, easy tear down. Holds about 1 cord or a lil more

I like that Hog. Looks quick and easy. If a pallet starts to deteriorate, simply swap it out. I'll have to consider that. Got some pallets, scrap plywood and few tarps laying around, I like the sounds of FREE lol

 

[Mike.O]

So basically you want a larger version of what's in the picture? Is that your current setup? Doesn't look too bad. Could you just build a couple of them?

My easy access storage is about 15' away at the edge of the woods. It can be broken down easily once the racks are empty. It seasons nicely too with 3 exposed sides and rain cover. If every section is filled to the top it will hold 2 cords. When the picture was taken there was about 1 cord.

Nice Setup!

In my photo, that is my box for moving firewood from my wood pile out back up to the house. Its good for about maybe 1/4 cord (+/-1000 Lb tractor lift capacity). My thought was to build something larger and more weather proof that I could move with the tractor, so the empty weight of the "Portable" shed would be +/- 800-1000 lbs. Then fill it all season with the method shown in the picture.

I did consider making a few of them, but as shown, it would be good for maybe 2 weeks. I'm still playing with ideas in my head, but I'll get the ball rolling soon, maybe this weekend. I have the box shown in the pic at the base of the deck stairs now, so I'm good for a few weeks.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Nice Setup!

In my photo, that is my box for moving firewood from my wood pile out back up to the house. Its good for about maybe 1/4 cord (+/-1000 Lb tractor lift capacity). My thought was to build something larger and more weather proof that I could move with the tractor, so the empty weight of the "Portable" shed would be +/- 800-1000 lbs. Then fill it all season with the method shown in the picture.

I did consider making a few of them, but as shown, it would be good for maybe 2 weeks. I'm still playing with ideas in my head, but I'll get the ball rolling soon, maybe this weekend. I have the box shown in the pic at the base of the deck stairs now, so I'm good for a few weeks.

I have two small trailers that I can heap up. They pull behind the old Wheel Horse, right up to the back porch and cover real easy with a tarp. I hope to extend the porch roof one day and eliminate the need for tarps. I'm always on the lookout for another trailer at the right price (free).

 

[Hogwildz]

I like that Hog. Looks quick and easy. If a pallet starts to deteriorate, simply swap it out. I'll have to consider that. Got some pallets, scrap plywood and few tarps laying around, I like the sounds of FREE lol

You can get free pallets at almost any hardware store, building supply place. 4 pallets make a rack. I used let over 2 x 3s to frame a roof, with pressboard over that for a roof. A tarp over top. everything except the tarp is screwed together with 2x4 splice places connecting the 2 floor pallets together where they join, and a couple 2x4 angle braces along the outside lower corners for support of the upright end pallets. The roof and roof framing are also screwed to the upright pallet ends. The tarp is just bungee'd in place over the roof structure. All unhooks & unscrews for spring summer storage. Note, not show in the photos, is the tarp is flopped up to load, and would be flopped back down over the back side of the rack assy.
Since I had all the materials laying around, it cost me nothing but my time to make.
The pallets with the cover never did rot, as I set them up on 6 cinder blocks I had laying around to keep them off the ground. Also makes for slightly less having to bend over at when you get to the bottom of the stack.

Now I have the tarp on the deck above the porch, and stack the splits on the patio.

 

[Ashful]

How’s this, Mike? I load it, drive it up to the house, push it under the porch overhang, and park it. It’s rated 4000 lb., measures 4’ x 8’, and I load it with almost exactly 1 cord. It has a dump function to boot, I used it for moving and dumping 110 yards of mulch last spring. It’s also great for taking the kids on fall hay rides in the woods, a million uses!

View attachment 232134

The real beauty to this system, is that while you guys are unloading your trailers into wood racks at the house, I’m just parking it and walking away. That wagon IS my wood rack.

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

How’s this, Mike? I load it, drive it up to the house, push it under the porch overhang, and park it. It’s rated 4000 lb., measures 4’ x 8’, and I load it with almost exactly 1 cord. It has a dump function to boot, I used it for moving and dumping 110 yards of mulch last spring. It’s also great for taking the kids on fall hay rides in the woods, a million uses!

View attachment 232134

The real beauty to this system, is that while you guys are unloading your trailers into wood racks at the house, I’m just parking it and walking away. That wagon IS my wood rack.

That sounds like it would be great for Mike.O. By "That wagon IS my wood rack" do you mean you season the wood in there as well? It looks like the bottom may have trouble getting airflow. Looks a little steep for my natural gas budget.

 

[Ashful]

That sounds like it would be great for Mike.O. By "That wagon IS my wood rack" do you mean you season the wood in there as well? It looks like the bottom may have trouble getting airflow. Looks a little steep for my natural gas budget.

No, I season on cribs made from pallets, then load one cord into the wagon every second or third week during winter. The primary time saver is not having to unload the wagon into a crib or rack at the house, I just park it full and use the wood directly from the wagon.

Seasoning in those wagons would take a budget larger than I'd be willing to dedicate to woodburning, 2-ton farm wagons are not cheap, but the sides are removable if you had any temptation to try it.

 

[Chas0218]

Word of caution about stacking close to your house, it is an invitation to critters. I'm not sure how well your house is sealed against critters but adding homes for them near yours isn't ideal. Just a little food for thought.

I have about 1 face cord on a rack on our deck that I have for easy access to bring into my indoor rack. I like to have a little in the house so it bakes a little more moisture out of the wood while I'm burning and I don't have to go outside 2x a day. My indoor rack lasts me about 3 or 4 days until it needs to be refilled and the outdoor rack lasts about week and half depending on the weather so total 2 weeks of burning on my close to house storage.

The only down side is that I fill it by garden cart behind the ATV so it takes a few trips and time. I think I'm going to add some tall sides to it so it can haul a little more.

 

[Ashful]

The only down side is that I fill it by garden cart behind the ATV so it takes a few trips and time. I think I'm going to add some tall sides to it so it can haul a little more.

I used to use one of those little plastic Ohio Steel utility trailers they sell at Lowes Depot, before I got the small farm wagon. You can fit a quarter cord in them, with the stake sides.

 

[Chas0218]

I used to use one of those little plastic Ohio Steel utility trailers they sell at Lowes Depot, before I got the small farm wagon. You can fit a quarter cord in them, with the stake sides.

View attachment 232256

That's what I have except my wheels don't stick out as far, I'm planning on adding some sides like you have there so I can stack it higher. I was thinking of making a cart from some old trailer hubs and tires I have laying around. Either way i need something bigger for less trips.

 

[Ashful]

That's what I have except my wheels don't stick out as far, I'm planning on adding some sides like you have there so I can stack it higher. I was thinking of making a cart from some old trailer hubs and tires I have laying around. Either way i need something bigger for less trips.

Just keep in mind that oak weighs over 5000 lb. per cord, fresh-cut. So I probably have 1200 lb., just in that tiny little trailer. My larger wagon is routinely loaded with a full cord, but that’s after the wood has already been dried to 3500 lb. per cord.

 

[Chas0218]

Just keep in mind that oak weighs over 5000 lb. per cord, fresh-cut. So I probably have 1200 lb., just in that tiny little trailer. My larger wagon is routinely loaded with a full cord, but that’s after the wood has already been dried to 3500 lb. per cord.

Yeah right now I load it up mounding the wood, I only use it for dry wood but it is rated for 600 or 700 lbs. I just want some sides so the wood stops falling off as I drive up to my back deck. It isn't all that rough but the few little bumps toss it out the side or back. Not only that I wouldn't have to be so particular when loading it just throw it in and get going.

I always forget just how much that wood ends up weighing all loaded. I think the worse is when I load up the truck and landscape trailer. I know the trailer was overloaded on several occasions by the way it acted towing. When you're grabbing round after round you think that they are heavy just because you're worn out but in reality they are 100# or 140#. Once you get 20 or 30 loaded you've got some weight.

 

[MisterFixIT]

Wondering what most people do that have their wood stacks far away from the house? This has never been an issue for me as my other wood stove is downstairs. My slider right by the stove opens up to under the sun room, which is perfect cover for a cord or two, refill a few times a season.

Anyone got pics of a portable storage setup?

-Mike
View attachment 231990

Over the last two years I have had two major fires in my area. This prompted me to move my firewood away from anything I care about The wood was stacked on pallets 100' away which was too close for my situation so I moved it far far away. Its now over 500 feet and sitting in a 100' diameter area of nothing but bare dirt. No guarantee the wood is safe from a wild fire but at least its far enough away and not along my evac route so if it does light up it's not a disaster.

Having a tractor has totally changed my firewood logistics. I used to cut trees and branches and haul them in the pickup truck and cut up the green Juniper. Green Juniper is horrible nasty to cut so now I use the grapple on the front loader and stash the branches off at another distant spot where they can sit for 5 years while they dry out and the needles fall off. Then I can use the grapple to move them to a pile close to the sawbuck for cutting.

Firewood is cut and thrown into 4x4x4 boxes. I don't waste time stacking anymore. Boxes can be made out of pallets, plywood, IBC cages or whatever. I made these ones out of 2x4, 2x6 and 4" mesh fencing from Home Depot. Same design for kindling box but I cover it in 1" hexagonal poultry netting so its fine enough to retain stick sized wood. Lashing a simple front panel made out of 2x3 and some more mesh and its ready for filling.

When I setup to cut wood I have an firewood box in front of the sawbuck and a kindling box to the left with my log splitter to the right. Then I can throw the pieces into the right sized box or over to the splitter if it needs it. When I have a bunch of rounds to split, its the same scenario, a short throw of splits into the firewood box. So now I can cut a box worth in about 2 hours and there isn't a huge mess of burnables lying around after. Quick rake of the sawdust and bark into the tractor bucket and the area is clean till next time. Put the forks on and move the full box to the storage yard where it can season safely and out of the way for a few years.

Even more time savings is when fire season is over and woodstove season begins. Fire up the tractor and go get the oldest box and fork it next to the house. I used to waste time with a wheel barrow and hauling the wood through the snow from the racks a 100 feet away. When the firewood box is empty I pick it up and put it next to the sawbuck so its ready for the next chain saw workout.

Anyways, that's the way I do it now. Much better fire wise and saves a huge amount of time.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Over the last two years I have had two major fires in my area. This prompted me to move my firewood away from anything I care about The wood was stacked on pallets 100' away which was too close for my situation so I moved it far far away. Its now over 500 feet and sitting in a 100' diameter area of nothing but bare dirt. No guarantee the wood is safe from a wild fire but at least its far enough away and not along my evac route so if it does light up it's not a disaster.

Having a tractor has totally changed my firewood logistics. I used to cut trees and branches and haul them in the pickup truck and cut up the green Juniper. Green Juniper is horrible nasty to cut so now I use the grapple on the front loader and stash the branches off at another distant spot where they can sit for 5 years while they dry out and the needles fall off. Then I can use the grapple to move them to a pile close to the sawbuck for cutting.

Firewood is cut and thrown into 4x4x4 boxes. I don't waste time stacking anymore. Boxes can be made out of pallets, plywood, IBC cages or whatever. I made these ones out of 2x4, 2x6 and 4" mesh fencing from Home Depot. Same design for kindling box but I cover it in 1" hexagonal poultry netting so its fine enough to retain stick sized wood. Lashing a simple front panel made out of 2x3 and some more mesh and its ready for filling.

When I setup to cut wood I have an firewood box in front of the sawbuck and a kindling box to the left with my log splitter to the right. Then I can throw the pieces into the right sized box or over to the splitter if it needs it. When I have a bunch of rounds to split, its the same scenario, a short throw of splits into the firewood box. So now I can cut a box worth in about 2 hours and there isn't a huge mess of burnables lying around after. Quick rake of the sawdust and bark into the tractor bucket and the area is clean till next time. Put the forks on and move the full box to the storage yard where it can season safely and out of the way for a few years.

Even more time savings is when fire season is over and woodstove season begins. Fire up the tractor and go get the oldest box and fork it next to the house. I used to waste time with a wheel barrow and hauling the wood through the snow from the racks a 100 feet away. When the firewood box is empty I pick it up and put it next to the sawbuck so its ready for the next chain saw workout.

Anyways, that's the way I do it now. Much better fire wise and saves a huge amount of time.

I like it. Looks like a great system, although I'm sorry you have to store 500' away.

 

[Mike.O]

Over the last two years I have had two major fires in my area. This prompted me to move my firewood away from anything I care about The wood was stacked on pallets 100' away which was too close for my situation so I moved it far far away. Its now over 500 feet and sitting in a 100' diameter area of nothing but bare dirt. No guarantee the wood is safe from a wild fire but at least its far enough away and not along my evac route so if it does light up it's not a disaster.

Having a tractor has totally changed my firewood logistics. I used to cut trees and branches and haul them in the pickup truck and cut up the green Juniper. Green Juniper is horrible nasty to cut so now I use the grapple on the front loader and stash the branches off at another distant spot where they can sit for 5 years while they dry out and the needles fall off. Then I can use the grapple to move them to a pile close to the sawbuck for cutting.

Firewood is cut and thrown into 4x4x4 boxes. I don't waste time stacking anymore. Boxes can be made out of pallets, plywood, IBC cages or whatever. I made these ones out of 2x4, 2x6 and 4" mesh fencing from Home Depot. Same design for kindling box but I cover it in 1" hexagonal poultry netting so its fine enough to retain stick sized wood. Lashing a simple front panel made out of 2x3 and some more mesh and its ready for filling.

When I setup to cut wood I have an firewood box in front of the sawbuck and a kindling box to the left with my log splitter to the right. Then I can throw the pieces into the right sized box or over to the splitter if it needs it. When I have a bunch of rounds to split, its the same scenario, a short throw of splits into the firewood box. So now I can cut a box worth in about 2 hours and there isn't a huge mess of burnables lying around after. Quick rake of the sawdust and bark into the tractor bucket and the area is clean till next time. Put the forks on and move the full box to the storage yard where it can season safely and out of the way for a few years.

Even more time savings is when fire season is over and woodstove season begins. Fire up the tractor and go get the oldest box and fork it next to the house. I used to waste time with a wheel barrow and hauling the wood through the snow from the racks a 100 feet away. When the firewood box is empty I pick it up and put it next to the sawbuck so its ready for the next chain saw workout.

Anyways, that's the way I do it now. Much better fire wise and saves a huge amount of time.

Wire fence is a great idea!

Jealous of the grapple! Been wanting one for a few years!

 

[Mikel Ward]

Here are a few I made from pallet racking I scrounged.