Stack Wood or Leave in a Pile?

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I just got a cord of very good-looking wood. I was told it was seasoned for 15 months and it looks it. I want to stack it, but my wife thinks that is unneccesary because we'll go through it pretty fast in the next month or so. It doesn't make sense to me to leave the wood piled randomly in a huge stack, even if I cover it up. I have a tarp that I think would fit underneath, so at least the wood wouldn't be resting directly on the ground.

I'd be grateful for advice.

 

[Heem]

If you can, stack it.

I left my cord in a pile on the ground, tarped up - we got 10" of snow before I got home from work the day it was delivered, so it never got stacked. I'm wishing now that I had stacked it.

 

[smokinj]

if your going through it quick, month or so a pile is fine

 

[mayhem]

If its seasoned and not int he way where it is, I wouldn't bother stacking it. I would, however, make sure its covered so it doesn't get soaked or embedded in ice.

 

[fossil]

It's always best to protect the wood from direct ground contact. But if you're going to use it all fairly quickly, even that probably doesn't matter. A cover over the top of the heap will protect the wood from surface moisture and keep it more convenient to handle as you tote it in and burn it up. Shouldn't be a problem for the short term just leaving it unstacked. Rick

 

[cityevader]

If you have the space, pile it! sames time/energy stacking. No sense working if you don't have to.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If it were mine, I'd stack it. If nothing else, get a couple of landscape timbers, probably $5 apiece and stack the wood on that. It will keep the wood off the ground and once it is stacked it won't take much to cover THE TOP ONLY.

As an added benefit of stacking, it will still allow more evaporation of moisture, or more than it would get just thrown into a pile.

 

[savageactor7]

I think what the wife thinks...you should listen to her more often.

 

[trek5900]

I just got a cord of very good-looking wood. I was told it was seasoned for 15 months and it looks it. I want to stack it, but my wife thinks that is unneccesary because we'll go through it pretty fast in the next month or so. It doesn't make sense to me to leave the wood piled randomly in a huge stack, even if I cover it up. I have a tarp that I think would fit underneath, so at least the wood wouldn't be resting directly on the ground.

I'd be grateful for advice.

Yes, dear is about as good advise as I have ever had. Work on saying it with sincerety and don't over use it. Life will be much better for you.

As for stacking the wood see above.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Hmm. If a man speaks in the forest and there's not a woman around, is he still wrong?

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

If you can, stack it.

I left my cord in a pile on the ground, tarped up - we got 10" of snow before I got home from work the day it was delivered, so it never got stacked. I'm wishing now that I had stacked it.

Why? What happened to your wood?

 

[Dix]

Hmm. If a man speaks in the forest and there's not a woman around, is he still wrong?

That's a rhetorical question, right?

;-P

 

[Heem]

If you can, stack it.

I left my cord in a pile on the ground, tarped up - we got 10" of snow before I got home from work the day it was delivered, so it never got stacked. I'm wishing now that I had stacked it.

Why? What happened to your wood?

Well, the tarp became frozen to the ground, and covered in quite heavy ice and snow. once I got past that, everything is covered in a light dusting of snow, even though i secured the tarp in 10 different places with heavy items, the wind was still strong enough to blow snow under there. And then it just sits under cover with snow available to seep in.

Then warmer temps came, and then colder. now the wood is covered in ice and frozen together.

Had I just stacked it, and covered the top only, I'd just have to knock off a little bit of snow that may have blown into the cracks in between. Instead, I have a giant mess on my hands.

 

[fossil]

...If a man speaks in the forest and there's not a woman around, is he still wrong?

How can you get away from Mother Nature? There's always a woman around to hear us, and yes, we're still wrong. 8-/ Rick

 

[captaintone]

if she is anything like my girlfriend she is going to ask me why did I have to be in the woods alone. Then I am wrong

 

[billb3]

I'd put the tarp over it, not under it.

Rain or melted snow and more of these frigid temps can mean retrieveing wood from the pile with a rather large hammer. Even if the bottom layer sticks to the ground it can be abandoned till next year, or better weather.


A little dirt won't hurt anything but saw teeth.

 

[mainstation]

Stack it, in the wind if possible...hey it's like what 2 hours of work?? Fresh air, exercise, 3 cold beers later...I would stack it.

 

[leaf4952]

Stack it, in the wind if possible...hey it's like what 2 hours of work?? Fresh air, exercise, 3 cold beers later...I would stack it.

Ditto

 

[Constrictor]

Hmm. If a man speaks in the forest and there's not a woman around, is he still wrong?

only if he is married.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Fresh air, exercise, 3 cold beers later...I would stack it.

I like your thinking.

 

[TreePapa]

Hmm. If a man speaks in the forest and there's not a woman around, is he still wrong?

If the wife finds out, yes.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

It's only a cord. Stack it. Cover only the top of the pile.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I say stack it, nice and neat. All my wood gets stacked. And the top gets covered. And it's all stacked on pallets or 2x4's, NOT on the ground.

 

[slowzuki]

How much time do you have on your hands? Stacks are pretty I suppose but I've got plenty of other things to do!

 

[iceman]

Stack it, in the wind if possible...hey it's like what 2 hours of work?? Fresh air, exercise, 3 cold beers later...I would stack it.

Ditto

3 beers?? come over my house and stack please i can't go out with less than a 6 pack

well you could stack to confirm its a cord