Stacking wood on uneven ground

[LisaGergets]

Hi - I'm new here, and it seems I'm in the perfect place to ask my question!

We have uneven raw ground that we're building a pallet woodshed on. Dimensions are 24x8. To create a level "surface" for the pallets to rest on, we've used concrete pavers. Each pallet rests on part of a paver on all four corners.

My questions is: being that the pallets aren't fully supported, how much weight will they be able to handle? We had intended to put around 24 face cords inside - utilizing the entire space up to about 8 feet high.

We're now wondering if we need to go back and place more support under the pallets.

Your advice sure is appreciated!

 

[Dobish]

I would put a few in the middle, since the majority of the weight will be in the middle of the pallet. Pallets are designed to be supported, not floating.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

If you want to stack green wood 8 feet high I would definitely want support under the middle. That said, the way split wood interlocks when stacked you could probably get away without center supports. But this will stress the pallets and shorten their useful life. They look to be in good condition now but they will weaken with age and you'll wish you had center supports. I would put one front, one back. Also, unless the wood is already <20% moisture content, the stacks should be better ventilated (5 inch gaps between).

Those splits are HUGE! What do you plan to burn them in?

 

[Dobish]

If you want to stack green wood 8 feet high I would definitely want support under the middle. That said, the way split wood interlocks when stacked you could probably get away without center supports. But this will stress the pallets and shorten their useful life. They look to be in good condition now but they will weaken with age and you'll wish you had center supports. I would put one front, one back. Also, unless the wood is already <20% moisture content, the stacks should be better ventilated (5 inch gaps between).

Those splits are HUGE! What do you plan to burn them in?

i can fit a 22" piece in my stove...

 

[pernox]

I see you've been cutting the elusive marshmallow tree.. Smells like s'mores in the stove I bet.

Joking aside, your pallets will sag in the middle without some support. A couple well placed stones or even just ugly splits would help under the center line of each pallet. No need to spend more money on blocks, just run what ya brung.

 

[Poindexter]

At 24 face cords you are in the major leagues now and can just say " 8 cords" or whatever.

Pallets with cutouts on the sides for forks are only going to last 2, maybe 3 seasons supported only at the corners.

With some center supports that life expectancy will increase.

After you are saving real money from your conventional heat bill, use that money to upgrade the flooring. Pallets will last long enough to put money in the bank.

 

[LisaGergets]

Thanks so much, guys! This wood is aspen and has been debarked, because it will be used next year in building a timber framed home with cordwood masonry infill. We're doing it all ourselves (cleared our own land and felled about 80 aspen and around 20 various pines, too). This particular shed is temporary and only needs to last until next summer when we begin the cordwood infill. Basically just letting it season and lose a little moisture.

When we arrived on the land yesterday to work, we noticed a couple of the pallets bowing under the weight. So, we had our answer! There's a picture of our fix below. We decided to just cut some short lengths of wood and use those to make a level surface for the pallet to rest on in the middle. They are MUCH more supportive now.

The last thing we want is to go check on the wood in the middle of winter only to see that the entire thing has collapsed.

 

[LisaGergets]

i can fit a 22" piece in my stove...

Dobish, I'd be interested in knowing what stove you have. We have lengths we've cut up to 22 inches, and many of them can't be used for the cordwood masonry, so they'll be firewood...providing we can buy a stove with a box that will accommodate that size.

 

[LisaGergets]

Those splits are HUGE! What do you plan to burn them in?

We won't be burning this wood - it will be used for cordwood infill when we build our home next summer.

 

[Dobish]

Dobish, I'd be interested in knowing what stove you have. We have lengths we've cut up to 22 inches, and many of them can't be used for the cordwood masonry, so they'll be firewood...providing we can buy a stove with a box that will accommodate that size.

Vermont castings encore 2040

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

We have lengths we've cut up to 22 inches, and many of them can't be used for the cordwood masonry, so they'll be firewood...providing we can buy a stove with a box that will accommodate that size.

It's generally a mistake to buy a stove to fit the wood you have. A stove lasts ~20 years or more, a pile of wood will be gone after a year or two. Buy the stove to suit the house and make a jig to saw the unusable building wood into firewood.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

We won't be burning this wood - it will be used for cordwood infill when we build our home next summer.

Cool. What kind of mortar will you be using? Is the same mix used through the entire wall thickness or is the center filled with something that has more filler?

 

[LisaGergets]

It's generally a mistake to buy a stove to fit the wood you have. A stove lasts ~20 years or more, a pile of wood will be gone after a year or two. Buy the stove to suit the house and make a jig to saw the unusable building wood into firewood.

Most EXCELLENT point. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. Pun intended.

Cool. What kind of mortar will you be using? Is the same mix used through the entire wall thickness or is the center filled with something that has more filler?

A Portland cement mixture in a 5 inch or so bead in the inside and the outside, and in the middle will be sawdust mixed with lime for insulation.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

A Portland cement mixture in a 5 inch or so bead in the inside and the outside, and in the middle will be sawdust mixed with lime for insulation.

Very nice indeed. I've always thought cordwood houses were a good idea, just not so much in the wet PNW. You have the perfect climate for one!

Your house is going to have a lot of thermal mass, which I like. Also very good for wood heat, it will help moderate temperature swings. Spend extra money on wide eaves to protect the walls from weather. Especially in a freezing climate. You don't want wet, saturated walls followed by arctic freeze!

Re: center insulation. I assume the lime is added with a little water to the sawdust to hold it together? Are you saving the chainsaw shavings for this by capturing them on a tarp when sawing? I don't know what the compatibility of borax and lime is but borax is only $0.50/lb. in bulk. If they are compatible, I would want some borax in there too. It is non-toxic, repels insects and stops rot. It's also a good fire retardant but perhaps not so much in this application. But do insure compatibility with the lime first.

 

[LisaGergets]

Your house is going to have a lot of thermal mass, which I like. Also very good for wood heat, it will help moderate temperature swings. Spend extra money on wide eaves to protect the walls from weather. Especially in a freezing climate. You don't want wet, saturated walls followed by arctic freeze!

Re: center insulation. I assume the lime is added with a little water to the sawdust to hold it together? Are you saving the chainsaw shavings for this by capturing them on a tarp when sawing? I don't know what the compatibility of borax and lime is but borax is only $0.50/lb. in bulk. If they are compatible, I would want some borax in there too. It is non-toxic, repels insects and stops rot. It's also a good fire retardant but perhaps not so much in this application. But do insure compatibility with the lime first.

Yeah, we'll probably do a three-foot overhang, at least, on the south side.

The lime is there as an insect repellent. The sawdust is mixed with the lime, and then dumped, dry, into the insulation cavity. I know a lot of cordwood builders will dip their logs into a borax/water solution about a week or so before building, for added bug resistance.

As far as using the chainsaw shavings - we're debarking the logs using a Log Wizard attachment on our chainsaw, and it does create a lot of sawdust (a LOT!), but the bark isn't a great insulator like "real" sawdust would be. So, we'll use it as mulch, or just let the bulldozer take care of it next year when we have the land leveled prior to building.

All excellent suggestions and thoughts - thank you!

 

[Soundchasm]

One final thought. All my pallets have "failed" when my foot goes through the planks. Find some old fence boards or pieces of plywood to put over the empty pallets you cross to access the loaded pallets. They will last a LOT longer with the foot traffic load distributed. Cool project.

 

[LisaGergets]

One final thought. All my pallets have "failed" when my foot goes through the planks. Find some old fence boards or pieces of plywood to put over the empty pallets you cross to access the loaded pallets. They will last a LOT longer with the foot traffic load distributed. Cool project.

Haha, yup! We've found the same things... A couple of them with wider openings have nearly broken our ankles.