Where to stack my wood?

[KB007]

So, I need some thoughts with respect to where do I put my wood for this winter's use.

In the past, I would stack it under the deck at the back of the house (see pic 1) and every time we needed more for the fire I would go downstairs, grab a bag full and bring it up the stairs, through the kitchen and into the LR, dump in the rubbermaid bin in the LR by the insert. Truth is, I get really sore from carrying thr load up the stairs (13 steps) as I have pinched nerve in my neck and the weight of the wood tends to aggravate it.

So, I'm looking for some options:

A) Stack it where I always do (it was convenient when we used the basement stove) and suck it up Alice!

B) Start a new stack in front of the house (left side when looking at the door), woud probably need two rows of pallets, two rows of splits per pallet for the winter. We use about 3 cords give or take.

C) Put 2 small racks on the porch and move wood weekly from the main stacks to the porch racks - can use the tractor for this, might need to use a toboggan in the worst winter weather. Then wehn it's time for more wood in the house, simply fill up from the porch. I figure I could put 2 racks about 6 ft long and stack about 3 ft high.

D) Leave it where it is in the main stacks (about 100 feet from the front door) and go get a load or 2 at a time using a cart/toboggan or whatever is needed.

Pictures are under the deck stacks from last yr, the view from the front of the house (Main stacks), porch, which is approx. 8ft X 8ft +/-, front of the house and main stacks.

What do you guys think??

 

[firefighterjake]

What works for me . . . granted I only have to go up four steps.

Each weekend I take wood from my woodshed and move it to my covered porch . . . which holds over a week's worth of wood. I do this since I find it easier to move the wood during the daylight hours and I can pick and choose when I go outside and if it's raining hard or snowing I can opt to do this chore a day or so later if I want.

Every morning I fill up my woodbox for the day . . . mainly because it's just so much more convenient to have the day's worth of wood right next to the woodstove and it's a help for my wife so she doesn't have to go outside in the cold.

Not sure if it would help . . . but could you rig up some type of pulley system to haul the wood up on to your porch . . . or would having a week's worth of wood right on the porch be do-able with just walking up the steps?

 

[Flatbedford]

I'd go with C) Put 2 small racks on the porch and move wood weekly from the main stacks to the porch racks - can use the tractor for this, might need to use a toboggan in the worst winter weather. Then wehn it’s time for more wood in the house, simply fill up from the porch. I figure I could put 2 racks about 6 ft long and stack about 3 ft high..

That's what I do. As long as I pay attention to the weather forecast, my wood is always dry and free of snow and ice. I bring in a day's worth in the morning before work so Mrs. Flatbedford doesn't have to go out in the cold or cary wood. I tarp the next week or so worth of the big stack so I don't have much ice and snow to deal with when I reload the porch stack.
Here's my 1/3 cord or so front porch stack.

 

[Jags]

You got another vote for the porch. A nice, neat weeks worth at a time. Reload as needed.

 

[KB007]

I think I'd get a week's worth on the porch for sure. 2 stacks approx. 6 ft by maybe 3 ft high, a little over a face cord. Getting it up onto the porch is easy, just a couple of little steps. It's the 13 steps up from the basement that are killing my neck!

If I do the porch, I guess I need to find some wife-approved racks. Any thought about what I should do around the main stacks if anything for accessibility once the snow starts to fly? I can easily run the snow blower around that area, but any thing else I should do wither now or later to make it easier? (Hey, I'm all about easy!)

 

[lukem]

You got another vote for the porch. A nice, neat weeks worth at a time. Reload as needed.

+1

I'd put a rack opposite of that bench. Should leave plenty of room to get in the door...and the door swinging away from the woodpile would allow you to not have to fight it when getting wood from the porch.

If you can fit a week's worth on there, it would be any easy once/week job to go out to your stacks and reload the porch. If a monster snowstorm is brewing you could double up on the porch or put some there on the edge of your circle drive.

 

[lukem]

If I do the porch, I guess I need to find some wife-approved racks.

They make those brackets that you can build to size from 2x4's. If you rattle-can spray paint the 2x4's flat black they don't really stand out and would look OK. Depends a lot on how picky your wife is though.

 

[Jags]

I would suggest chainsaw carving two bears, like giant bookends to stack your wood between. Everybody likes bear carvings. :cheese:

 

[KB007]

If I do the porch, I guess I need to find some wife-approved racks.

They make those brackets that you can build to size from 2x4's. If you rattle-can spray paint the 2x4's flat black they don't really stand out and would look OK. Depends a lot on how picky your wife is though.

Apparently not very picky, she married me............

 

[Backwoods Savage]

In the past, I would stack it under the deck at the back of the house (see pic 1) and every time we needed more for the fire I would go downstairs, grab a bag full and bring it up the stairs, through the kitchen and into the LR, dump in the rubbermaid bin in the LR by the insert. Truth is, I get really sore from carrying thr load up the stairs (13 steps) as I have pinched nerve in my neck and the weight of the wood tends to aggravate it.

So, I'm looking for some options:

A) Stack it where I always do (it was convenient when we used the basement stove) and suck it up Alice!

B) Start a new stack in front of the house (left side when looking at the door), woud probably need two rows of pallets, two rows of splits per pallet for the winter. We use about 3 cords give or take.

C) Put 2 small racks on the porch and move wood weekly from the main stacks to the porch racks - can use the tractor for this, might need to use a toboggan in the worst winter weather. Then wehn it's time for more wood in the house, simply fill up from the porch. I figure I could put 2 racks about 6 ft long and stack about 3 ft high.

D) Leave it where it is in the main stacks (about 100 feet from the front door) and go get a load or 2 at a time using a cart/toboggan or whatever is needed.

Pictures are under the deck stacks from last yr, the view from the front of the house (Main stacks), porch, which is approx. 8ft X 8ft +/-, front of the house and main stacks.

What do you guys think??

Ouch! Pinched nerve in neck is no fun for sure. Sad to say I can relate to it very easily...

My first consideration would be where you bring the wood into the house. Getting the wood through the kitchen then the LR seems a bit much and would expect some hollering to be done there. "Get that wood out of the kitchen!" However, if it works and is convenient for you that looks like a good place to stack wood up on the porch using the tractor.

Stacking on the other porch looks like it would be more convenient plus you would not have to use the tractor. You can build a nice rack to store wood in on that porch and if wife wants, build it so that it is enclosed. That way when you want wood, just lift the lid and get the wood. Besides, it will be covered so that rain and snow won't get on the wood once it is in there.

Methinks it is a better idea to get wood weekly rather than every other day or so. This would make it a weekend job unless you have children. If you do have children then I would assign this chore to them. Filling a woodbox is not much work but it is a learning process for the kids. Sooner or later they have to work so you are just teaching them. We had 2 sons only a year apart so one son fills this time and the next time the other fills it.

 

[bogydave]

I use the** move a week - 10 days worth at a time to the wood box in the basement.
Then I empty the ashes from stove, at the same time I'm getting a new weeks supply stacked up.
I made a wood door to the basement to stop getting yelled at for bringing wood thru the house.

Like Dennis says, a nice wood rack closer, that hold a week or so of wood may be more convenient & easier.

Good luck

PS: nice stash of fire wood

 

[golfandwoodnut]

When you say tractor, I am assuming you mean a lawn tractor. If you are lucky enough to have a bucket on your tractor I have an option. I am doing the same thing right now, I am going to load my deck up with wood with my Bobcat, I can raise it up to railing height and easily move it to a covered spot on the deck. I contemplated rigging up a pulley system but this is working way better. If not I would also vote for the front door racks.

 

[Ken S]

Of the options given I would put enough on the porch for a week at a time but if you have kids I would make them do it.

 

[PapaDave]

I vote front porch.
Our stove is right inside the front door, and the shed is only 15' from the front porch. I load the porch with about 1/3 cord as needed, and bring in enough for the day or maybe just a couple reloads.
I also, when I'll be working, make sure my wife doesn't have to go outside to get it, by loading a few extra pieces in the bin next to the stove.
I think you should do what works best for you, considering your situation. That's quite a haul from the stacks to the porch, and WAAAAYYYYY too much crap to go through from under the deck. No way in he!! I'd do that every day. If you're the one doing the work, you get the option.
Keep it plowed, and keep the porch filled as needed, that's my vote.

 

[weatherguy]

Of the options given I would put enough on the porch for a week at a time but if you have kids I would make them do it.

If you have kids, leave it where it is and have them bring it up like you used to.

 

[KB007]

unfortunately I have no child labour to help with all of this, just me. Spoke to the wife over the w/e and she's liking the porch idea, so porch it is. Time to buy a couple of small racks and away we go.

Course this means I need to make more space to stack the stuff I'll be splitting this fall (2013/2014 wood) as I won't be moving any from where it sits using the porch approach. Oh well, time to find a few more pallets...