Wood Racks

[martel]

I'm looking at building some wood racks for storage tomorrow. I was going to just use pallets, but being an urban burner with a few raised eye brows already in the hood I want to keep things looking as nice as possible. Yes, I know the HH discussion, but quite frankly I think a large-log-hive looking thing in the backyard may wierd people out more than neatly stacked wood.

What I am considering is 10-12' long racks 4-5' tall made of 2X4.

I am open to all or any suggestions and definately pictures!!

a few questions (yes I am new to this):

1. pressure treated lumber? A lot more expensive, but longer lasting
2. my plan is to have the bottom runners of the rack sit on the ground. it seems that to have them elevated on the ends would be too much weight- good? bad?

ok, i'll just leave it open for a (hopefully) a bunch of replies and go from there.
thanks

 

[BrotherBart]

These are what I use. You buy two by fours any length you want to use as runners. I use plain old sixteen footers. Of course the ends are forty bucks a set but a few years ago I walked into Lowes in June and they were clearing them out. I bought ten sets for seven dollars apiece.

They are great when you want to move a rack. Just break it down and move it.

 

[Turner-n-Burner]

Bart,
Do you find you need to cover your stacks, or is rainwater not much of an issue?

-Dan

 

[martel]

what exactly is a stack it bracket?

 

[BrotherBart]

Bart,
Do you find you need to cover your stacks, or is rainwater not much of an issue?

-Dan

Up until a couple of years ago they were covered because they were in a sixteen by twenty four wood shed. It has since been taken over by junk. Now I cover the top with black plastic.

 

[got wood?]

I posted a description and picture of my econo-racks on the thread below...lots of other good ideas/suggestions in that thread too. I think keeping any/all of your rack off the ground is a solid idea...it will allow your racks to live longer (even if you use pressure treated lumber) and allows air to circulate from under the rack as well as the sides.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/1047/

the other convenient thing about this rack is that it is a quick glance cord of wood.

4x4x8=128 cubic feet=cord
2x4x16=128 cubic feet=cord=1 rack

 

[colsmith]

Looking at the photos of wood racks was interesting, I followed various threads to look at different people's pictures. Then I started to wonder about my mental health, enjoying looking at wood. The metal stake/rope idea seems really clever. Interesting designs and so forth, but I am surprised at all the buying of 2 x 4s and brackets and ends and concrete blocks and so on. I have a small pile of unmatched bricks in the backyard, odd bits of lumber stacked in the garage and basement, pallets in various piles on my property. I can't see buying ANYTHING to make a wood rack, although I did used to live where a certain neighbor eyed my property funny a lot, so I kind of understand. Had a pile of woodchips sitting on the driveway for 3 years and he kept eyeing it, and finally asked about it. I thought he was going to complain, turned out he wanted some of the wood chips.

Anyway, admittedly there are a lot of people in the pallet camp with me. But we also use 2 x 4s on top of bricks (all free, lying around.) When we had siding put on the house last fall, the guys went through ladders, and knowing how we are (we didn't let them throw anything away) asked if we wanted their bad ladders. They gave us two. Ladders lying on the ground make fairly good wood racks. One is a step ladder, the other the long kind with rungs. Put that last down on bricks as well. None of our piles really match, but who cares?

I guess there are some advantages to having a lot of junk in your yard, good raw materials. About stacking against trees, I would think that was bad because then your pile would be in the shade a lot.