Wood stack blunder

[Grannyknot]

I live in the East Tennessee hills and my property (1/2 acre) doesn't have many level areas.
Any time I find a level spot to stack firewood, I take advantage of it.
Saturday, I spent all morning and early afternoon laying out and stacking next years oak supply.
I have a 25 foot run along the neighbors privacy fence that I wanted to use to stack a full cord.
I had to go 5 feet high, because average log size was closer to 14inches, rather than 16.
The ground was soft, and not perfectly level, so I had to work on the foundation a little bit.
Got it all stacked and nice looking and took my wife out to dinner.
I guess the foundation settled a little, cause half the stack fell over while we were at dinner.

Felt like a wasted day.

 

[basswidow]

Ouch. Yeah - I don't imagine too many level spots in East Tennessee! I would suggest stacking on pallets or using fence posts and stacking down hill. My wife went ETSU.

 

[remkel]

I don't have a level area anywher on my property. I stack between trees and this year intend to create a new stacking area using posts that will have a southern exposure. Fun part about it, I have to drop trees!

 

[Grannyknot]

We only have 6 Trees on our entire piece of property. All 50+ year old hardwoods. None are close enough to stack between.
I am trying to keep from putting any wood on the ground, so I have cinder blocks with treated 2x4s to suspend it.
Creating a level, firm foundation for the cinder blocks has been the issue.

I guess I'll be working on this again all day next saturday

 

[basswidow]

Well it can be frustrating to stack the same wood twice. Hope it's rock solid this time. I am lucky to have a level side and back yard. Wind is fierce in my area. I can't single stack at all. I double stack on pallets with odds and shorts in the middle. Keeps the wind from knocking my stacks over.

 

[pen]

14 inches wide and 5 feet tall is a hard thing to keep freestanding.

Sorry to hear it.

pen

 

[ColdNH]

the best sunny and windy spot of my yard that is somewhat close to the stove is a sloped hill. i have started to cut pallets up so that make a level base to stack wood on. so none of my stacks have tipped over. will try to get a picture of it.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have cinder blocks with treated 2x4s to suspend it.
Creating a level, firm foundation for the cinder blocks has been the issue.

I've got some wood stacked on 1/2 thickness concrete blocks laid on their sides and half-round fence posts that were salvaged. The stack goes downhill. I made a couple of mistakes. I should have gotten the post "rails" as wide as possible, maybe even culled out longer splits to build the bottom row so that I could spread the rails more. I also found that a couple of the salvaged posts were more rotted and tended to bow under the weight of the stack. I propped those up halfway between the blocks with bricks.
I made the mistake of trying to push in a section that was leaning. By the time I went and got a hammer to pound splits with and returned, that section had gone horizontal. :shut:

i have started to cut pallets up so that make a level base to stack wood on.

Probably different than what you're talking about, but I cut several pallets lengthwise to make two singe-row pallets out of one pallet. Surprisingly, the wood I have stacked on those seems pretty stable. These stacks run downhill. Sounds like you're talking about running across the slope and propping up one side to get it level...

If I ever get far enough ahead, a single full pallet with two rows and a space between sounds like a pretty stable configuration that would resist ground settling, etc. Right now I'm stacking single-row to get my stuff dry quicker.

 

[ColdNH]

I have cinder blocks with treated 2x4s to suspend it.
Creating a level, firm foundation for the cinder blocks has been the issue.

I've got some wood stacked on 1/2 thickness concrete blocks laid on their sides and half-round fence posts that were salvaged. The stack goes downhill. I made a couple of mistakes. I should have gotten the post "rails" as wide as possible, maybe even culled out longer splits to build the bottom row so that I could spread the rails more. I also found that a couple of the salvaged posts were more rotted and tended to bow under the weight of the stack. I propped those up halfway between the blocks with bricks.
I made the mistake of trying to push in a section that was leaning. By the time I went and got a hammer to pound splits with and returned, that section had gone horizontal. :shut:

i have started to cut pallets up so that make a level base to stack wood on.

Probably different than what you're talking about, but I cut several pallets lengthwise to make two singe-row pallets out of one pallet. Surprisingly, the wood I have stacked on those seems pretty stable. These stacks run downhill. Sounds like you're talking about running across the slope and propping up one side to get it level...

If I ever get far enough ahead, a single full pallet with two rows and a space between sounds like a pretty stable configuration that would resist ground settling, etc. Right now I'm stacking single-row to get my stuff dry quicker.

Yes, i am stacking along the hill not down it, Im probably doing the same thing you are, basically turning one pallet into two then sitting them next to each other on the hill. part of the stack will be like 4" off the ground the other part 3/4" of an inch? not sure if that will be a problem. Im also stacking 2 rows back to back, not ideal for drying, but im making the best out of the space i have and it gives me more stability.

 

[Iembalm4aLiving]

Been there! Consider it a learning experience!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Stacking wood 5' high is always a bit testy for sure. We stop at 4 1/2' which usually settles down to around 4' in about 6 months time. Rarely have a wood stack tip over.

 

[LLigetfa]

Hate when that happens. That's why I poured a concrete slab for my woodshed. My outdoor stacks go in 2 rows, 4 feet high on pallets.

 

[ColdNH]

Here is a picture of my stacks on a hill and the pallets i cut up to make the stacks level.

Second picture shows the hillside im stacking on.

 

[homebrewz]

You'll have to go shorter and wider. We have a lot of uneven surfaces too and I use rocks of varying thickness under pallets to make the stacking surface level. Plus, having the pallets supported means they won't rot too soon.