Weve had some pretty blustery days, and a few Noreasters. This was the first season I'd tied down the plastic w paracord. The one pile we took from over the late fall, and covered with logs and pallets and whatever, plastic moved a bit, and had to be tinkered with. The paracorded stacks....needed nothjng. Ill take a warm day and sinch all the paracord, and maybe straighten out the plastic. But no wood was exposed from the top! Our shorts shed survived well...built that last summer. Still might try to secure the roof better, but it held.
So, just checking in how everyone's top covered piles fared....better than you thought, you were always keeping an eye on, or forget this Im doing something different next winter. Sca
It’s been a frustrating few months for me. Several wind events have kept me busy tending tarps. Bungee secured tarps are fine, but I have many tarps with only chunks on top. We’ve had several chunk dumping wind events, so I doubled up the chunks and added some bigger chunks. The bungee tarps drain water on the side of the stacks, so I reverted back to chunks. The chunk failures may push me back to bungees. The tarp struggle is real
Most of my piles have tarps on the top, which faired okay. They were weighted down pretty well. I have corrugated plastic roof panels on a couple piles as well that are still looking good. During one of the stronger storms a couple months back, the panels went for a ride and I had to weight them down better. A bunch of large rocks and scrap metal did the trick. I noticed the tarps are getting beat up and TBH I'm not a fan of the way they look anyway, so I really need to make time to build a (really) large woodshed this year. It's just a matter of finding some material to use for the posts, and preferably some used metal roof panels. If not, I'll just pony up the dough for new plastic ones.
Most of my top covers are green house plastic, weighed down with blocks and brick. They have faired well as we have had high wind events too, partial loss on a couple, easily recovered. Bigger problem lately due to the fluctuations in temp, ground thawing and freezing, is my single rank piles that are not quite stacked on level ground falling over.
I have one combo section with tarps (combo of a stack with pallet bins at the ends) and four additional pallet bins with tarps on top. They have all pretty much been 'fire and forget' this winter with no tarps blowing away and the tarps have held up well over the winter (the stack tarp only became uncovered last week after the warm weather/rain). First year trying the pallets on top of the stack with the tarp over the pallets but I like it (saw someone else do that on here so wanted to try it). Not a big fan of tarps and most of my stacks use old roofing metal with this year's wood tucked into the woodshed. The tarps usually get removed once the snow is gone because they are a PITA without the snow load on top.
I'm rethinking how I cover my piles. I'm tired of tarps, they just aren't lasting and tend to leak. I'm watching any thread on here about covering wood stacks or wood sheds. I have a bunch of steel barn roofing sheets, so maybe I'll make something more permanent. Brad
I would think that woodsheds would be the best way for those who can afford it or have the space. No need here for top cover, although I would not mind having a woodshed.
I always cringe when i inspect my top covers (what few are covered) Some fared well others no. Metal, plastic, tarps are my covers. What type of plastic is that Dave?
I found 6mill plastic sheeting. Poly something, not pvc. The thinner stuff worked, but punctured way too easily. I liked the black thinking it would absorb heat. But also want to keep it neat trim and uniform, for the sake of the hood. I too like the idea of a shed, or something with a fixed roof. We have 20+ cord in 4' wide rows. Thats a lotta shed. Maybe in the next life, with bigger property, and ability to build a shed that size. ....
To keep plastic from moving as much: Pallets on top might help. Or long pieces of wood.....like 10' poles from smaller trees, laid length wise. Or dunnage from shipping, cut to the width of the stack, laid across every foot or two. Bungees and whatever to help shed water.
I don't have pictures of our present stacks but the last I checked all was well. I did have a couple sheets that got caught in the wind but was easy to re-adjust. Here are a couple older pictures. I do have 4 totes but all the rest are covered with old galvanized roofing.
