Bigger stacks

I pulled wood from my easy-access stacks to make room for a rather good sized score coming up.
Im going to cut that wood to 20". Im thinking about stacking over the edge of the pallets by 6" each side. That would leave me a better space for a row of shorter splits or shorts and skinnies, down the middle.
Its ash, and might be my 5th year burn pile.....4th or 3rd if its dry though.

If the stack is 5x5x26.xx feet vs a 4x4x26.xx foot stack, it about a cord difference

The only issue is that my top cover will need to be wider.
Anybody done this or see drawbacks to making a 5' wide stack?

Sca

 

I currently have a stack that is 5' wide. Its a full cord of BL with a row of black cherry on one side and across the back. The BL wont be ready for a few years, but the cherry is ready now.
When I use the cherry (whenever that will be), I'll replace it with another quick drying wood.

I did have a 7' + wide stack of ash before. It was standing dead, borer killed.
Never had an issue with neither, or any real drawbacks that I can think of, unless you are depending on using it in a year and need it to dry fast. Which obviously you aren't.

 

Wow....yeah....7' wide stax....that would be an additional row of pallets. In which case 8' would be as obtainable. I dont have enough experience seasoning wood to reckon how that would dry here.
Sca

 

Well I have been reading some south African history of late.

 

Good point.
I'd kept rows to 4 feet wide on a single row of pallets, thinking that the middle would dry slower.
However, adding in spacing, and 4 and 5 years of seasoning, might be the key.
'Course reconfiguring things for 8 foot wide rows will be a thing. Will work on that.

 

Possibility of it toppling. As long as there is some air space you should do fine. I tightly stacked a couple summers ago and interior wood got moldy and wasnt drying. Your yard seems to get sun and air movement so i wouldnt be as concerned.

 

From beginning to stack 20" pieces, theres little to no gap between rows on a single row of pallets. The stacks are much more stable than stacking 16" pieces.

Im going to try the ash score at straight up 20" pieces, 2 rows, with space between for shorts.
When I dismantle another stack, ill plan for 2 rows of pallets. There is the ever present keeping the neighbors less antagonized, so a double row might mean I could eliminate a stack or two elsewhere.