It's been a longtime since I've posted. Life has just become extremely busy. One thing that has not changed is my desire to get my firewood area setup properly. Some of you will remember I've gone back and forth on the type of storage for my firewood. The space where it will sit has room for 6-9 cords of processed firewood. A couple of years ago, I built a smaller wood shed that holds roughly a cord. To properly dry my wood, I'm going to need something that holds between 6-9 cords. Right now I have three thoughts: One option would be to replicate what I have 6 to 9 times. However; that would be much more expensive than I am looking at. Second would be to take what I have an expand my current shed by making modifications. Cut off the existing legs and use 6"X6" timbers as my base for the unit. The current legs would sink into the ground. Expand the flooring to be 16' long by 8' wide and 8' tall. Possibly go 10' wide. The sides and flooring today are simply 1X4" pine. Which I don't believe will take the weight without me making major changes to the support under the floor. Last option and probably the most viable would be to use pallets to create a simple drying rack that sits on the ground. (Not sure my wife is going to go for this look. The area I am using is in the front yard.) I'd need to excavate the area in order for the pallets to sit flat and build that up with gravel tamped and graded level. I'll put a picture up of what it looks like today. Would love some recommendations. Trying to keep this as cheap as possible. Jason from RI
I'd go with option 3. But I'm cheap like that. You don't necessarily need for all of the pallets to be level with one another, just individually level. I use old bricks and cobblestones to level my pallets as well as to keep the pallets off the ground to slow the rotting process. I only excavate a very little bit and all my stacks are on some kind of slope. Getting started with option 3 now will allow you to continue hoarding while with the option of later putting more money and effort into options 1 or 2.
Very nice. Looks like your original footprint is 3 pallets long by 2 pallets deep. That i the design I was thinking about when I mentioned using pallets. The only difference for me is that I'd try to go 4 pallets long and three pallets deep.
Jason, do you feel you have to use pallets? There are some good alternatives (but I hate pallets). We simply cut some saplings in the woods and lay them down to stack on top. They do not show like pallets do and it does not look so messy after you remove the wood that was stacked on them. This is about as big of logs we use for stacking wood on. Usually we just use small saplings; about 1/2 or less the size of these. But if you want to raise the pile off the ground, then the bigger logs work nicely. The small pile there were cut to 4' to make them not so heavy.
Dennis First thank you. I could use your method in my backyard. There is a great deal more room and I don't need to build an elaborate shed. I've written this out several times. In doing so, I've come to the realization that my best course of action would be to store 3 cord of wood in the front yard, and put the other 6 cord in the backyard. In my first year (this year), I'd CSS 3 cord and put it in the front yard for burning next year. A second load would be processed and put in the backyard for drying. Next year, I'd use the 3 cord in the front yard, and process a load to give me 6 in the backyard. At the end of burning season when I have access to go back and forth into the backyard, I move the oldest 3 cords from the backyard to the front yard. Plus process another load to give me a total of 9 cords on hand. Now you are thinking that I am moving the wood too much. You are correct. However; I need to work within the confines of the space/resources available to me. Below I've left my description of the property to help you understand. Property layout: Our property sits up on a hill off the road. I have a section of the driveway where the logs are dropped. Right next to that area is a 18'X12' grass area where I want to put my firewood. Our house is built into the side of the hill, and the second floor is on level with the backyard. We don't have much of a front yard. The street is blocked from view for the most part due to the shrubs planted in the front yard. The hill between the main house and my dad's mother-n-law apartment is suitable for full size trucks. However; the delivery truck would not make it up there due to wires coming from the street. Wood stove Our wood stove is in our living room on the first floor. We use between 2 and 3 cords per year. Wood is brought in through our front door, and it's stored in a wood rack. The rack I have gives me about a weeks' worth of wood. Jason from RI.
Thanks. Life is just so busy. Son graduated and is going to the Community College of Rhode Island for fire science. Oldest daughter is a sophomore. She gave up softball this year and all in with volleyball. Youngest is in middle school and I now Manage/coach her softball team. Seems like we are all going in different directions. I need to institute a mandatory Sunday dinner for us to be together. In fact, while writing this reply, I realize how important that is right now.
Excellent choice! I was shocked to recently learn how many people never eat around the table together...I don't recall the exact number, but it was really high. We try to do it almost every evening...
What time is Sunday dinner? Lots of FHC in the area. We're family, right? Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
Like I said, we are often going in different directions. It's rare we eat together. Tonight I did not get home from the gym until 8:15. Everyone else had eaten. My only roadblock will be team dinners for volleyball every now and then for my oldest daughter. Though that will be over shortly.
