There's probably a gazillion threads on this topic that I could have so easily typed in the search textbox but that would dismiss a golden opportunity to chat it up with you 'live' avatars out there in mostly current time. My question is simple, do you store wood directly on the ground or do you make every effort to store it above -- like a built rack, a pallet, a tarp, etc?? I ask because I've got more wood this year than my current built racks can hold and I want to start seasoning a cord+ for 2020, but have no place to put it. I can either buy a bunch of rack crap (on the cheap) or just put it on the grass. I realize this will probably at least make the first row bogus and throw away -- but it's easy and cheaper and I got this wood free anyway. I live in PNW and I just prefer to keep it raised off the ground if possible due to our damp winter conditions and good god the bugs they attract. Some say I can use a tarp but honestly, that's going to look like crap in the backyard (I do have a lovely wife whose opinion matters here). What say thee? A) Suck it up buttercup, pop for the materials, and build the new rack(s) B) Go fetch more pallets, use make shift siding, and build the new rack(s) C) Stack it on the grass D) Put a damm tarp down and face the wrath and unpleasantries of your old lady all winter long E) (fill in the blank) If it's B, please tell me what you used to corral the sides of the rack. If it's E, just tell me your better solution. If it's D, well, I'm not getting into it.
While this seems like a possible option -- Wood shed kit -- I dunno. He went deeper into his pockets than he wanted. I'm sort of in the same boat.
I crib the ends on a pallet for no additional material overhead.. also have taken some pine splits and laid out as runners to stack on top of in between a tree and a cribbed existing stack. Also you can always go up.. I posted this to my own thread, but to the right are three or four pallets with all the splits on top, and to the left chunks and rounds on top of the pine runners.
I would say b is what we do. We have the pallets down and Chaz puts t post on at the end of the row of pallets. He has is just starting to build some racks. Oh yea I forgot, we crib also.
I really like the idea of using pine as the base -- I have some of that lower grade stuff. But I also see you are using a tree as an endpoint -- something I don't have in my yard. Any ideas for what you use or have used in the past for the 'sides'? Not sure what you mean by 'crib'. Using additional pallets on the sides?
Cribbing is to alternate directions in your stacking, usually with two sturdy splits at a time. It makes kind of a square Lincoln log type shape that is more horizontally stable. I learned that technique on here.
Oh, yeah, I do that too. But it helps immensely if your cuts are uniform and not round. Fortunately most of it is not round -- but sort of was looking for a horizontal stack w/ sides... only because it's more stable and quicker. I have 3 crib stacks now of cedar and if I brushed them, they'd fall over! Heh. Also, it does take some time constructing solid stacks. But yes -- it's a valid option.
I'm interested in Chaz's T-Bars. I'd like to know how those are constructed. I want to lay down like 4 adjacent pallets and put an end point on them. Currently, I have bought cinder blocks, stacked them, and placed 2x4s in them to be the sides. Only problem is if they aren't cemented or filled with heavy rocks, the like to topple over. So I end up putting a round cut on the ends. Wasted wood and looks a wee bit dumb.
I use the "B" method but use "no" ends. I use the taper up effect.... Very rarely do they fall, but it has happened. Just wedge some good splits on the ends and it usually stays put. I scored some plastic pallets over the years because "termites" will destroy a wood pallet here in two years! I've had pallets collapse before.
If you have the ability to go cut some 4" diameter saplings you can use those to stack on. I have been using landscape timbers to stack on, and stared out cribbing the ends. I advanced to building wood frames on the ends, as I found it quicker when stacking. I recently obtained some plastic pallets on the cheap and I will be replacing some of my landscape timbers with those. In the long run you will be time and money ahead with some sort of permanent stacking solution. I know mine have evolved over the years.
Not sure where my answer falls but I would be make every effort to get it off the ground. I used wood pallets for awhile but the termites destroyed them. I went with this rack system simply because the back of my property does not get any sunlight, it's mostly all shade (except for late in the evening I get a hour or two on the racks) and I get good airflow being they are stacked one deep. Also because I already had the materials laying around and didn't need to spend much money if any. Once they've been seasoned a few years I move to the woodshed close to the house.
Fellow member of the PNW tribe. Lots of rain here. I used to stack on wood pallets, but found they rotted in a couple of years which was a bigger nuisance than a bit of rotted wood. I’ve tried stacking on small diameter poles as well. I find it all sinks in the ground eventually after getting the weigh of the wood on it. I did get hold of some rubber conveyor belting that helps keep it somewhat clean. For any extra wood, now it goes directly on the ground. I might lose a little burn time but it all dries and burns eventually after getting under cover in the wood shed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's this photo I'm interested in. I use stacked cinder blocks but their weight is not heavy enough to prevent the timber in the holes from giving way. So I've resorted to putting some large rounds on the ends to hold them in place. But the problem is I don't have any more 'large' rounds (maybe?). I see you stacked the wood on top of the base board wood that supposedly the weight prevents it from pulling up and therefore stabilizes the planks you have on the ends at nearly 45 degrees. I might be able to get away with that as the wood is Douglas Fir and not Cedar (much heavier) but would need to try it. As GrJfer mentions, I prefer the horizontal racks because it's just much quicker to stack and I never fear they're going to topple over.
I’ve got about a year’s worth uncovered and I stacked it right on the ground. That’s extra that wouldn’t fit in any of my wood sheds. Next year it’ll go in one of the sheds and even the bottom row will dry out eventually.
Even if you arent going to buck or split it, yes off the ground ASAP. Wood is like a sponge, I make my own racks out of reclaimed framing lumber and will use wood pallets. Saplings are a perfect alternative as well. Ill do this if i have rounds stored "in the field" meaning i cant get them home right away. Picture of a half cord rack i made yesterday out of reclaimed 2x6's. In this case i put one side against a tree for stability. Space is at a premium where this is stacked so i have to improvise. another made from discounted framing lumber. Each contains two cords. Wish it was a bit higher for better air flow, but it is off the ground. one of my pallet racks behind my shed. It is now full, three rows deep and off the shed a couple inches. Two cords total for the stack.
Ok here you go dotman. is what I am calling t post. And if I am calling it by the wrong name I apologize. Lol. This is the back side of what we stacked earlier this year. I believe it is all ash, 3 rows deep.
So you just use large cinder blocks too? For some reason, the timber on the sides would fall over as the weight on the bottom plank wasn't strong enough, I guess. Why the heck is this working for everyone else but me?? Ugh.
