The vets here probably already know where this is going. A wind storm blew through this week, 20-30 mph sustained, 50mph gusts. Wood shed was fine, but besides that I have six other stacks of wood sitting in the yard (is this a sign of a hoarder?). Each stack holds about a cord of wood ~16x5 feet. Two of the stacks tipped over. That mess is leaning on a third. The covering on the 4th blew off (Steel). Ugh - not much I hate more. Got the cover back on the one stack but nothing else yet. The only saving grace is the wood in the stacks is not for this year. Picked up a few splits, already wet from the ground - sigh. Long term solution - think I'm goning to build a lean-to extension off the side of one of my outbuildings, put wood in that. Longer term it's probably not a fix cause the hoarder deep inside my head already knows I'll still have "free and clear"stacks in the yard. What to do?!?!
Sometimes I'm tempted to put up a chain link fence just to stack against. I had one stack of cherry on the northeast side of my house one year that went over in three northeasters. The third time I just left it in a heap until April or May.
Space the stacks 4' apart with the end facing into the prevailing winds. Use 8' long 2-4" diameter branches every 2' in between 2 stacks as you build them. Only takes a few per 2 stacks of split wood to make them really sturdy. When ready to burn, either pull from both stacks evenly, or cut the "stringers" as you get to them. Cheap & effective.
