# Stacking on pallets



## j7art2 (Mar 10, 2015)

I'm used to stacking on the ground, but this year am going to go to pallets. I have about 5 cords of pine to stack, cut from 12-16" length. How many rows can I fit on the average pallet and still allow for good air flow to season quickly? 2, with the odd 'weird' chunk or so in the middle? I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to stack all this, and how many pallets I'll need.


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## Jon_E (Mar 10, 2015)

The short answer is "it depends".  A typical pallet is 40" x 48".  I cut my wood to 20" long and stack two rows so that the splits are parallel to the 48" side.  That gives me 8" between rows.  I stack 4' high and that gives me 44 cubic feet on every pallet, or about 1/3 of a full cord.  You could put three rows on and get no space at all (which would not encourage drying) or put two rows parallel to the 40" side and get anywhere from 8" to 16" of space between rows.  So based on that, I'd say you'll need anywhere from 12-18 pallets. 

Also, cutting it to 12-16" is pretty short, even if you stacked three rows per pallet, and you put a top cover on the stack, it should still season fairly quickly.


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## j7art2 (Mar 10, 2015)

Some may be a tad longer. All of this wood is super tiny compared to what I'm used to. I'm likely going to be getting a Drolet Tundra this fall, which has a tiny 16" firebox or something, as opposed to my mammoth 28" now. All of this wood is pine and split relatively small. Pine produces a TON of heat, so I cut small for a few reasons: I want to burn it come December, and I know it burns mega hot, and I don't need to overfire the new unit, so it'll solely be a shoulder to the hardwoods just to keep the stove to temperature.


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## Seanm (Mar 10, 2015)

j7art2 said:


> Some may be a tad longer. All of this wood is super tiny compared to what I'm used to. I'm likely going to be getting a Drolet Tundra this fall, which has a tiny 16" firebox or something, as opposed to my mammoth 28" now. All of this wood is pine and split relatively small. Pine produces a TON of heat, so I cut small for a few reasons: I want to burn it come December, and I know it burns mega hot, and I don't need to overfire the new unit, so it'll solely be a shoulder to the hardwoods just to keep the stove to temperature.


Are you replacing your wood furnace or adding this for extra heat? With the unit being small there must be a space issue you are dealing with? I use pallets and get two rows of 18 inch splits. It sure makes the stacks nice and stable!
Edit: Didnt realize the op was dealing with a furnace replacement. When I heard 16 inch splits I was thinking a smallish wood stove. My bad...


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## j7art2 (Mar 10, 2015)

The unit I'm replacing is a 40+ year old non-EPA wood furnace with an uninsulated firebox that I can literally fit inside of provided I could fit through the door. I went through 11 cords of mixed hardwood this year, primarily oak. Lesson learned, and I won't be doing that every year. Lol. 

After reading this thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/everything-drolet-tundra-heatmax.140788/page-4 I've actually decided that the Drolet Tundra is not the way I'll be going. I'll need another option. People are experiencing cracks in the firebox.


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## Seanm (Mar 10, 2015)

Oh I see. I just read a few pages of that thread. Good luck on your search!


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## jeffesonm (Mar 10, 2015)

I cut to 16" and stack two rows on the short (40") side of the pallet.  This leaves one end of both rows open to the air.


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## jb6l6gc (Mar 10, 2015)

I find i can fit 3 rows  I build mine two palletts long one high fits pretty well exactly a cord


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## jb6l6gc (Mar 10, 2015)

j7art2 said:


> The unit I'm replacing is a 40+ year old non-EPA wood furnace with an uninsulated firebox that I can literally fit inside of provided I could fit through the door. I went through 11 cords of mixed hardwood this year, primarily oak. Lesson learned, and I won't be doing that every year. Lol.
> 
> After reading this thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/everything-drolet-tundra-heatmax.140788/page-4 I've actually decided that the Drolet Tundra is not the way I'll be going. I'll need another option. People are experiencing cracks in the firebox.


Im  going through the same thing went through 5 cords  I may hold out for another year with my hotblast and see if they correct the problems with the tundra


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## j7art2 (Mar 10, 2015)

I guess I'll just start stacking and see how it goes. Does anyone know the minimal optimal space for seasoning between stacks? That will play a large factor as to how I go about doing this.


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## Hoozie (Mar 10, 2015)

I put two rows on my pallets.  

What size are you making the splits?  A lot of small splits will burn much hotter than several bigger splits (due to more surface area).


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## jatoxico (Mar 10, 2015)

I'd say optimal spacing differs depending on where your stacking. Sunny/windy vs shady/stagnant. I keep my stuff about 8-10" apart but my conditions aren't the best. In another thread I talked about my rookie mistake when stacking on pallets. I had scrounge wood and had all different sizes so I stacked the pallets solid and the wood was kind of weaved together. Take it from me, don't do that. I think that wood was like 2 yr 8 mo CSS. Wood on the outside was good, even great but the stuff on the inside was marginal.

PS If you're stacking in the middle of a dry windy field and giving it 2 + years you can probably do whatever you want.


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## DoubleB (Mar 10, 2015)

j7art2 said:


> Drolet Tundra this fall, which has a tiny 16" firebox or something



Not tiny by my standards, firebox is 22" long.

If that still matters of course.  I agree, I look forward to seeing the resolution on these cracks in the other post too.


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## Hogwildz (Mar 10, 2015)

Don't be afraid to split pine large, it will dry quickly still, and less chance of flaming inferno.


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## j7art2 (Mar 11, 2015)

Good to know. And yeah, after I posted that, I hopped on their website and saw that the firebox was larger than I thought. When I saw it in person, I was shocked at how small it was. Mine isn't a good comparison though, as it's at least 3 times larger. I'll be glad though I'm not going through so much wood. I'm not done processing it, so I guess I'll be making my splits a bit larger. In my current unit, if it fit through the door, it burned. Some of my night rounds were 12" or more. I think I'm going to keep the max at around 6, but most are probably 4" or so, split relatively small. I've learned, at least with my current unit, that smaller hotter fires are better, even if they go out quicker. This may not be the case though with the newer units. My friend with a Yukon Eagle was telling me that he can't put anything larger than 4" diameter in his wood furnace or his unit gets too hot, so that was my basis of thinking. One piece of pine with 1 piece of hardwood. In hind sight though, I understand what you guys mean about overheating. We'll see how it plays out. I'm hoping I'm not splitting 5 cords of kindling. Ha.


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## Ashful (Mar 11, 2015)

j7art2 said:


> Does anyone know the minimal optimal space for seasoning between stacks?.


42' 7-3/16"


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## MrWhoopee (Mar 11, 2015)

I cut 16 in., 3 rows on a 48 x 40 pallet (no space). Of course much of the wood I cut is standing dead, this is California (low humidity) and I'm at least 3 years ahead.


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## velvetfoot (Mar 11, 2015)

"I'm used to stacking on the ground, but this year am going to go to pallets."
Why?


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## Ashful (Mar 11, 2015)

velvetfoot said:


> "I'm used to stacking on the ground, but this year am going to go to pallets."
> Why?


Why wouldn't you?  Stacking on the ground is a good way to ruin a good 5% - 8% of the wood you split, if you're stacking in an area with damp soil.  Getting it up onto pallets saves the lower row, and ensures everything down low will be a little dryer.


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## velvetfoot (Mar 11, 2015)

Doesn't get ruined here, knock on wood  .  Just stays more wet-will dry out.  Pallets are a pain in the butt.


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## Dune (Mar 11, 2015)

I use pallets. Why not, they are free. I put pallets on 6 bricks or since I ran out of bricks a cut up a bunch or of PT into blocks. The blocks are better since I can stack them to make up for uneven ground. The extra height give more air under the wood and preserves the pallets. I get a few more years out of them that way.
I put two rows of random lengths on a pallet. The outsides are flush, the inside has room for the randomness. I also throw the chunks and nasties inside. I season for many years so I am not overly concerned about perfect airflow.


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## Bigg_Redd (Mar 11, 2015)

j7art2 said:


> 2, with the odd 'weird' chunk or so in the middle?



Yes


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## Bigg_Redd (Mar 11, 2015)

velvetfoot said:


> Doesn't get ruined here, knock on wood  .  Just stays more wet-will dry out.  Pallets are a pain in the butt.



Pallets are far less of a PITA that giving up your whole first course to moisture, bugs, and dirt


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## Hogwildz (Mar 11, 2015)

velvetfoot said:


> Doesn't get ruined here, knock on wood  .  Just stays more wet-will dry out.  Pallets are a pain in the butt.


A few years on the ground, will turn those bottom splits into mush. Just as easy to stack on a pallet, poles, anything, and keep it all dry.

I'm 2 rows to a pallet also. I try to leave the gap between the rows. If I have a few longer ones, I let them rest against or overlap the other stack with hopes of stabilization between the stacks. That the theory anyways. I also stack years in advance, so drying is not really an issue, and yep, the fuglies go in between and usually on the very top, ready to be pulled off for the shoulder season.


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## Firefighter938 (Mar 11, 2015)

I have a question. I also split two rows on a pallet, but I don't top cover. This year I am going to try and top cover a couple of stacks. The problem I think I may run into is having water cause my cover to sag between the rows and water to pool.

I was planning on using a few old tarps I have in my garage. I was going to cut them down so that they hang over the edge a few inches, add some eyelets, and secure with twine. I thought about adding a layer of splits on top to span the gap and support the tarp. What does everyone else do?


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## Smoke Signals (Mar 11, 2015)

Firefighter938 said:


> I have a question. I also split two rows on a pallet, but I don't top cover. This year I am going to try and top cover a couple of stacks. The problem I think I may run into is having water cause my cover to sag between the rows and water to pool.
> 
> I was planning on using a few old tarps I have in my garage. I was going to cut them down so that they hang over the edge a few inches, add some eyelets, and secure with twine. I thought about adding a layer of splits on top to span the gap and support the tarp. What does everyone else do?




I find old tin works well to top cover but I think you may be on the rite track with the row to bridge the gap and hold the tarp up.


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## Ashful (Mar 11, 2015)

I've been using heavy black plastic with PVC drain pipe, with good success.  Basically, double rows on pallets.  Each row is 40" wide x 80 feet long.  Throw a PVC drain pipe (something I had laying around) on top of the center of a row, like a long ridge, running lengthwise with the stack.  Then get a roll of 6' wide heavy black plastic, and roll it out over the stack.  Staple it down to the top row of splits on each side.  The continuous run of PVC drain pipe will prevent sagging.


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## Seanm (Mar 12, 2015)

Joful said:


> I've been using heavy black plastic with PVC drain pipe, with good success.  Basically, double rows on pallets.  Each row is 40" wide x 80 feet long.  Throw a PVC drain pipe (something I had laying around) on top of the center of a row, like a long ridge, running lengthwise with the stack.  Then get a roll of 6' wide heavy black plastic, and roll it out over the stack.  Staple it down to the top row of splits on each side.  The continuous run of PVC drain pipe will prevent sagging.


Thats a real good idea!


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## Dune (Mar 12, 2015)

I use scrap plywood and also old bedliners. I cut the sides off the bedliners with a skillsaw. Frankly the black plastic bedliners are the bomb. 
I also use rubber roof scraps. 

Not covering the tops is a fail for me, if you expect the wood to last more than a few years, unless it is locust. Even white oak rots if uncovered long enough though it is far superior to red oak (the predominant species here) in terms of rot resistance. Red oak splits so easily though and white oak is uncommon.


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## MrWhoopee (Mar 12, 2015)

I stack 3 rows solid_,_ no space. I stack the middle row higher to provide a slope to the outside for drainage. Laying some rounds across the middle space would achieve the same thing.


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## Smoke Signals (Mar 13, 2015)

This thread needs more pics! Let me get the party started. This is how my bother and I do it. If you look close at the stack on the left you can see the tin held down on top of the stack by shorts and uglies. I will try to post a better pic tomorrow.


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## Ashful (Mar 13, 2015)

Try explaining to your non-hearth buddies that you were asking guys to post pictures of their wood on the Internet.


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## Ashful (Mar 13, 2015)

this is one of my two "stacks".  It is a double row, 40" wide x 6' high x 120' long.  It is made of fifteen cribs, each 40" x 8'.


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## Smoke Signals (Mar 13, 2015)

Joful said:


> Try explaining to your non-hearth buddies that you were asking guys to post pictures of their wood on the Internet.




 Guess I never thought of it that way  but that's funny, don't care who you are.


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## Knots (Mar 13, 2015)

Joful said:


> this is one of my two "stacks".  It is a double row, 40" wide x 6' high x *120' long*.



  Are both ends in the same zip code?


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## MrWhoopee (Mar 13, 2015)

Smoke Signals said:


> This thread needs more pics!



As you wish.


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## Smoke Signals (Mar 13, 2015)

As promised.


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## velvetfoot (Mar 13, 2015)

Joful said:


> It is a double row, 40" wide x 6' high x 120' long


I consider myself lucky if I could keep a six foot high triple row from tipping over, in time.  They need a tuneup every once in a while, and seem to stabilize after initial dry out.


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## Ashful (Mar 13, 2015)

velvetfoot said:


> I consider myself lucky if I could keep a six foot high triple row from tipping over, in time.  They need a tuneup every once in a while, and seem to stabilize after initial dry out.



I'm no stacking genious, but my splits are all exactly 20" long, and I only bring home nice clean straight stuff.  So, I get away with stacking pretty tall, without much risk of failure.

My stacks are actually mostly 6' 6" or more up from the ground, but I knock 6" off the measurement for being up on a pallet.


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## velvetfoot (Mar 13, 2015)

Joful said:


> are all exactly 20" long


Well, there 'ya go.  My splits are 16" long.  So, even though 8" narrower, maybe two rows would be more stable than three.

For the past two years, summers of 2013 and 2014, I've been trying ~8 cord cubes, about 5' high.  Still too soon to tell how it'll work out.  It's easier to get to than where I have the 3-wide rows, and more compact, and in the open; we'll see how dry it gets when it comes time to start burning them in 2-3 years.


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## ErikR (Mar 13, 2015)

More on pallets...


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## Isaac Carlson (Mar 15, 2015)

We stack on pallets and will continue to do so.  It lets moisture drain out the bottom and lets air move up through the stack.  It also keeps mice out of the stacks.


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## OhioBurner© (Mar 16, 2015)

Anyone put plastic under the pallets or anything like that? The stacks I started back in the fall I used pallets and opened up and overlapped wood pellet bags (and some water softner salt bags). Seems like no matter what I've done in the past the bottom of my stacks end up higher moisture, and often weeds grow up through the pallets. So hopefully the plastic will cut down thistles and morning glory and the rest of the crap that wants to weave its way though my stack as well as moisture and pallet rot.


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## Poindexter (Mar 17, 2015)

You guys are killing me with all the greenery.  This is fifteen minutes ago...dang peer pressure.  This stack is three pallets long, splits measure 72-75" vertical from the surface of the pallets.  If you look careful you can see a cinder block, all the pallets are on cinder blocks that sit directly on the lawn.  I have been shoveling the hardpack snow out from around the wood pile, especially on the shady side.  I want the ground under the cinder blocks to thaw relatively uniformly so the stacks don't tip over.

I just lean the two stacks together so they meet at the top.  I am running 20 pallets total this season, about ten cords.  The good news is the birch I split a month ago is already starting to check.


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## firefighterjake (Mar 17, 2015)

I hear ya Poindexter . . . every time I see a pic of wood piles or folks working on wood and there is no trace of snow or even green grass I keep thinking it must be an old photo since we still have a lot of snow here this year.


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## j7art2 (Mar 17, 2015)

Here's all my pine i just C/S/S... 2 rows deep. Letting the rain get to it a few times to try and force some of the sap out before covering. 



Here's my non-pine. All scored in the same location. 100% free from a local friend.


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## Ashful (Mar 17, 2015)

It's time to take down the Christmas lights, Poindexter.


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## Poindexter (Mar 17, 2015)

Joful said:


> It's time to take down the Christmas lights, Poindexter.




Actually a reflection from my back diagonal neighbor's greenhouse.  My stacks are 48" off the property edge.


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## kennyp2339 (Mar 17, 2015)

I tried the old 2x4 with the rope in the middle trick, surprisingly it works really good, I stacked that last spring 2014 and it will be my 2015-2016 heat, I used scrap 4x4 cut about a foot long to anchor the bottom of the 2x4, the 4x4 fits perfectly between the two pallet decks. Cheap and easy and actually held up very good, I will be using this stacking method again.


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## kennyp2339 (Mar 17, 2015)




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## firefighterjake (Mar 17, 2015)

Poindexter said:


> Actually a reflection from my back diagonal neighbor's greenhouse.  My stacks are 48" off the property edge.



Who do you think you're kidding Poindexter? I know North Pole is nearby . . . and who lives at the North Pole . . . Santa, right?


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## BamaScroungr (Mar 20, 2015)

Jon_E said:


> A typical pallet is 40" x 48".  I cut my wood to 20" long and stack two rows so that the splits are parallel to the 48" side.  That gives me 8" between rows.  I stack 4' high and that gives me 44 cubic feet on every pallet, or about 1/3 of a full cord.



This is an excellent rule of thumb and easy to remember.







Since I took the pic I finished the second stack.  So I'm guessing I have about one and 1/3 cords stacked across four pallets with a foot wide gap between stacks.  Previous years, I just tightly triple stacked with no space between rows, so this should accelerated the seasoning process.  Next, I'm going to start a single stack on my smaller pallets.  Really appreciate this thread!  I've learned a lot.


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