# Advice on wood drying/stacking



## mtek (Sep 16, 2014)

Hi All,
I know this is a woodburning/stove site but I've always received great advice here so I thought I'd pose my question;

I'm splitting wood from a maple tree we had to get cut down but my wood shed is stuffed full in readiness for the Winter.  Obviously it will have to be stacked outside.  It'll be around 1/2 to 2/3 of a cord in size. 

What's the best way to do this?  If I need to build a frame is there somewhere recommended with a drawing or pic?   Also, should it be covered and if so what is recommended to avoid rodents etc. taking up residence?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Tenn Dave (Sep 16, 2014)

mtek said:


> Hi All,
> I know this is a woodburning/stove site but I've always received great advice here so I thought I'd pose my question;
> 
> I'm splitting wood from a maple tree we had to get cut down but my wood shed is stuffed full in readiness for the Winter.  Obviously it will have to be stacked outside.  It'll be around 1/2 to 2/3 of a cord in size.
> ...



This works well for me.  Best if you stack wood in a windy and sunny location.  But if you have to pick between the two, go for windy.


----------



## Ashful (Sep 16, 2014)

I do the same as Tenn Dave, but instead of building the bookends, I use pallets with the same knee bracing.  Very quick, cheap, and effective.

I use black plastic instead of clear, because it looks better stacked at the back of my property, against the backdrop of the woods.


----------



## mtek (Sep 16, 2014)

That looks like a very good idea.  Next question is where to get pallets?   Is there any one of the big chain stores that's helpful???


----------



## Tenn Dave (Sep 16, 2014)

mtek said:


> That looks like a very good idea.  Next question is where to get pallets?   Is there any one of the big chain stores that's helpful???


I often see them on CL in the free section.


----------



## BCC_Burner (Sep 16, 2014)

My neighbor went to Wal-Mart and asked them for pallets.  They gave him as many as he felt were safe to load in his pick up truck, and would have given him more.  They must get hundreds of palletized deliveries a week at big box store, so you're generally getting clean, dry pallets.


----------



## BrotherBart (Sep 16, 2014)

The local ACE Hardware would bury me in them if I let them. They have to pay to have them hauled away.


----------



## Ashful (Sep 16, 2014)

BrotherBart said:


> The local ACE Hardware would bury me in them if I let them. They have to pay to have them hauled away.


Interesting.  My local Ace has an enormous supply of clean pallets constantly stacked by the side of the store.  I've asked twice about taking some off their hands, but have told they're not available / they re-use them.


----------



## BCC_Burner (Sep 16, 2014)

Joful said:


> Interesting.  My local Ace has an enormous supply of clean pallets constantly stacked by the side of the store.  I've asked twice about taking some off their hands, but have told they're not available / they re-use them.



I bet your particular Ace has an employee who makes pallet furniture.  It's all the rage with hipsters these days, and there's a nice profit margin when your raw materials are free.


----------



## Poindexter (Sep 16, 2014)

Since you have a year to get it ready I think in most climates, mine for sure; the main thing is to get it off the ground - stacked on pallets is the path of least resistance for most of us.  I use string and slip knots to make the ends of my stacks square.  Doesn't matter, just get it off the ground.

I wouldn't worry about covering it this late in the summer.  I would brush the snow off it in late winter and cover it on top right about the time your local temps come up to freezing.


----------



## Shawn Curry (Sep 16, 2014)

Yep, up off the ground is the most important thing, otherwise it will turn into compost and insect food.  No need for a frame or anything - the wood can support itself if you cross stack the ends.


----------



## Spletz (Sep 16, 2014)

When everyone chimes in regarding "getting it off the ground", I agree. However, I keep mine stacked in braces between trees all across the property. When a brace gets exhausted, I leave the last layer ( against the ground ) and the restack on top of the "sacrificial" logs. I realize this wastes some logs, but makes life easier for stacking.


----------



## Shawn Curry (Sep 16, 2014)

Spletz said:


> When everyone chimes in regarding "getting it off the ground", I agree. However, I keep mine stacked in braces between trees all across the property. When a brace gets exhausted, I leave the last layer ( against the ground ) and the restack on top of the "sacrificial" logs. I realize this wastes some logs, but makes life easier for stacking.



I've always been a bit leery about the 'between the trees' method.  I don't want to make it any easier for the bugs that may be migrating out of my splits, to find new homes in my healthy trees.


----------



## Chimney Smoke (Sep 16, 2014)

I currently have 2 piles of splits on the ground because I'm out of room in my stacking area. One pile of fresh maple and one of fresh oak.  I'm not worried about them drying much over the winter so they'll stay in a pile on the ground until next spring.  This stuff is for 2 years out though so I'm not concerned.  This year and next year are all stacked and ready to go.


----------



## KenLockett (Sep 16, 2014)

Joful said:


> Interesting.  My local Ace has an enormous supply of clean pallets constantly stacked by the side of the store.  I've asked twice about taking some off their hands, but have told they're not available / they re-use them.



$2 each at my Ace Hardware


----------



## BigCountryNY (Sep 16, 2014)

I happened across some free 2x6s at my local Home Depot that they were giving away for free.  Most were cut to around 32-33" and I used them to make a base to stack my wood on.  I didn't put braces on them but rather cross stacked on the ends.  You can do the same with 2x4s as well - but I think it's important to get air flow underneath the stacks.  The more air that can move around the splits the better.


----------



## STIHLY DAN (Sep 16, 2014)

Stacked on pavement, those suckers will dry fast.


----------



## BillLion (Sep 16, 2014)

Tenn Dave said:


> This works well for me.  Best if you stack wood in a windy and sunny location.  But if you have to pick between the two, go for windy.
> 
> View attachment 138576



Thanks for the pic! I'm going to ask my stepfather (a skilled carpenter) help me make some of these. Should be easy for him!


----------



## BillLion (Sep 16, 2014)

I use pallets now, but those sides are nice to avoid having to crib the sides.


----------



## drz1050 (Sep 16, 2014)

For pallets, also check your local woodstove shops. Chances are, they sell pellets too, and pellets come on pallets. Both local shops here have huge stacks of pallets in the back that are free for the taking, the only ones you can't take are the plastic ones.


----------



## Ashful (Sep 17, 2014)

Cross stacking the ends works, but never quite as secure or fast.  For a guy who barely has time to split 10 full cords per year and always runs out of wood before running out of cold weather, I'm not wasting time on it!  I can chuck splits between pallets braced as bookends much quicker than the most experienced hand can cross-stack their ends.


----------



## Jutt77 (Sep 17, 2014)

mtek said:


> That looks like a very good idea.  Next question is where to get pallets?   Is there any one of the big chain stores that's helpful???



I saw around 40-50 pallets outside behind my local HD a few weeks ago.


----------



## Shawn Curry (Sep 17, 2014)

I scored a whole bunch just asking my friends on Facebook.  Lots of people handle them at work, and have the inside scoop as to when and where they might be available.  And they can set them aside for you so someone doesn't scoop them up before you get the chance to.


----------



## Ashful (Sep 17, 2014)

It's worth mentioning that many of the pallets you'll find at Lowes Depot and other big box stores are not really up to the task of holding a 6 foot tall stack of wood for 3 years.  Around here, pallets are traditionally oak, but lighter softwood pallets are creeping into the inventories of many national chains I see here.  I stack on a slight slope, so I'm usually using bricks under the corners and mid-span on one edge of each pallet to make it level.  Using less than premium pallets usually results in one failing before the stack is fully seasoned / ready to burn.


----------



## Dix (Sep 17, 2014)

Cement blocks work, in a pinch.


----------



## mtek (Sep 17, 2014)

Hi Guys,

So, I got 5 pallets.  Two for the base, two for the uprights and a fifth to provide the bracing to keep the uprights in place.  Then we (wife & I) filled it to the brim, side to side and front to back and finally I added a cheap blue tarp on top.   

Following suggestions here, I went to a local Ace hardware. They do give them away but only had one.  Home Depot said they couldn't because they had no "Procedure" that allowed them to do it.  All the ones at Wal-Mart belonged to their vendors and were not to be given away.  The woman at Home Depot said that a Verizon place about ten miles south of us (Not a store - more a distribution sort of facility) had lots and would part with them.   On my way there I saw a local Lumber store (one of the kind that HD is slowly killing) and they had a pile of them out back.  The guy actually said "We save them for folks that want them to stack firewood!!  We need more places like this and less of the "Procedure-bound" behemoths  As it is, while there I saw some lumber I'll be stopping by tomorrow to buy for another pre-Winter project.   So their thoughtfulness is going to pay off for them. 


Anyway, thanks for all the answers.  I have to say this is the most awesome forum I've found on the 'net.  Always friendly and always eager to help.



Thanks Again,

Jim


----------



## ironspider (Sep 21, 2014)

These seem to work well


----------



## STIHLY DAN (Sep 22, 2014)

Gotta love the wood fence.


----------



## KindredSpiritzz (Sep 23, 2014)

I have a buddy that has a garage door business so i get nice10 ft long pallets (the ones leaning up).  Im going to use regular pallets for the ends, maybe two high, plastic tarp cover them and that'll be for my over flow wood. I'd call a few local garage door installers and see if they have any they would let you have. Alot of them are glad to get rid of them otherwise they have to pay to have them taken away.


----------



## leaf4952 (Oct 3, 2014)

I've been having good luck at CVS pharmacy in 2 different locations. Even found a heavy duty "blue" one. They leave them out back for days so I didn't even bother asking. They were in the trash area. Nice pallets too. I'm replacing 7 yr old pallets that rotted. I used to get 1 per week from the CocaCola delivery man at the convenient store I manage. If you have a truck it makes sense to hit up the big box stores where you'd get more than 1 or 2. Good luck.


----------



## tomc585 (Oct 3, 2014)

I came across plastic pallets a few years back, what a score!


----------



## KD0AXS (Oct 3, 2014)

I can get lots of standard 40x48 pallets for free at work. I take 5 pallets, lay 3 on the ground end to end, and the other 2 standing up on the ends. I use scrap 2x4s to brace the ends. (I get those for free too) That gives me room for 2 rows 12 feet long and 4 feet tall.  I figure each one of these stacks to be a cord, but they're really a little more than a cord because most of my splits are longer than 16" and I stack a little higher than the end pallets.

(I'll put up a pic when I get home from work)


----------



## tomc585 (Oct 3, 2014)

No need for bracing here...


----------



## Ashful (Oct 4, 2014)

It's faster stacking with the braced book ends, tho.  Try processing 15 cords/year, and you'll begin to see it.  ;-)


----------



## KD0AXS (Oct 4, 2014)

Ok, so it was dark by the time I got home last night. Here's a pic of one of my stacks. (Just stacked this stuff last weekend)


----------



## Ashful (Oct 6, 2014)

Here's one of mine:




Two rows, each about 100 feet long.


----------



## AnalogKid (Oct 6, 2014)

Tenn Dave said:


> This works well for me.  Best if you stack wood in a windy and sunny location.  But if you have to pick between the two, go for windy.
> 
> View attachment 138576



Hey, that pic looks familiar.


----------

