# A Base To Stack Wood Upon



## fdegree (Nov 4, 2009)

I am wanting to put up a wood shed to store my firewood.  But, I am having trouble coming up with an affordable surface that the wood can be stacked upon that will still allow for air to flow underneath and not be a tripping hazard while walking through the shed.  Now, if underneath airflow is not necessary, let me know...but I was thinking, the more airflow the better.

I am hesitant to use wood, such as pallets, because of the decay, potential termite infestation, replacing every few years, etc.

I wanted to use plastic pallets, but they are way too expensive.

Does any one have any suggestions that would not created tripping hazards while walking through the wood shed stacking and unstacking?...and not too expensive...


Thanks


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## Corey (Nov 4, 2009)

I usually cut some logs about 22" long, split the logs lengthwise and put them on the ground, then stack my firewood on top.  As I burn down the firewood stack and the base logs become exposed, I go ahead and chuck them in the fire too - since they are free.  Then just replace them with more cut and split logs the next year so decay is not an issue.   In fact, I usually use the same species, size and shapes of wood for these base logs as I do for my firewood.


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## savageactor7 (Nov 5, 2009)

The best surface I've come up with to date is washed gravel...water goes right threw it. Of course you have to rake up the wood sheddings in the spring or it'll go native on you eventually. One pad is going on 12 years and still look good and fully functional. Less varmints cause they can't maneuver as well without pallets. I use run a crush too but recommend wash gravel for anyone that's a neat stacker of wood. Of course that doesn't speak to the airflow you want...but there's something to say about solid and neat as a pin with or without wood.


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## SolarAndWood (Nov 5, 2009)

#2 stone has good air gaps yet not bad to walk on and does not compact.  Water and bug proof.  You can run landscaping timbers around the outside to keep it from spreading if needed.  Its about $15/yd delivered.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 5, 2009)

I put down a rebar mesh and poured a concrete slab.  No problem with termites or rot and no trip hazard.


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## moosetrek (Nov 5, 2009)

RR ties might work.  Pretty sure they will last, and no issues with termites, etc.  Otherwise stick with pallets, maybe some Rustoleum or spray bedliner would cover the wood and address your concerns.  You could also treat them with some used motor oil from the garage.


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## argus66 (Nov 5, 2009)

i use old pallets they are free and keep wood of ground high and dry.


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## Patapsco Mike (Nov 5, 2009)

I have about 10 cords cross-stacked on a couple dozen pallets.  Works like a charm- never a rotted board anywhere and perfect flow.  Having a lot of wood on them keeps the pallets and the ground under them more dry than you would think.  They last for many years before falling apart, and when they finally fall apart they burn like a charm.  Pallets are easy to find and free if you look for them.


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## begreen (Nov 5, 2009)

argus66 said:
			
		

> i use old pallets they are free and keep wood of ground high and dry.



That's what I have in the shed as well. They stay pretty dry and have stood up for the last season quite well.


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## Ratherbfishin (Nov 5, 2009)

I use pallets as well I get them free from my work, but they will last a whole lot longer if you get hardwood pallets. The pine ones will rot faster. You defiantly can tell hard wood from soft by the weight and construction.


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## Frostbit (Nov 5, 2009)

Guess I was lucky. I scored a bunch of plastic pallets, yellow and black, that work awesome. The guy at the store said, "just take 'em, I have no use for them and I ain't paying to ship them back". That was last year, now I see them coming in all the time in place of the wooden ones. 

Where I live everything shipped in is a one-way trip.


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## Tony H (Nov 5, 2009)

You could build a deck with spacing to allow some airflow and maybe if lucky find someone tearing out an old one you can take off their hands. i have used pallets and certainly get critters in there but I built a couple of 6'x2' or so plankways that I lay as a path over the pallet wood when stacking or taking wood just moving them over row by row because I have stepped thru a pallet a time or two and almost broke my leg


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## Adabiviak (Nov 5, 2009)

Wood pallets dude: affordable (usually free), air flow (they're hollow), and the right ones (hardwood as mentioned above) won't rot for quite some time, and will also have a pretty solid surface on top. If they start to get sketchy, they're easy to replace, and you can burn 'em.


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## flyingcow (Nov 5, 2009)

Frostbit said:
			
		

> Guess I was lucky. I scored a bunch of plastic pallets, yellow and black, that work awesome. The guy at the store said, "just take 'em, I have no use for them and I ain't paying to ship them back". That was last year, now I see them coming in all the time in place of the wooden ones.
> 
> Where I live everything shipped in is a one-way trip.




Keep going back. That's worth a few dollars. Craigs' list 'em or swap buy sell. Might be a good source for mad money. Or better yet, save up a trailer load, ad list 'em. But are they tagged by anyone? i.e. like milk crates?


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## maplewood (Nov 5, 2009)

1.  Pallets - when they rot out, I use them to start a bon fire.  Free, plentiful, perfect for 2 ranks.  Some are much better quality than others.  "Shop" around (but never pay for pallets...).
2.  Splits.  Quads has said it dozens of times - yeah, they don't dry in contact with the ground, but when you expose them again, you toss them on top of next years piles.  Good to go.  
3.  Get a roof over everything.  It's amazing - they don't rot anymore.  
Happy burning (and drying!).


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## kenny chaos (Nov 5, 2009)

Old corrugated roofing panels work very well.


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## quads (Nov 5, 2009)

maplewood said:
			
		

> 2.  Splits.  Quads has said it dozens of times - yeah, they don't dry in contact with the ground, but when you expose them again, you toss them on top of next years piles.  Good to go.


Thanks maplewood!  I was thinking about saying it again here, but sometimes I get tired of typing it.  Simple, cheap, easy, worry-free; just stack your firewood on the ground.  It's only the bottom pieces that are touching.


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## edthedawg (Nov 5, 2009)

pallets are good if you can find 'em but I go w/ cinderblocks and PT 2x4's.  Easier to take out of the tripping way as stacks disappear, plus more versatile for my setup.  Shed and stacks are on a sloped, dirt surface...


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## nocdpc (Nov 5, 2009)

I just use my cuts and place them on the ground.  I make 2 tracks about 18inches 16inches and stack wood ontop.  When I am done pulling the wood off the bottom pieces go into the fire.


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## mackconsult (Nov 5, 2009)

I use plastic pallets from my work.  They are free, strong, and last forever.


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## fdegree (Nov 5, 2009)

Thanks for all of the tips folks...much appreciated


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## kalevi (Nov 5, 2009)

I had lots of left over red bricks. I use them and old 2x4s.


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## billb3 (Nov 5, 2009)

My pallets are rotting away.
I have bricks and concrete blocks from farm building deconstruction.
Everything wood has to be off the ground or the termites eat it.
Even tool handles can't be left on the ground or left standing on the handles.

Some of my stacks have long  pine trees logs for rails on top of blocks.
I have the metal pipes from old swing sets on blocks.
I  had  an old coal stove sections, but that went when the price of steel sky-rocketed. 

I've even bought some 4x4 pressure treated  , but prefer scrounging/ working with what I've got or can make..

I've got some pressure treated from a torn down deck and a treated swing set  that someone  threw away.
A little of this and a little of that. Keep my eyes open for things that will work.


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## Ratman (Nov 6, 2009)

Mother In-Law


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## Danno77 (Nov 6, 2009)

what about some treated lumber? I don;t know how long your stacks are, but just some 2x4s the long way out to do it. You could even use those log rack kits that are just a couple of brackets. I bought one for S&Gs; and it cost me about $12 bucks. add 2 20ft treated 2x4s and 6ft treated 2x4s for the vertical boards and you have yourself something that ought to last a long time.

personally, though, now that I have found a few places to get pallets I'll never use anything else for a majority of my wood.


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## fdegree (Nov 6, 2009)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> what about some treated lumber? I don;t know how long your stacks are, but....



I should have mentioned this in my original post:

My plan is a 3-bay woodshed.  Each bay will be 12 X 8...large enough for 4 chords...approximately 1 year supply.  While burning the wood from one bay, the other 2 bays will have time to dry...resulting in 2 years of drying for each bay before I burn it.

Anyway, this means I'm looking for a "flooring" system for a 12 X 24 structure.  Everything I keep looking at is quite expensive.


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## Wood Duck (Nov 6, 2009)

I use rocks from the yard and garden. There are piles of rocks all over my property, so I put a partial layer of rocks in the softball size range on the ground and stack on those. They are all odd shapes, so the first layer of wood has to be manouvered a little to make sure it is stable, but after that I stack as usual. The rocks look unstable, and it is tough to walk over the rocks since they are unstable without the wood on top, but once I stack wood on them it seems very stable. It is a little work to move the rocks, since I have to move each one by hand into the wheelbarrow and into position under the wood, but I figure it is permanent and free, and none of the wood is in contact with the ground. After I burn a holz hausen (all my stacks are round holz hausens) I can build another on the same rocks so the work will have to be done only once. if you don't have enough rocks, stop by and I'll give you some.


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## Berone (Nov 13, 2009)

I'm doing this for the first time this year. I used 2x3's that had been laminated into 3x4's. They're fir, I think, and should thoroughly rot in contact with the ground. But I had gotten a half dozen 10' lengths from an opera I worked on last summer and they've been in my way in the shop for over a year now. So let them serve a purpose while they rot! They came over from Germany - maybe German fir is more rot resistant!


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