# Is anyone piling it really high?



## Rory (May 18, 2012)

I have an area behind my garage that holds perhaps a year's worth of wood (around 6 cords) if I pile it up to my usual 6 feet or so.  There's plenty of room for another 6 on top, but it does present certain logistical problems.  Obviously, some sort of racking system and a method to load and unload it would be required.  Another one of those things that is probably too expensive for me and more costly than its worth, anyways.  Is anyone doing such a thing?  Pics?


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## chuckie5fingers (May 18, 2012)

beyond 6 ft. up, you might need a winch and pallets of some kind


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## tfdchief (May 18, 2012)

I never go over 4 - 5 feet tall. I worry about the stacks falling over on my grand kids.


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## chuckie5fingers (May 18, 2012)

I've been cross stacking for several years and have yet to have one fall over
my FIL hit one a few weeks back with a skid steer when we were doing our yard and it barely budged. I was impressed....
chuck


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## tfdchief (May 18, 2012)

chuckie5fingers said:


> I've been cross stacking for several years and have yet to have one fall over
> my FIL hit one a few weeks back with a skid steer when we were doing our yard and it barely budged. I was impressed....
> chuck


Chuck, I have been stacking, cross stacking, for 40 years and only had one stack fall over in all those years, but I just can't take a chance by going higher than 4 - 5 feet that one will, on my grand kids.  They love to play in the stacks and so I just have to make sure they are safe.


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## chuckie5fingers (May 18, 2012)

I hear ya steve, I agree completely..... I dont go any higher than 6 ft but i'm only 5'4" so there ya go... my cubes are 4x3x6(72cuft.)
I dream of a wood wall fence one day ! 
chuck


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## midwestcoast (May 18, 2012)

I know this is annoying, but my first thought is "Is there nowhere else to stack?" 
I've gone to about 7 feet of single-stack in a rack (had to tie it off to a tree after 8 months) and 8 foot holz-hausen, but honestly I feel like 4-5 feet is ideal. 12 feet seems crazy to me dude, but hey, if there are no other options & you need to store more wood I guess you find a way.


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## Locust Post (May 18, 2012)

My stack is just over 7ft tall. Never thought of going much higher than that.


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## bogydave (May 19, 2012)

I stack it 8'+ in the wood shed. Jammed to the roof so it's pretty stable.
Outside with kids around, 4-1/2 to 5' max.
Friend had an earthquake knock down a 4' stack.


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## JP11 (May 19, 2012)

I'm not doing much "stacking" as they are U's made from pallets.  BUT.. when I get around to building my barn,  I will for sure buy some pallet racks to store two levels high.  I'm inside the tractor.  Just got to lift em up and put them on the rails that you can set any height you want.  I'm guessing I'll have the two of them in and be under 9 feet at the top of the second one.


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## Ralphie Boy (May 19, 2012)

Single row stacked in racks to about 8ft. high by 12ft. long. The 3 racks are from plans that were posted on this forum.  Each one has a slight variation that improves their stability and load capacity. The third rack will be filled as soon as my finger will let me split more than a couple of rounds at a time. No hydraulics split all by hand. 




The condition of my wood storage area is not where I want it to be at the moment because I broke a finger and I can’t do the clean-up and restacking work I had hoped to have done by now.


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## ScotO (May 19, 2012)

Ralph I like your stacks, nice job.  Rory, I agree with the other veterans on this site in regards to height.  I think 4-6' is ideal.  My stacks are all 5 1/2' to 6' tall, but due to limited space I go four to 8 rows wide, cross-stacked on the ends and approx. every 8' along the rows.  I season my wood uncovered for two years, top-covered late in the 3rd year right before I use it (in other words I top-cover it in late summer the third year).  So their is a total of three years of seasoning to my wood, that is the key if you ask me.


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## Backwoods Savage (May 19, 2012)

We stack 4 1/2' high outdoors. Never had one fall over until I'd been stacking for over 50 years. Not really sure what happened there but I just restacked it and forgot about it. However, when I put the wood in the barn for winter use, I then stack it higher. Because of the slope of the roof, we have 3 rows and they are 6', 7' and 8'.

If one builds some racks then you can get by building the stacks higher but when not in a rack, one has to consider frost heave and that is why we stop at 4 1/2 feet high.


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## blades (May 20, 2012)

Just the wood loosing moisture content and shrinking can cause a well built stack to become a jumbled mess. I stack to 5-6 ft high on pallets.  I do not have any  bracing on them mostly works out .


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## maplewood (May 20, 2012)

blades said:


> Just the wood loosing moisture content and shrinking can cause a well built stack to become a jumbled mess. I stack to 5-6 ft high on pallets. I do not have any bracing on them mostly works out .


 
+1.  I find the stacks lean towards the sun.  I visit them often throughout the year, so I straighten them as needed.
(I use the back end of the maul, or pick up small round and use it as a hammer to beat the offending pieces back in line.)
When I had a drying shed I could stack to 8', but that was with posts every 13'.


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## jimbom (May 20, 2012)

*Is anyone piling it really high?*

Ja.  It is an election year.


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## Realstone (May 20, 2012)

maplewood said:


> +1. I find the stacks lean towards the sun...


That little tidbit of information is worth the price of admission. pourquoi?, ¿por qué


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## LLigetfa (May 20, 2012)

It's about 9 1/2 feet high to the rafters.  I use a scaffold to reach it.


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## buggyspapa (May 20, 2012)

I think if I were going to pile 12' (or even 9'), I'd stick some pallets in the middle for stability. I stack to 6' normally, but I have one that started out at 8' and has since shrunk/settled 6".  It makes me nervous just walking by it, and it's between two trees. And if you're using pallets on the bottom, make sure they're good ones. Several of mine have begun to collapse under the weight, it seems. Getting green wood up that high doesn't really sound like fun. Maybe only for restacking seasoned wood?

6 cord for a winter? Maybe a more efficient stove? Where in central Maine are you?

Nice stacks, Rory.

Great observation about the sun-induced lean, maplewood. I also like to beat the stacks back into a more upright condition. Reminds me of my mother's "don't slouch!" cry that has been ringing in my ears for 45 years now.


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## LLigetfa (May 20, 2012)

buggyspapa said:


> Getting green wood up that high doesn't really sound like fun. Maybe only for restacking seasoned wood?


For the record, the pic of my woodshed is a restack of already seasoned wood.  I would never again stack green wood that high.  I have done it before and can attest that it will dry more (and subsequently shrink more) on the exposed face.  It need not be exposed to direct sun to do that, just to the air.  Also, frost leaving the ground unevenly is a major factor as shown in this pic.





My outdoor stacks are double rows on pallets, 4 feet high.  The wider base the pallets afford reduces the effect of uneven frost heaving.  I've always levelled them off at 4 feet but am considering putting a crown on it this year, taking the middle up to 6 feet.





As for the woodshed, I have since modified it with slotted guides to keep the stacks plumb and to not have to be so meticulous with the end cribbing.


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## brian89gp (May 20, 2012)

Ralph said:


> Single row stacked in racks to about 8ft. high by 12ft. long. The 3 racks are from plans that were posted on this forum. Each one has a slight variation that improves their stability and load capacity. The third rack will be filled as soon as my finger will let me split more than a couple of rounds at a time. No hydraulics split all by hand.
> 
> View attachment 67254
> 
> ...


 
I have been building variations of that rack design too.  I have found that building a double wide rack as a single unit drastically improves stability.


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## begreen (May 20, 2012)

We can stack up to 9' in our shed, but be careful. If not stacked well, that entire wall of wood can come tumbling down on you. (Don't ask how I know! ) I like to have it so that the stacks have a very slight lean toward the back of the shed for safety because our splits are often irregular. If you have nice clean logs with few branches and are cutting them to equal length, then Ligetfa's stacks and guides look like a very nice system.


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## Woody Stover (May 20, 2012)

tfdchief said:


> Chuck, I have been stacking, cross stacking, for 40 years and only had one stack fall over in all those years, but I just can't take a chance by going higher than 4 - 5 feet that one will, on my grand kids


Do you ever consider the fact that we are pretty close to the New Madrid seismic zone? I could have a buttload of wood to pick up one day... 




LLigetfa said:


> My outdoor stacks are double rows on pallets, 4 feet high. The wider base the pallets afford reduces the effect of uneven frost heaving. I've always levelled them off at 4 feet but am considering putting a crown on it this year, taking the middle up to 6 feet.


I'm also stacking double-row on pallets, about 4.5', now that I'm a few years ahead and don't care if it dries a bit slower. I stack in the woods, so the soil can be softer in some spots and I agree, the width of the pallets seems to afford more stability. I have bricks under the 2X4s to hold the pallets off the ground (can't tell if you do.) Those pallets should last for many, many years. It looks like I'll be getting some 2'-wide aluminum roofing sheets to cover with so the tops of the stacks will have to be level.


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## clr8ter (May 20, 2012)

IF you could afford it........build racks 4 x 4 x 4 out of welded angle iron. Design them so they nest on top of one another. Stack wood in them, and use a tractor or skid-steer to stack them up. The top tier would be easy to cover to keep out water, and it would be real easy to see how much you've got, along with ease of labeling them as to when they were split, what kind of wood is in them, ect. I bet you could even find angle iron for cheap at the scrap yard. Most people could even do the welding with a wire feed welder and a little practice. The biggest drawback would be the tractor part.......


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## begreen (May 20, 2012)

Right. Then you've got to have this for your splitter. LOL


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## bluedogz (May 20, 2012)

I feel so small...


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## Pallet Pete (May 20, 2012)

We stack 6ft tall 8ft long with pallets and it is stable so far. We do usually have to restack after the first 6 months or so due to settling of the wood from drying out. Then we can forget it for a till we burn.

Pete


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## Backwoods Savage (May 20, 2012)

So Pete. I see you can post here. How about the hearth room. Any luck yet?

I thought about riding the bike to your place today but its not in the cards yet. Danged pain can ruin a good day.


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## Pallet Pete (May 20, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> So Pete. I see you can post here. How about the hearth room. Any luck yet?
> 
> I thought about riding the bike to your place today but its not in the cards yet. Danged pain can ruin a good day.



Not so far but everything else works. Hopefully the back pain gets better for ya ! I was out almost all day removing a flower bed and fixing dead grass spots in the yard. It was really hot out I think I drank 4 gallons of tea lol.


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## nate379 (May 20, 2012)

I'm gonna redo my stacks this year, one of them is about ready to fall over anyhow.  Gonna spend some time making a decent base with crushed rock and then I'll be able to stack 6-7ft high.  (whatever I can reach without getting a ladder)


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## Woody Stover (May 21, 2012)

Ralph said:


> Single row stacked in racks to about 8ft. high by 12ft. long. The 3 racks are from plans that were posted on this forum.


Wow...all Ash?

LLigetfa, are you just storing the woven-wire fencing there or has it got a wood use? It occurred to me a couple of days ago that I could make a handy little chunk storage bin from a couple of pallets, some woven wire (might use the bigger square instead of 1X3") and a few T-posts. I thought I would have the "door" split in the middle of one side (two T-posts in the center, one for each side of the door) and put slower-drying Oak chunks on one side, quicker-drying woods on the other, and be able to pull back a section of fence for access to one side or the other depending on which was drier...


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## Ralphie Boy (May 21, 2012)

Woody Stover said:


> Wow...all Ash?
> On full rack of ash, just ovr a cord the partly filled rack will be all ash and the othr rack is ash, hackberry and red oak.


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## firebroad (May 21, 2012)

That bit about the stack leaning sunward--interesting.  My 6 ft. stack was also leaning, but I thought it was because of the west wind or something.  I just spent a few hours tapping them in from top down with the back of the splitting maul.  Hard to do when you get further down.  I also atributed to my inexperience, as the my later stacks seem to be much sturdier.  Also, I kept the later one at 5 feet.  Not sure I will stack higher from now on without some serious bracing.


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## firefighterjake (May 21, 2012)

Outside . . . I go up 4 feet or so . . . seems to be more stable and I have plenty of room . . . plus I don't need a step ladder to build and take the stack apart.

Inside the woodshed . . . to the rafters . . . but I do have to use a small step stool.


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## Jags (May 21, 2012)

My stacks stay very stable even up to 9 ft or more.


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## infinitymike (May 21, 2012)

I'm new at this but I built racks like Ralph.Each one holds almost a cord.










I also stacked 4'x18' x7' with no rack,they seem to be leaning a little and worry me.


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## begreen (May 21, 2012)

Jags said:


> My stacks stay very stable even up to 9 ft or more.


 

LOL, some of us are known to pile it higher than others. Go to the ash can for some good examples.


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## chuckie5fingers (May 21, 2012)

begreen said:


> LOL, some of us are known to pile it higher than others. Go to the ash can for some good examples.


 Nice


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## Rory (May 26, 2012)

buggyspapa said:


> 6 cord for a winter? Maybe a more efficient stove? Where in central Maine are you?


 
Sorry for the delay, I kind of forgot I had started this thread until this evening.  My "stove" is a Tarm Solo 30, a very efficient gasifier.   The 6 cords heats my 2500 sq ft house in Sidney (close to 4,000 if you include the basement, which stays comfortable), and all of our domestic hot water.  Really, I think the only "higher stack" solution involves another tier and some equipment I don't own to hoist pallets or whatever.  More likely I'll just build another woodshed sometime.


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## ohlongarm (May 28, 2012)

Rory said:


> I have an area behind my garage that holds perhaps a year's worth of wood (around 6 cords) if I pile it up to my usual 6 feet or so. There's plenty of room for another 6 on top, but it does present certain logistical problems. Obviously, some sort of racking system and a method to load and unload it would be required. Another one of those things that is probably too expensive for me and more costly than its worth, anyways. Is anyone doing such a thing? Pics?


 My split stacks go 6 feet,6'6 at most. My rounds unsplit 7 feet,I've had single rows of split fall over once,but never rounds unsplit. No kids here to worry about so I go high.


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## chuckie5fingers (Jun 1, 2012)

Jags said:


> My stacks stay very stable even up to 9 ft or more.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 nice heaphausen Jags


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## clr8ter (Jun 2, 2012)

infinitymike, those racks in the 1st photo are cool! Looks like a very efficient use of materials. What is the blue stuff on top? I'll have to admit, if I built those racks, and they were covered well enough, I'd try to get away with KD lumber for anything not touching the ground....


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## flyingcow (Jun 3, 2012)




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## Jags (Jun 4, 2012)

chuckie5fingers said:


> nice heaphausen Jags


 
Just for my trademark's purpose, let keep it accurate.  Heapenhausen.


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## chuckie5fingers (Jun 12, 2012)

Jags said:


> Just for my trademark's purpose, let keep it accurate. Heapenhausen.


 Thanks for the correction


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## Flatbedford (Jun 14, 2012)

I go about 5' high, three rows deep on pallets. I try to keep the stacks in shape by knocking the splits back into the stack from time to time. I started this stack in the spring of '10 and it is still standing fine.


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## PapaDave (Jun 15, 2012)

16' stacks, end to end for 112', 5' high, single rows. Any higher and they want to fall before they're completely dry. 
I'll be restacking about 32' due to less wood use the last couple years.


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## KaptJaq (Jun 15, 2012)

Most of the stacks in this picture are 8 ft long.  The center ones are 6.5 to 7 ft high, the outer ones are about 5 ft high.  With the kids in the yard I did not want the first stack they can touch to be too high.  There is a 6 inch gap between the stacks but every so often I offset a couple of splits to inter-lock the stacks together.  This helps the stacks support each other and leaves space for airflow.  The stacks seem very stable, the other day I found my twin 9 year old boys on top trying to retrieve a ball.  When they saw me they jumped down and immediately received a stern lecture to remind them to "stay off the stacks". As the wood dries the stacks get shorter.  The wood to the left has been c/s/s about a year and has lost 6 to 8 inches in height.  The wood to the right was c/s/s this month.




KaptJaq


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## Ironwood (Jun 16, 2012)

5 ft seems to be tops for me in single rows With the new wood shed I may go to 6 ft with dry wood as it will have more support.


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## woodsmaster (Jun 16, 2012)

I've found frost in the ground to be the main reason for my tall stacks to fall over. My avatar pic stayed up great untill the ground froze and shifted. If you have a good footer to stack on you should be able to go pretty high with only shrinkage to worry about.


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## Hiram Maxim (Jun 17, 2012)

One thing Im noticing is how small you guys make your splits? Why so small?


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## nate379 (Jun 17, 2012)

I'm going mine about 5.5ft high this year. About as high as I can go without needing to stand on a bucket or ladder to see.

I do my splits in a mix, so I have smaller stuff to fit in the "wholes" in the stove and big honking ones to burn for a long time.

Most the pics looks like toothpicks though!


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## PapaDave (Jun 17, 2012)

Hiram, now that I'm ahead, I've been making the splits a bit bigger. However, there's a point of diminishing returns. For me.
With Arthur-itis, bigger splits just don't work.
Some of us don't have the magical BK's, either. 
I quit trying to emulate Tim Allen a while back. Arg, arg, arg.


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## nate379 (Jun 18, 2012)

Arthuritis is no fun.  I have it bad in my back, Doc says equal to someone about 70 yrs old... I've still got about 40 years to go!  My hands and knees not a whole lot better.
Mobic really helps.


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## Hiram Maxim (Jun 20, 2012)

I have RA. and Fibromyalgia, so I totally understand where your coming from....

One thing with the bigger splits is less work, and when You get ahead they have all the time in the world to season.

I have been using a neighbor kid to do the lifting and stack (see cheating)

I use a lot of 2x4's to fill in the gaps, there is a truss manufacture down the road from me with lots of free scrap 12" up to 3'....kiln dried but still plenty wet!

Cheers, Hiram


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## PapaDave (Jun 20, 2012)

Yep, had an MRI several years ago to pinpoint it. The tech said mine lit up like a Christmas tree.
Bigger splits is fewer cuts, less handling, etc., but if I can't lift 'em after a while, doesn't matter. Sucks to be me, I guess.
I did, however, start making the splits bigger a couple years ago once I started getting ahead. Now, it's biting me in the arse.
Just can't win, I tell ya'.


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## ScotO (Jun 20, 2012)

H





Hiram Maxim said:


> One thing Im noticing is how small you guys make your splits? Why so small?


Hiram, I used to make my splits alot bigger until I joined this site, now I make a lot of them small to medium (3" to 5") and I noticed they seem to season a lot quicker.   I still have a lot of larger splits for the overnighters and extended burn times.


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## PapaDave (Jun 20, 2012)

I have quite the mix. Anywhere from 2-3" (kindling) up to 6-7" rounds of oak. Larger rounds split in half too for overnight.


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