# What does a 5 cord stack look like



## Highbeam (Jun 11, 2007)

I moved into my new place at the end of December this year and had to scratch pretty hard to find wood to burn. That kind of experience really motivated me to stock up for the next year or two as soon as possible. 

The first picture is a 58 foot long stack, with two 16-18" wide rows, 4 feet tall. It is almost all cottonwood except for two trees worth of spruce and pine. See if you can find the color change. This stack is 5 cords and I placed it where the stack runs east west and the prevailing wind blows from the southwest so this should be the "ideal" stack location for rapid drying. I have bought the plastic sheeting to place on top of the stack but I can't decide when to put it on and how far to drape it down the sides.

The next photo is the barn. On each side of the barn is a 7' tall by 20' long stack up agaist the barn side so wind can't blow through it. Sun can't really get it either. On the photo side there is a second row that is 5 feet tall making for a barn total of 4.125 cords being mostly red cedar with about 1/3 of it doug fir and alder. It won't dry as quickly but has been drying since late winter. I would love to just fill this barn up but it would never dry so it will be my stage two area.

This week my chimney will be torn down. With it will go the Lopi insert and in its place will go the new Hearthstone Heritage. My house is old and leaky, I have a chill remover fire going right now to bump the temp from 64 to 74 inside the house. 

So when should I cover the outside pile? How far to drape the plastic.


----------



## begreen (Jun 11, 2007)

Wow, Highbeam, that's impressive. I like your place too. 

Just cover the top of the stack. Leave the sides open.


----------



## BrotherBart (Jun 11, 2007)

Five and three quarter cords of red oak and one and three quarter cords of pine look kinda like this:


----------

