# Firewood Rack on wood covered porch



## samhoff2 (Sep 30, 2011)

Hello all,

I am putting a firewood rack on my wooden covered porch this weekend.  This seems pretty basic, and I don't think there's anything I'm missing, but just in case thought I would ask for any thoughts.

I bought this: http://www.amazon.com/2x4basics-90144-Firewood-System-Black/dp/B0030T1BQU

Which is basically plastic end pieces that hold 2x4's horizontal (but off the ground) and then vertical on the edges to hold the wood in.  I'm betting I'll have to put on diagonal braces to keep them from spreading with the weight of wood.

I stained the porch floor last night.  I stained the 2x4's I will use.

Pretty simple?  Anyone used this plastic jobbies before?  My biggest concern at this point is bugs invading my porch from the firewood (?).

Thanks,

Sam


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## ckarotka (Sep 30, 2011)

Should work jut fine. Maybe hold off on loading it until the weather turns a bit colder and the bugs won't be there.


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## SKIN052 (Sep 30, 2011)

Just used a similar product to store wood in  the basement. I used 3 sets of them, a face cord on each. No issue with spreading at all. Should be fine. Spary the wood down with a little Raid.


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## firefighterjake (Sep 30, 2011)

I built my own rack . . . a bit similar to this . . . I ran a 2 x 4 on the top to keep things nice and tight.

As for bugs . . . as Ckarotka said . . . start loading it up once the weather turns cooler if you have any concerns . . . this time of year I have a small pile of wood on my porch for those damp, drizzly days when I need a fire . . . but until it turns cold I don't load up the porch with any great amount of wood.


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## scojen (Sep 30, 2011)

I use plastic racks on my porch, similar if not the same. I stack about 4 foot high and there is very little spreading. My porch is concrete however so I dont worry about bugs much.


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## Backwoods Savage (Sep 30, 2011)

I figure on building something as we will be putting wood on a porch which will put the wood only about 8' from the stove.


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## cptoneleg (Sep 30, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> I figure on building something as we will be putting wood on a porch which will put the wood only about 8' from the stove.





You can probably put your milk crate in between there somewhere and load your stove sitting down.


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## Flatbedford (Oct 2, 2011)

I keep a wheelbarrow full on the front porch until the first good freeze. Then I load up the rack. I figure most if the bugs are dead by then.


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## rottiman (Oct 2, 2011)

Tried the plastic bases and 2 x 4s last year, they were okay.  had built my own 2 x 4 rack prior to that.  Was down touring  our local Princess Auto store (similar to northern hydralics down south).  They had powdercoated steel SPEECO 1/2 cord racks with a fitted cover on sale for $24.95, WOW, you can guess whats sittin' on my porch this winter.  Really decent piece of kit.


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## loon (Oct 2, 2011)

rottiman said:
			
		

> Tried the plastic bases and 2 x 4s last year, they were okay.  had built my own 2 x 4 rack prior to that.  Was down touring  our local Princess Auto store (similar to northern hydralics down south).  They had powdercoated steel SPEECO 1/2 cord racks with a fitted cover on sale for $24.95, WOW, you can guess whats sittin' on my porch this winter.  Really decent piece of kit.



this one Rotti?

i have a spot for a couple of them   

http://www.speeco.com/products.php?id=95&id2=182&prod=146


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 2, 2011)

cptoneleg said:
			
		

> Backwoods Savage said:
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Yup. We'll keep it handy.


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## rottiman (Oct 2, 2011)

loon said:
			
		

> rottiman said:
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Yup loon, that the one, quality worth 4 times the price.


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## snowleopard (Oct 3, 2011)

I have a few thoughts on this, since I'm utilizing the same system.  Was planning on building woodsheds, until I started doing the math and realized I have space for about 12 cords covered, between my porch that runs the length of the house, an underdeck entryway down by the door closest to the stove, and a south-facing garage overhang about 8' deep.   I dropped the woodshed plans and started utilizing what I've got.  So it's not that I'm an expert--it's just that I've had this on my mind. Some of this stuff will probably seem excessively obvious--no insult intended, just sometimes it's helpful to state the obvious. 

Leave airspace between the back of the wood and the siding of the house. 

Watch the weight of the wood--you'll want to be sure that it's your seasoned wood going there for storage.  For example, I'm putting my dry poplar and spruce on the porch, and stacking my green birch on pallets on the ground, and putting my dryer birch under the garage overhang, and under the deck because that can take more weight.   

I'd give the stain a few days to set up before I stacked anything on it.  

I use a similar thing for the firewood racks called a Stack-it Bracket, but it doesn't have the crosspiece and it's made of metal.  I found they do spread if I don't add anything to support them.  Slickest trick I saw for that was somone? (sorry) on here who came up with this:  when you're about 1/3 stacked, run a rope in a figure 8 around the corner posts, and then stack wood on top of the rope, so that it pulls any slack inward, and the corner posts are under tension.  Haven't tried that yet myself, but I'm planning on it (hopefully this week!) 

I tend to run my stacks higher than recommended--about 7' high, because that's what I need to do to keep the wood I need handy.   This is AMA (against medical/moderators'/yr mother's advice), and I know it.  I stabilize my stacks by running taller upright posts up against the ceiling joists.  

I also run long stacks, so I put extra 2x4 crosspieces under the stacks to support them so the longest unsupported run is about 4' long.  

Hope this helps.


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## maple1 (Oct 3, 2011)

We do something similar to the rope thing. Our uprights are 1x6 boards, with 1x4 boards nailed horizontally across the uprights about 2/3 up (ladder fashion). We tie wire across  between the 1x4s when the wood is up to there (one strand in the middle), then finish piling on top of the wire. Haywire works, but it's also a decent use of an old clothesline. No tieing/untieing knots, just wrap/unwrap the wire.


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## mtneer (Oct 3, 2011)

I have tons of cinder blocks. 8ft landscaping timbers cost about 2 bucks each, put a block at each end of a pair. I put a section of board under the middle of the timbers to prevent too much bowing. Crib the ends of the stack and it's a cheap alternative to the plastic things. Might last as long too.


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## snowleopard (Oct 3, 2011)

mtneer said:
			
		

> I have tons of cinder blocks. 8ft landscaping timbers cost about 2 bucks each, put a block at each end of a pair. I put a section of board under the middle of the timbers to prevent too much bowing. Crib the ends of the stack and it's a cheap alternative to the plastic things. Might last as long too.



Any way you could post a picture of this?  I can't visualize this.


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## Stax (Oct 3, 2011)

I built this one.  Sits on porch right outside door.


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## stejus (Oct 3, 2011)

Here's another one made from 4x4's, 2x4's and some rebar.


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## Stax (Oct 3, 2011)

Ste...that's pretty sweet.


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## Flatbedford (Oct 3, 2011)

Nice rebar. Gives it a nice, lite look. 
my wife bought this about 7 years ago. Not sure where, but I have seen similar all over. It hols about 1/3 cord, or about 1 1/2 weeks.


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## samhoff2 (Oct 3, 2011)

Here's the finished product FYI.  I put angled ones on to hold them together.

Sam


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