# Holzhausen



## Ghostrider (Jun 3, 2017)

Hey all! New here on the forum. Been a lurker for a while now gathering information. Anyway, i was wondering how many of you stack your firewood holzhausen style and what advantages and disadvantages you all have come across using this method. Thanks ahead of time for any input.


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## Rangerbait (Jun 3, 2017)

Ghostrider said:


> Hey all! New here on the forum. Been a lurker for a while now gathering information. Anyway, i was wondering how many of you stack your firewood holzhausen style and what advantages and disadvantages you all have come across using this method. Thanks ahead of time for any input.



I started stacking mine in the Holz Hausen format this past winter...so far, the only data I have to share are that they look really cool, you can stack a TON of wood in a pretty small footprint, and they are very stable if executed correctly. 

These three are 12' in diameter, and so far 3' tall...by my math (pi x 36 x 3/128), that yields 2.65 cords each for what are relatively short stacks.


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## Prof (Jun 3, 2017)

I've started doing this just a month or two ago. So I don't have much to report either--cool looking, stable, more wood in a smaller footprint. I've done a few that are about 7 ft in diameter and 6 ft tall. This seems like the most practical size for me. I am, however, am working on a 10 ft in diameter and possibly 10 ft high just for kicks (this one will easily hold a year's worth of wood).


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## Ghostrider (Jun 4, 2017)

I've done 3 holzhausens so far and I agree they do hold a lot of wood. At 8ft wide and roughly 8 feet tall, and if i have done my math correctly, holds ~3 cords per holzhausen. Negative side I have found is they hold a lot of snow and rain water if not top covered before fall rains or winter hits.


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## Jeffm1 (Jun 4, 2017)

Prof said:


> .... more wood in a smaller footprint...


Just a note: A square stack the same width as the same diameter of a holzhousen will actually hold more wood than the circular version as long as the height of both are the same.


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## Rangerbait (Jun 4, 2017)

Jeffm1 said:


> Just a note: A square stack the same width as the same diameter of a holzhousen will actually hold more wood than the circular version as long as the height of both are the same.



But it doesn't look nearly as cool [emoji12]


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## Jeffm1 (Jun 4, 2017)

Rangerbait said:


> But it doesn't look nearly as cool [emoji12]


True.


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## Prof (Jun 4, 2017)

Jeffm1 said:


> Just a note: A square stack the same width as the same diameter of a holzhousen will actually hold more wood than the circular version as long as the height of both are the same.


I get that this is technically correct, but standard rows lost stability much past 4 ft high. The round stacks I've been making are only limited by my reach. The standard is 10 ft in diameter and 10 ft high--a cube of wood that high would be a danger for sure.


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## Ghostrider (Jun 4, 2017)

Ive done the square stacks before as well, but the problem is that as the wood shrinks as it seasons the corners seem to colapse and then I'm restacking it again. Holz seem to be much more stable and self supporting and can stack higher than most conventional stacking methods.


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## Ghostrider (Jun 4, 2017)

Also, does anyone put a tarp down under it befor stacking or just start right on the ground? Pallets don't seem to hold up under the weight of the stack.


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## Prof (Jun 4, 2017)

Ghostrider said:


> Also, does anyone put a tarp down under it befor stacking or just start right on the ground? Pallets don't seem to hold up under the weight of the stack.


I put tarps down. I cut them in a circle to help with getting things set up quicker. Also didn't want the wood to draw moisture from the ground.


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## xman23 (Jun 4, 2017)

Not that I have ever put tarps on the ground.  But I think water needs to drain out the bottom.  Yes you need to keep the wood off the ground.  I have been down the pallet road. The bottoms rot. I now use 3 inch PVC pipe. pricey, but so far it's held up for 5 years.


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## kennyp2339 (Jun 5, 2017)

Ghostrider said:


> Ive done the square stacks before as well, but the problem is that as the wood shrinks as it seasons the corners seem to colapse and then I'm restacking it again. Holz seem to be much more stable and self supporting and can stack higher than most conventional stacking methods.


My holz is 10ft radius and about 12ft high at the peak, stacked it with green wood about 3 years ago, it has shrunk, weathered, banged into with the tractor and hasn't budged at all, very stable.


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## sportbikerider78 (Jun 5, 2017)

xman23 said:


> Not that I have ever put tarps on the ground.  But I think water needs to drain out the bottom.  Yes you need to keep the wood off the ground.  I have been down the pallet road. The bottoms rot. I now use 3 inch PVC pipe. pricey, but so far it's held up for 5 years.


I just moved a wood pile that had been in a sunny location on a tarp.  All of the bottom pcs where starting to rot.  They had been there one year.

It should be noted that I live in a wet area.


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## Wood Duck (Jun 5, 2017)

I stack in holz hausen and have for a few years. It looks nice and is relatively stable. I stack on rocks that I pull from the gardens any time I try to dig. I think tarps would be more likely to hold a puddle of water as prevent moisture from rising from the ground.


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## sportbikerider78 (Jun 5, 2017)

If you put it right on the ground, the wood becomes part of the earth in about 6 months.


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## Ghostrider (Jun 5, 2017)

I'm trying to picture it in my mind, but how do use pvc pipe under a holz?


xman23 said:


> Not that I have ever put tarps on the ground. But I think water needs to drain out the bottom. Yes you need to keep the wood off the ground. I have been down the pallet road. The bottoms rot. I now use 3 inch PVC pipe. pricey, but so far it's held up for 5 years.


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## Rangerbait (Jun 5, 2017)

Ghostrider said:


> Also, does anyone put a tarp down under it befor stacking or just start right on the ground? Pallets don't seem to hold up under the weight of the stack.



I have been building on tarps...I'm interested to see how the bottom row will do over time with this technique.


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## Rangerbait (Jun 5, 2017)

kennyp2339 said:


> My holz is 10ft radius and about 12ft high at the peak, stacked it with green wood about 3 years ago, it has shrunk, weathered, banged into with the tractor and hasn't budged at all, very stable.



I'd love to see a photo of that beast!


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## kennyp2339 (Jun 6, 2017)




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## kennyp2339 (Jun 6, 2017)

Rangerbait said:


> I'd love to see a photo of that beast!


Thank you for my 1,000th like btw.


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## Rangerbait (Jun 6, 2017)

kennyp2339 said:


> View attachment 197878
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Very nice!


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## Ghostrider (Jun 6, 2017)

Nice touch on the xmas lights


kennyp2339 said:


> View attachment 197878
> View attachment 197877
> View attachment 197876
> View attachment 197875
> View attachment 197874


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## Dobish (Jun 8, 2017)

here's a small one that I have posted before..... right now i have piles, stacks, rows, quick stacks, 2x4/cinderblock stacks.... i need to get a better pick of what I have...


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## Ghostrider (Jun 8, 2017)

I think my next stack I will modify into an oval shape so it will contain more wood in a smaller footprint. Anyone try that instead of the usual circle?


Dobish said:


> here's a small one that I have posted before..... right now i have piles, stacks, rows, quick stacks, 2x4/cinderblock stacks.... i need to get a better pick of what I have...
> 
> View attachment 197935
> View attachment 197936


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## Dobish (Jun 9, 2017)

i would think that an oval would be hard to get right in a smaller pattern.


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## Fuut Master (Jul 23, 2017)

Love the Christmas lights


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## JSeery (Jul 24, 2017)

Ghostrider said:


> I think my next stack I will modify into an oval shape so it will contain more wood in a smaller footprint. Anyone try that instead of the usual circle?


I saw a guy on YouTube do one kind of like that.  He called it a "HolzTwinkie" as it kind of had that shape.  Long pile with rounded edges.  Here's one video but I've seen others with the pile completed.



Myself, I've never done a holzhaus, traditional or otherwise, but I plan to make one this winter. My space is longer than it is wide, so I'll probably try to build one like this to maximize storage space.  My area has crushed rock underneath so I might just forgo the pallets since I have a feeling they will collapse anyway.


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## velvetfoot (Jul 24, 2017)

Based on  my experience, I don't go higher than 5' on my square stacks.   Even though you can go higher with the holtz, productivity must decrease since you have to lift and place the splits over your head; also when removing.


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## Ghostrider (Jul 31, 2017)

velvetfoot said:


> Even though you can go higher with the holtz, productivity must decrease since you have to lift and place the splits over your head; also when removing.


  Productivity does seem to drop once you get over your head when stacking, but for retreiving wood from the top is where the hookeroon comes in real handy


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## Dobish (Aug 1, 2017)

when its over your head, you can just drive the back of the truck right into it and fill it up, right?


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## Cluttermagnet (Aug 16, 2017)

Dobish said:


> here's a small one that I have posted before..... right now i have piles, stacks, rows, quick stacks, 2x4/cinderblock stacks.... i need to get a better pick of what I have...
> 
> View attachment 197935
> View attachment 197936



You've convinced me to try a small Holzhausen this fall.


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## Ghostrider (Aug 18, 2017)

When I get a chance I will post pics of my holz. Have one covered in clear plastic as a redneck solar kiln. Thought i would try it. Had too much condensation building up and start of some mold growth so I cut a small vent hole at top. If i climb on top of holz and hold my hand over the vent i can feel lots of hot most air moving up and out. Anyone else try a solar kiln in this method?


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## Tegbert (Aug 19, 2017)

A buddy of mine sent me a video with this in it since I mentioned I need to build a wood shed.  Kinda cool especially since the base and top connect so you hopefully don't lose a cover just a little steep on price and I would need probably two for each year of wood supply as I think the max it would hold about 2.2 cords  per the diagram so it would get expensive to have enough for 3 or more years ahead. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6118S/?tag=hearthamazon-20


I've been contemplating building a holz since I have limited space to store and dry wood and that I wouldn't really need to move it again once stacked. 


Lopi Rockport


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## Prof (Aug 19, 2017)

Tegbert said:


> A buddy of mine sent me a video with this in it since I mentioned I need to build a wood shed.  Kinda cool especially since the base and top connect so you hopefully don't lose a cover just a little steep on price and I would need probably two for each year of wood supply as I think the max it would hold about 2.2 cords  per the diagram so it would get expensive to have enough for 3 or more years ahead.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6118S/?tag=hearthamazon-20
> 
> ...


That is a little costly--I'd have a grand or two tied up in covering the wood. I do cut a tarp in a circle for the bottom. Helps me stay true to the circle and also acts as a barrier to mushroom mycelium coming up from the ground into the wood.


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## WoodyIsGoody (Aug 20, 2017)

Tegbert said:


> A buddy of mine sent me a video with this in it since I mentioned I need to build a wood shed.  Kinda cool especially since the base and top connect so you hopefully don't lose a cover just a little steep on price and I would need probably two for each year of wood supply as I think the max it would hold about 2.2 cords  per the diagram so it would get expensive to have enough for 3 or more years ahead.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6118S/?tag=hearthamazon-20
> 
> ...



I see you're in Arlington, WA. I'm in Glacier. I think it's a bit wet around here for a Holzhousen to work very well. It would definitely increase curing time over methods more traditional in this area. I noticed there is no drip edge so all water from the "roof" will run down (and inside) the stack potentially creating mold/fungus. It would work if it had a gutter system to channel the rain water away from the stack and you had two years to let it season (three for slow drying species). I would also like to see small eaves to protect a bit from winter rains which often fall at a 10-20 degree angle from vertical due to normal winds. Otherwise the humidity inside the stack further slows the seasoning process.

I've had good success with this system:






Wind driven rain can still wet the wood but it will dry quickly and there is no big cover to hold humidity in. Water drains off the ends due to the corrugations.


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## KindredSpiritzz (Aug 23, 2017)

yeah they look cool but seems to me they would take more effort to build and i'd rather cut down on my labor & time rather that increase it.


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## St. Coemgen (Aug 24, 2017)

Don't make a full holzhausen, just round piles, and this is how I do it:

https://stcoemgen.com/2015/06/19/how-i-build-round-wood-piles/

Black locust dries in one season. Oak takes two years.


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## Tegbert (Aug 24, 2017)

WoodyIsGoody said:


> I see you're in Arlington, WA. I'm in Glacier. I think it's a bit wet around here for a Holzhousen to work very well. It would definitely increase curing time over methods more traditional in this area. I noticed there is no drip edge so all water from the "roof" will run down (and inside) the stack potentially creating mold/fungus. It would work if it had a gutter system to channel the rain water away from the stack and you had two years to let it season (three for slow drying species). I would also like to see small eaves to protect a bit from winter rains which often fall at a 10-20 degree angle from vertical due to normal winds. Otherwise the humidity inside the stack further slows the seasoning process.
> 
> I've had good success with this system:
> 
> ...



Yep in Arlington and That was my only concern is the wetness. But I really don't have the space to be storing a lot of wood where as these would cut my drying space in half or more that's why I'm interested in them. 

Right now I have about 4-5 chords stacked drying in single rows but because of the space I have there is two rows about 38' long and one at about 30' and one slightly shorter at 26'. But are only separated by about 8" or so between them. They are covered but with a tarp but I did just acquire some panels like yours from a deck remodel for free so those are going on soon. 

My issue is the space where these are at is really the only good area I have to dry wood that doesn't look bad for the neighbors and most importantly the wife. Plus the kids stay away from it. So when this is dry it needs to move to a shed so I have space to dry the next years supply. I am just trying to figure out ways to lower my handling of the wood to save time. 



KindredSpiritzz said:


> yeah they look cool but seems to me they would take more effort to build and i'd rather cut down on my labor & time rather that increase it.



Yeah they probably are more work but when you only really have one spot to dry wood (about 4-5 cords worth) and then need to move it to a shed to store and use so that same spot can be used again to dry wood, spending a little more time stacking only once is a nice option. 




Lopi Rockport


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## Tegbert (Aug 24, 2017)

WoodyIsGoody said:


> I see you're in Arlington, WA. I'm in Glacier. I think it's a bit wet around here for a Holzhousen to work very well. It would definitely increase curing time over methods more traditional in this area. I noticed there is no drip edge so all water from the "roof" will run down (and inside) the stack potentially creating mold/fungus. It would work if it had a gutter system to channel the rain water away from the stack and you had two years to let it season (three for slow drying species). I would also like to see small eaves to protect a bit from winter rains which often fall at a 10-20 degree angle from vertical due to normal winds. Otherwise the humidity inside the stack further slows the seasoning process.
> 
> I've had good success with this system:
> 
> ...



Yep in Arlington and That was my only concern is the wetness. But I really don't have the space to be storing a lot of wood where as these would cut my drying space in half or more that's why I'm interested in them. 

Right now I have about 4-5 chords stacked drying in single rows but because of the space I have there is two rows about 38' long and one at about 30' and one slightly shorter at 26'. But are only separated by about 8" or so between them. They are covered but with a tarp but I did just acquire some panels like yours from a deck remodel for free so those are going on soon. 

My issue is the space where these are at is really the only good area I have to dry wood that doesn't look bad for the neighbors and most importantly the wife. Plus the kids stay away from it. So when this is dry it needs to move to a shed so I have space to dry the next years supply. I am just trying to figure out ways to lower my handling of the wood to save time. 



KindredSpiritzz said:


> yeah they look cool but seems to me they would take more effort to build and i'd rather cut down on my labor & time rather that increase it.



Yeah they probably are more work but when you only really have one spot to dry wood (about 4-5 cords worth) and then need to move it to a shed to store and use so that same spot can be used again to dry wood, spending a little more time stacking only once is a nice option. 




Lopi Rockport


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## BoiledOver (Aug 24, 2017)

Just saw that some makers of portable garages are putting out a product termed as a seasoning shed. It is not something I would use but is another option for folks to consider.
http://www.shelterlogic.com/shop/firewood/


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## kennyp2339 (Aug 26, 2017)

I've been some videos from this dude out west, he seems pretty legit, anyway, in this video he actually has a holtz cover that wraps  from underneath to the top, keeping the sides open for air. very interesting and I wish I figured this out.


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## WoodyIsGoody (Aug 26, 2017)

kennyp2339 said:


> I've been some videos from this dude out west, he seems pretty legit, anyway, in this video he actually has a holtz cover that wraps  from underneath to the top, keeping the sides open for air. very interesting and I wish I figured this out.




That would work fine in many climates. The proper way to do it in the Maritime Pacific Northwest would be to stake the roof out to the sides so it forms a pavilion style roof and directs rain away from the sides and base of the stack. Since clay soils are the norm here, it's also important to have good surface drainage around the pile. I'm fortunate because my place is built upon a gigantic 7000 year old rock slide from the collapse of half of a huge mountain about 1/4 mile away. Basically a field of boulders 100 or more feet deep from one side of the valley to the other. No clay.

I've watched a bunch of his videos. Wranglestar is quite an enigma. In many ways he knows a lot of good, old-school stuff. But he's also quite the showman and very impractical with much of his advice. Maybe it's because he'll put anything in his videos as long as he thinks it will create more views.


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## Tegbert (Aug 26, 2017)

That's the video my buddy sent me. The guy in the video lives in white salmon Wa. 


Lopi Rockport


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