# Best way to stack and cover woodpile



## theora55 (Jul 1, 2011)

For this year's wood, I have some nice sturdy pallets, just wide enough for 2 rows of wood.  I usually cross-stack the ends and fill in the middle, and cover with a tarp.  I try to get tarps that don't go down too much on the sides, but how important is that?  Should I keep it tarped over the summer, or let the wind & sun in to dry it? 

Maine, mixed hardwood, if it matters.  Bring on the wood-stacking/ tarping advice!   and anybody bored is welcome to visit & help stack...   thanks.


----------



## PeteD (Jul 1, 2011)

I wouldn't cover till danger of snowfall.  Then wait for a few dry days first.


----------



## wendell (Jul 1, 2011)

+1

And, it is very important to not cover the sides. Always keep the air moving through the stacks.


----------



## Wood Heat Stoves (Jul 2, 2011)

Don't cover the sides for cross flow ventilation. I usually get tarps that hang down about 2' from the top. If you cover all the way to the ground, you'll get condensation underneath from moisture from the ground.


----------



## CTYank (Jul 2, 2011)

I cover all stacks for coming winter, wanting it as dry as possible ASAP.
Tarp can be folded so it covers just a bit more than the width of the stack.
Small scraps of wood on top of pile under tarp, extending maybe 4-6 inches past stack make water drip clear of stack.


----------



## Thistle (Jul 2, 2011)

If the wood is at least 18 months old & already dry,its covered with a tarp when the shed is full.Anything cut in the past year is left uncovered


----------



## velvetfoot (Jul 2, 2011)

Isn't there a problem with shoveling off the snow on a tarp.


----------



## Thistle (Jul 2, 2011)

That's what heavy duty push brooms are for.Much less effort than a scoop shovel.Faster too.


----------



## Kenster (Jul 2, 2011)

If I was going to cover my wood at all, which I don't- ever, it wouldn't be with a tarp.   Even for bone dry wood.  Seems like tarps will just trap moisture and encourage, mold, rot, bugs of all sorts.  Corrugated metal sheets, corrugated fiberglass sheets, vinyl siding scrounged from home construction sites...
anything but a tarp unless the tarp is suspended well above the wood to encourage continued air circulation.  
Me?  My stay uncovered until I bring the wood up on the covered porch two or three days before burning, which is plenty of time for any surface moisture to evaporate.

Granted, I don't have to worry about snow too much here.


----------



## velvetfoot (Jul 2, 2011)

I'm pretty sure the push broom wouldn't work on the 22" snowfall we had this past winter.


----------



## Thistle (Jul 2, 2011)

More than that here & it works best if you get to it before it melts a little then refreezes to a hard crust.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Jul 2, 2011)

theora55 said:
			
		

> For this year's wood, I have some nice sturdy pallets, just wide enough for 2 rows of wood.  I usually cross-stack the ends and fill in the middle, and cover with a tarp.  I try to get tarps that don't go down too much on the sides, but how important is that?  Should I keep it tarped over the summer, or let the wind & sun in to dry it?
> 
> Maine, mixed hardwood, if it matters.  Bring on the wood-stacking/ tarping advice!   and anybody bored is welcome to visit & help stack...   thanks.




Maybe I'm not qualified to answer this because I hate pallets and strongly dislike tarps. However, here are a couple pictures for you to consider:







This one covered with old galvanize roofing; much superior to tarps. 





With snow. 





We have stacked wood in many different ways and covered with different materials and have also done some a la quads; that is, uncovered all the time. We concluded that the wood dries faster if left uncovered at least the first summer and then cover the top only before the snow falls. If we have an extremely wet fall then we will cover sometimes in September but it is usually November or December when we cover. 

For stacking the wood we usually cut some saplings and lay those down to stack the wood on. We've also just used some splits laid down to stack on and because we are on yellow sand, we've had many stacks with nothing under them except good ole Mother Earth. That usually means the bottom row will be frozen in until the next April but it does not harm the wood at all. That wood will be burned the following winter. 

In parts of Maine we know it can be very wet with little sunshine and low humidity so some folks will cover their wood as soon as it is stacked and it works. It does seem better though to leave it uncovered until maybe Labor Day and then cover. 

You will find that if you can use something that is more solid rather than using tarps it will be much better. One might even consider, if he has to use tarps, to lay down something solid and put the tarp on top of that with perhaps a few small splits under the tarp every so often to allow for some air flow under the tarp so it does trap moisture. I tried some rubber roofing once and it worked okay but I still prefer something solid. 

Now if you were not so far away and if it was not so hot, I would take you up on the offer and come to help. You would have to supply the beverages though.


----------



## velvetfoot (Jul 3, 2011)

22" in one snowfall.  Doesn't impress the snowbelt people, but a broom won't work on a 4 deep stack.


----------



## DexterDay (Jul 3, 2011)

Kenster said:
			
		

> If I was going to cover my wood at all, which I don't- ever, it wouldn't be with a tarp. Even for bone dry wood. Seems like tarps will just trap moisture and encourage, mold, rot, bugs of all sorts. Corrugated metal sheets, corrugated fiberglass sheets, vinyl siding scrounged from home construction sites...
> anything but a tarp unless the tarp is suspended well above the wood to encourage continued air circulation.
> Me? My stay uncovered until I bring the wood up on the covered porch two or three days before burning, which is plenty of time for any surface moisture to evaporate.
> 
> Granted, I don't have to worry about snow too much here.



Agreed Kenster...... And Backwoodsavage would say, Use a harder cover and put it on later. Keeping it above the stacks and sightly wider than the stacks. 

Tarps "Trap" moisture... Tarp = Trap ....... Anagram...or a Coincidence????


----------



## mywaynow (Jul 3, 2011)

I use a single large tarp on the top only.  Have no issues with rot at all and have very dry wood to burn.  Spent 40 dollars for a 15x30 and is covers around 15 cords.  I have a second tarp waiting to be used now.  Need to stack a few more pallets worth to even up the piles.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Jul 3, 2011)

The problem is that $40 tarp usually last one season or two at best. Methinks it is better to have something a bit more permanent rather than continually throwing dollars at the wood stacks.


----------



## snowleopard (Jul 3, 2011)

So I'm curious.  Those of you who cover multi-year stacks in the fall, do you uncover again in the spring, or do the covers then stay on until you're ready to burn or put the wood in a shed? 

hard cover = cord haver   
galvanized sheet metal = evens a melts-glitz ahead 

Anagram? . . .   or coincidence? . . . you decide


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Jul 3, 2011)

I cover the stacks in the fall and they stay covered until either used or put in shed. 

I do not understand folks that cover and uncover, especially the ones who cover when a rain is coming. Seems a lot of unnecessary work to me.


----------



## ansehnlich1 (Jul 4, 2011)

I have rolled rubber roofing material that has a fiber mesh in it and that stuff is near blast proof. I cut it in 24 inch widths, roll it out on top a row, use splits to hold it down. The stuff is already heavy and stays put real nice.

I cover every pile and I cover it right away, right after splitting. I never do anything else, in winter the sides of the piles may get snow on 'em during a storm but always melt/dry out in a day or two.

The key for me is to have a place near my back door that I can keep a week of dry wood under roof. Actually, my back porch gets filled up pretty good in November, I only uncover my stacks to re-supply the back porch throughout the season, which ain't often.


----------



## cptoneleg (Jul 4, 2011)

I think they must put tarps on woodpiles so the mosquitos can hatch their young ones in the water puddles all over the tarps :zip:


----------



## snowleopard (Jul 4, 2011)

After starting out hot and sunny, this has turned into one of the wettest summers I've seen in a long time.  Good thing--knocks back the spruce beetles, puts out the fires.   Summers here are sizzle or drizzle, and we're turning into mushrooms here.  So the cut-n-cover policy might would have been a good one here.  The adventure continues.


----------



## mywaynow (Jul 4, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> The problem is that $40 tarp usually last one season or two at best. Methinks it is better to have something a bit more permanent rather than continually throwing dollars at the wood stacks.



The tarp I bought last year is still in good shape. It has been on the stack for over a year. It has eyelets which I use elastic bungee cords to hold the edges down. I put rocks in spots around the edges, especially on the sides that the wind hits first. There are puddles that develop, but that doesn't bother me. If holes develop, that isn't going to bother me much either. There is only so much water that can enter through a slit. Mostly, the draw for me is the concealment of the stack with a dark green color, and the clean, easy method of tarping. I would not get away with galvanised roofing or plywood stacked on my wood piles.


----------



## laynes69 (Jul 4, 2011)

I've used tarps in the past, but they never seem to get the job done. When we moved here there was the skin of a 24' pool out beside the barn which is galvanized. I'm going to cut it in 8' sections and use that. Last year I used some 1/4" underlayment and that was much better than tarps. Eventually a woodshed will be nice and I have 22' trusses, but don't had enough money for the other materials right now. I think a harder material that does form against the wood will work best.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Jul 4, 2011)

snowleopard said:
			
		

> After starting out hot and sunny, this has turned into one of the wettest summers I've seen in a long time.  Good thing--knocks back the spruce beetles, puts out the fires.   Summers here are sizzle or drizzle, and we're turning into mushrooms here.  So the cut-n-cover policy might would have been a good one here.  The adventure continues.



Well it is good to hear that the fires have gone out. But one disadvantage turns to another..... Isn't the north country nice?!


----------



## firefighterjake (Jul 5, 2011)

theora55 said:
			
		

> For this year's wood, I have some nice sturdy pallets, just wide enough for 2 rows of wood.  I usually cross-stack the ends and fill in the middle, and cover with a tarp.  I try to get tarps that don't go down too much on the sides, but how important is that?  Should I keep it tarped over the summer, or let the wind & sun in to dry it?
> 
> Maine, mixed hardwood, if it matters.  Bring on the wood-stacking/ tarping advice!   and anybody bored is welcome to visit & help stack...   thanks.



First year I left my wood outside on pallets . . . no tarp until October or so right before the first dusting . . . leaving the wood exposed to the sun and the wind worked out well . . . what little moisture fell on the wood from the rain was not a big deal . . . heck, I found that typically even with a decent rain only the wood on the first 6-12 inches was wet anyways.

I didn't mind the tarps, even in the winter . . . but during the next summer I built a woodshed . . . much better than a tarp since you can stand in the woodshed and pick and choose what wood you want to burn and never have to worry about snow.


----------



## karl (Jul 5, 2011)

I think it depends on where you live.  If you're in the snow belt where it stays below freezing all winter then you probably don't need to cover.  If you're where I live, where we get into the 40's during the day, you better cover.  The 6 inches of snow on the top of the pile doesn't blow off or sublime.  It's wet and it melts and will soak the top of the wood pile.


----------



## cptoneleg (Jul 5, 2011)

If I burned right out of my stacks I would cover in late october, I move 4 cords to woodshed and 1 cord to covered back porch, life as a woodburner got better when I built the woodshed.  And no I never cover the piles out seasonimg.  
    It rained here for 2 days, and today sunshine light breeze 90*  the wood even on top is allready dry.  So to cover (only tops) or not I don't think much matters until it's time to burn. 
    Every time I pull into my place I admire my woodstacks would't want to mess that up with a tarp.


----------



## Chopernator (Jul 8, 2011)

:coolsmile: I would love to show you guys the wood I split and stacked.  All the wood I split was by hand, well not litteraly with the help of my battleax... theres black walnut, sycamore A BEAR TO SPLIT found that out the hard way, maple, shagbark hickory, red oak, cottonwood and beech.  I still need to split quit a bit.  But I will be renting a mechanical spliter since there is quite a lot.  Pics to come in the near future!  There s just something about gathering, splitting and stacking wood that I just love its hard work but I like it.  Well I guess just growing up with it tends to why I like it.  I need to build a wood shed asap..........Enjoy this forum  Thanks Admin and to all who are responsible for it.


----------



## shawneyboy (Jul 8, 2011)

Chopernator said:
			
		

> :coolsmile: I would love to show you guys the wood I split and stacked.  All the wood I split was by hand, well not litteraly with the help of my battleax... theres black walnut, sycamore A BEAR TO SPLIT found that out the hard way, maple, shagbark hickory, red oak, cottonwood and beech.  I still need to split quit a bit.  But I will be renting a mechanical spliter since there is quite a lot.  Pics to come in the near future!  There s just something about gathering, splitting and stacking wood that I just love its hard work but I like it.  Well I guess just growing up with it tends to why I like it.  I need to build a wood shed asap..........Enjoy this forum  Thanks Admin and to all who are responsible for it.



Well, well, Chops, welcome to the forum.  enjoy !!

Shawn


----------



## firefighterjake (Jul 8, 2011)

Chopernator said:
			
		

> :coolsmile: I would love to show you guys the wood I split and stacked.  All the wood I split was by hand, well not litteraly with the help of my battleax... theres black walnut, sycamore A BEAR TO SPLIT found that out the hard way, maple, shagbark hickory, red oak, cottonwood and beech.  I still need to split quit a bit.  But I will be renting a mechanical spliter since there is quite a lot.  Pics to come in the near future!  There s just something about gathering, splitting and stacking wood that I just love its hard work but I like it.  Well I guess just growing up with it tends to why I like it.  I need to build a wood shed asap..........Enjoy this forum  Thanks Admin and to all who are responsible for it.



Welcome to the forum.


----------



## cptoneleg (Jul 9, 2011)

Chopernator, Welcome;  We would love to see the pictures


----------



## fsr4538 (Jul 9, 2011)

velvetfoot said:
			
		

> I'm pretty sure the push broom wouldn't work on the 22" snowfall we had this past winter.



It works for me when we get that much.  It just takes a little longer.  You can't expect to move it all at once.

Forrest


----------



## Thistle (Jul 9, 2011)

fsr4538 said:
			
		

> velvetfoot said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Precisely. Plus it works  if you step back a little & pull the broom instead of pushing it,less effort that way.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Jul 9, 2011)

Chopernator said:
			
		

> :coolsmile: I would love to show you guys the wood I split and stacked.  All the wood I split was by hand, well not litteraly with the help of my battleax... theres black walnut, sycamore A BEAR TO SPLIT found that out the hard way, maple, shagbark hickory, red oak, cottonwood and beech.  I still need to split quit a bit.  But I will be renting a mechanical spliter since there is quite a lot.  Pics to come in the near future!  There s just something about gathering, splitting and stacking wood that I just love its hard work but I like it.  Well I guess just growing up with it tends to why I like it.  I need to build a wood shed asap..........Enjoy this forum  Thanks Admin and to all who are responsible for it.



Welcome to the forum.  Should you encounter any problems posting pictures, send me a PM and I'll help if at all possible.


----------



## Chopernator (Jul 11, 2011)

Thanks a lot!  Really appreciate the Welcome!  Thanks again.


----------

