Stacking on pallets

[Smoke Signals]

I have a question. I also split two rows on a pallet, but I don't top cover. This year I am going to try and top cover a couple of stacks. The problem I think I may run into is having water cause my cover to sag between the rows and water to pool.

I was planning on using a few old tarps I have in my garage. I was going to cut them down so that they hang over the edge a few inches, add some eyelets, and secure with twine. I thought about adding a layer of splits on top to span the gap and support the tarp. What does everyone else do?

I find old tin works well to top cover but I think you may be on the rite track with the row to bridge the gap and hold the tarp up.

 

[Ashful]

I've been using heavy black plastic with PVC drain pipe, with good success. Basically, double rows on pallets. Each row is 40" wide x 80 feet long. Throw a PVC drain pipe (something I had laying around) on top of the center of a row, like a long ridge, running lengthwise with the stack. Then get a roll of 6' wide heavy black plastic, and roll it out over the stack. Staple it down to the top row of splits on each side. The continuous run of PVC drain pipe will prevent sagging.

 

[Seanm]

I've been using heavy black plastic with PVC drain pipe, with good success. Basically, double rows on pallets. Each row is 40" wide x 80 feet long. Throw a PVC drain pipe (something I had laying around) on top of the center of a row, like a long ridge, running lengthwise with the stack. Then get a roll of 6' wide heavy black plastic, and roll it out over the stack. Staple it down to the top row of splits on each side. The continuous run of PVC drain pipe will prevent sagging.

Thats a real good idea!

 

[Dune]

I use scrap plywood and also old bedliners. I cut the sides off the bedliners with a skillsaw. Frankly the black plastic bedliners are the bomb.
I also use rubber roof scraps.

Not covering the tops is a fail for me, if you expect the wood to last more than a few years, unless it is locust. Even white oak rots if uncovered long enough though it is far superior to red oak (the predominant species here) in terms of rot resistance. Red oak splits so easily though and white oak is uncommon.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I stack 3 rows solid, no space. I stack the middle row higher to provide a slope to the outside for drainage. Laying some rounds across the middle space would achieve the same thing.

 

[Smoke Signals]

This thread needs more pics! Let me get the party started. This is how my bother and I do it. If you look close at the stack on the left you can see the tin held down on top of the stack by shorts and uglies. I will try to post a better pic tomorrow.

 

[Ashful]

Try explaining to your non-hearth buddies that you were asking guys to post pictures of their wood on the Internet.

 

[Ashful]

this is one of my two "stacks". It is a double row, 40" wide x 6' high x 120' long. It is made of fifteen cribs, each 40" x 8'.

 

[Smoke Signals]

Try explaining to your non-hearth buddies that you were asking guys to post pictures of their wood on the Internet.

Guess I never thought of it that way but that's funny, don't care who you are.

 

[Knots]

this is one of my two "stacks". It is a double row, 40" wide x 6' high x 120' long.

Are both ends in the same zip code?

 

[MrWhoopee]

This thread needs more pics!

As you wish.

 

[Smoke Signals]

As promised.

 

[velvetfoot]

It is a double row, 40" wide x 6' high x 120' long

I consider myself lucky if I could keep a six foot high triple row from tipping over, in time. They need a tuneup every once in a while, and seem to stabilize after initial dry out.

 

[Ashful]

I consider myself lucky if I could keep a six foot high triple row from tipping over, in time. They need a tuneup every once in a while, and seem to stabilize after initial dry out.

I'm no stacking genious, but my splits are all exactly 20" long, and I only bring home nice clean straight stuff. So, I get away with stacking pretty tall, without much risk of failure.

My stacks are actually mostly 6' 6" or more up from the ground, but I knock 6" off the measurement for being up on a pallet.

 

[velvetfoot]

are all exactly 20" long

Well, there 'ya go. My splits are 16" long. So, even though 8" narrower, maybe two rows would be more stable than three.

For the past two years, summers of 2013 and 2014, I've been trying ~8 cord cubes, about 5' high. Still too soon to tell how it'll work out. It's easier to get to than where I have the 3-wide rows, and more compact, and in the open; we'll see how dry it gets when it comes time to start burning them in 2-3 years.

 

[ErikR]

More on pallets...

 

[Isaac Carlson]

We stack on pallets and will continue to do so. It lets moisture drain out the bottom and lets air move up through the stack. It also keeps mice out of the stacks.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Anyone put plastic under the pallets or anything like that? The stacks I started back in the fall I used pallets and opened up and overlapped wood pellet bags (and some water softner salt bags). Seems like no matter what I've done in the past the bottom of my stacks end up higher moisture, and often weeds grow up through the pallets. So hopefully the plastic will cut down thistles and morning glory and the rest of the crap that wants to weave its way though my stack as well as moisture and pallet rot.

 

[Poindexter]

You guys are killing me with all the greenery. This is fifteen minutes ago...dang peer pressure. This stack is three pallets long, splits measure 72-75" vertical from the surface of the pallets. If you look careful you can see a cinder block, all the pallets are on cinder blocks that sit directly on the lawn. I have been shoveling the hardpack snow out from around the wood pile, especially on the shady side. I want the ground under the cinder blocks to thaw relatively uniformly so the stacks don't tip over.

I just lean the two stacks together so they meet at the top. I am running 20 pallets total this season, about ten cords. The good news is the birch I split a month ago is already starting to check.

 

[firefighterjake]

I hear ya Poindexter . . . every time I see a pic of wood piles or folks working on wood and there is no trace of snow or even green grass I keep thinking it must be an old photo since we still have a lot of snow here this year.

 

[j7art2]

Here's all my pine i just C/S/S... 2 rows deep. Letting the rain get to it a few times to try and force some of the sap out before covering.


Here's my non-pine. All scored in the same location. 100% free from a local friend.

 

[Ashful]

It's time to take down the Christmas lights, Poindexter.

 

[Poindexter]

It's time to take down the Christmas lights, Poindexter.

Actually a reflection from my back diagonal neighbor's greenhouse. My stacks are 48" off the property edge.

 

[kennyp2339]

I tried the old 2x4 with the rope in the middle trick, surprisingly it works really good, I stacked that last spring 2014 and it will be my 2015-2016 heat, I used scrap 4x4 cut about a foot long to anchor the bottom of the 2x4, the 4x4 fits perfectly between the two pallet decks. Cheap and easy and actually held up very good, I will be using this stacking method again.

 

[kennyp2339]