When you hear the crash......

[Shipper50]

I was taking a break today and watching TV, heard a crash that I thought was in my garage. Didn't find anything. Looked out my kitchen window towards my wood shed and sure enough. The first row fell over onto the ground. It was only about 75% of the stack. So the pile that was about 5 feet high and about 14 feet long has been re-stacked and hopefully wont fall over again.

I was going to take a picture, but didn't want all the chuckles to come through the net. :lol:

Shipper

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Thats ok shipper. I cut/split and stacked about 3 cords over the winter and put a tarp on it 3 months ago.
Just removed the tarp, and all the middle stacks are leaning big time....they would fall over but the stacks next to them are still level as I put them in after the snow was gone.

 

[Jack Straw]

I now stack my wood in what I call "cradles". Basically an 8' pallet with wooden ends and a top to hold it all together. I am sick of my piles leaning towards the sun and falling over. My old piles face north and south the new cradles face east and west. The cradles look similiar to the the ones in the picture in the "A good start" thread. Hopefully I won't be re-stacking the wood. Keeps it off the ground good also.

 

[vwboomer]

I put 2x6s across my wood crib in march. Now they are bowed out due to the wood shifting. There is 1' to the neighbors garden. I'm thinkin the sooner I drive piles in or put a nice strong strap against it the better

I already had a face cord tip over and don't want anymore restacking.

No shame in havin it tip over tho

 

[drdoct]

Good to know I'm not the only one. So why does wood follow the sun? Is it the inner tree in it? ;-) I had 2 stacks completely fall over. I've got to restack but am wondering what I should do differently. I'm thinking of criss crossing them or maybe even a HH, but my land isn't level. Stupid wood didn't even fall towards the lower grade either. I'm also thinking my stacks are too long at 35 feet it allows lots of uneven lines and not much support from the ends. The 6' high stacking probably didn't help either. It's my first real year stacking this amount of wood so I assume there is a learning curve.

 

[LLigetfa]

Good to know I'm not the only one. So why does wood follow the sun?

It's not just the sun per se but the sun plays a big part. There are two forces at play.

Wood shrinks as it dries. The exposed face dries faster than the backside causing it to curve "toward the sun". As it shrinks, it also settles into spaces further exacerbating it.

Frost heaving. As the ground is warmed by the sun, moisture migrates from warm to cold and refreezes. This refreezing causes the heaving. The ground at the exposed face is warmer while the ground at the backside is colder, hence it heaves the backside more.

If you lay down large pallets, the forces are spread over a wider base and less likely to topple the pile. When I used to store all my wood out in the open, I would lay down a base of 5 foot long Poplar logs like a corduroy road and stack 3 rows on it.

 

[wldm09]

Here is a method, not necessarily visually pleasing, but effective. Take 3-4' long 2" through sticks and prop up your stacks at a 45deg angle. Works like a charm.

 

[vwboomer]

Here is a method, not necessarily visually pleasing, but effective. Take 3-4' long 2" through sticks and prop up your stacks at a 45deg angle. Works like a charm.

That's exactly what I'm going to do to the stacks along my shed. I have 2x4's aplenty and might even nail one across the face of the row.