Firewood storage question

[oxbow]

Hi, I’m a new member, and I have a question about storing firewood.

I’m looking for ideas for an effective and cheap way to make racks for stacking cord wood in face cord lots. I expect to be cutting a fair amount of trees (long story, maybe topic for another post) and I’m considering making the wood available for sale.

The wood will be outside with no shelter, but easily accessible to load into a truck. I want to keep the bottoms of the stacks off the ground, have the framework be modular (easily added onto), and each module hold one face cord. Also, a means to cover the stacks and discourage theft.

Has anyone come up with something that’s easy to build, not too expensive, and will hold up for several seasons?

 

[Soilarch]

Pallets,
Forklift, Front-end loader tractor
Tarps,
Loud dog, loud shotgun, or a nudist grandmother

 

[Mike PA]

nudist grandmother

Nice. I guess that would do it. Hope you haven't learned this from experience.

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

I use pallets which I get free, with T post on the ends. Also I'll use landscape timbers if I can get them on sale for 2.49 each. I don't know what kind of fences they have around you but around me they have a lot of 6' wood fences. As people replace them I ask if I can have the old 4x4 post. I've picked up about 50 in the last few months for free. Good luck.

 

[leon]

wood, wood and not a stick or woodchuck to burn

Hi, I’m a new member, and I have a question about storing firewood.

I’m looking for ideas for an effective and cheap way to make racks for stacking cord wood in face cord lots. I expect to be cutting a fair amount of trees (long story, maybe topic for another post) and I’m considering making the wood available for sale.

The wood will be outside with no shelter, but easily accessible to load into a truck. I want to keep the bottoms of the stacks off the ground, have the framework be modular (easily added onto), and each module hold one face cord. Also, a means to cover the stacks and discourage theft.

Has anyone come up with something that’s easy to build, not too expensive, and will hold up for several seasons?

=================================================

=================================================

No building with a "Holzhauzen" wood round house other than using th ewood itself.

Use heavy plastic sheet on the ground and start your wood pile by either using pails for the center or making a wheel of split wood and raising it higher untill the pile can hold wood if you have no pails and continue doing this until you have reached comfortable stacking height/cord/face cord and stop the beauty of it is you do not have to reach in to get wood, it is right there in front of you all the time everytime until it is gone.

Start on the next round and fill it the same way following around the first ring until its filled up.

Keep adding circles of firewood until you reach the edge of the plastic sheet or add more sheet until you have the size wooden round house you have room for.

I use pails for the center to start the round and leave them there.

All you need to do is decide if you want to cover it. I will be building small holzhauzens to fit under commercial grade heavy woven water proof semi-trailer tarp this year as I have plenty of room now that the two box elders are gone out of the back yard.


leon opcorn:

 

[Hlakegollum]

Pallets work good for the base, but they rot after time. I made a base using the better wood from a couple of decks I replaced for some friends. If you can cover it, even better. I found just a roof is best, open sides let the wind blow thru.

 

[Joshlaugh]

I use pallets for the base to stack wood on and t-posts work great on the ends to keep your stacks from falling over.

 

[Mr. Obvious]

Cheapest method. Get some 1x6x16 foot oak or poplar fencing boards for $6 each and lay them about a foot apart. Stack your wood and put a couple of metal fence posts on each end. Easy to add more at any time.

Also I put 8 foot landscape timbers on top of concrete blocks. Blocks on each end and one in the middle. Can make it as long as you want by adding them 8 foot at a time end to end. Landscape timbers are 2.50 to 3.00 apiece and blocks are 1 dollar each. This is a little more money but the wood is 8-10 inches off the ground. Also use fence posts on each end.

 

[porta mill]

I think this might help . but I cannot figure out how to post the add off of craigslist.go to craiglist, Pennsylvania, wilkes-barre Scranton ,materials for sale.feb 28 HEAVY DUTY STACKING SHELVES. Sorry I cannot post the pics of the add of craigslist. but any way help this helps

 

[oxbow]

Thanks for all the replies, some good ideas there. I like the idea of being able to add piles as wood accumulates. I had not priced landscape timbers or blocks. If I drive the t-posts in so the tops are 4' above the base and 8' apart, it will make it easy to stack the wood in face cords. Thanks again.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Thanks for all the replies, some good ideas there. I like the idea of being able to add piles as wood accumulates. I had not priced landscape timbers or blocks. If I drive the t-posts in so the tops are 4' above the base and 8' apart, it will make it easy to stack the wood in face cords. Thanks again.

You forgot to mention one important thing.

How much land (square feet) do you have available for storing the firewood that you intend to colect?

 

[oxbow]

Wood Doctor:
I have 40 acres of wooded, undeveloped land, there is about 230 feet of frontage next to my house which is easily accessible from the County road. So I could put the stacks in an area 200 feet wide by 200 feet deep (or greater) with easy access.
Among other plans, I am considering "reclaiming" a neglected apple orchard which is about 5 acres. This has grown up with mostly ash and maple, the largest trees are 10 - 12 inches diameter (plus a lot of brush, honeysuckle, etc.) I'm considering clearing the trees and brush from the orchard, cutting the trees into firewood and stacking it near the road in face cord piles with a "for sale, you-haul" sign on it.
Also have about five acres wooded land which has been flooded due to a beaver dam on adjoining property. Standing timber is dying. This area is far from the road, but I may try to drag some of those trees up for firewood also.

 

[City Slicker]

Steel siding?

I used to stack in rows and cover with old steel barn siding thats 4X12', pitched to one end for water to drain off. Now I have a 14X26' lean-to that is open on three sides, I stack wood under. I run the log splitter under it and it protect me from cold winter winds.

 

[johncinco]

I see these around here now. I dunno about the plastic, maybe that could be left off until you need to move it.

 

[avalancher]

Someone posted a link on here awhile back about some huge vinyl pieces to be used to cover wood cheap. They were basically pieces of billboard signs that had been taken down when the ad was changed, the poster had bought them and used them to cover firewood with good results.
Anyone remember anything about this?

 

[cjcocn]

Someone posted a link on here awhile back about some huge vinyl pieces to be used to cover wood cheap. They were basically pieces of billboard signs that had been taken down when the ad was changed, the poster had bought them and used them to cover firewood with good results.
Anyone remember anything about this?

Doesn't ring a bell.

I do know that the tarp-like covers used to cover lifts of lumber work well for covering firewood. The lumberyards around here just throw them away so every once in a while I will go in and ask them to save me a few. I take a few coffees with me when I go in.

 

[TreePointer]

I vaguely remember that, so I searched for "billboard." I think this was the discussion:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=80139

 

[thejdman04]

The best theft deterant is to stacvk the pile near a home or where somone will be around. Put pallets, mulch anything down to keep it off of the ground. I never cover my wood pile, if you season it well you dont need to cover it in my opinion.