Rotting Wood

[hausfire]

I have a question for anyone out there. I have been stockpiling wood at my brother in laws house. He lives 800 ft into the woods and I store it in his back yard. The question is do I need to stack it on treated wood, pallets or just regular 2 bys. Or do I need to put it on anything at all? Will it rot that fast I am using it this year and next year. Thanks .
Eric

 

[sredlin]

best thing is to keep it off the ground so it does not suck up moisture

 

[urhstry]

I agree. Keeping it off the ground is the most important fact. Doesn't matter how.

 

[alderman]

A humble opinion

I used to go through the trouble of stacking it off the ground but I've found it to be a pita. Now I put it right on the ground and as long as I keep the top covered and use it within a couple of years it does fine. The bottom row gets a bit damp and will get punky over time, but the rest of it does fine. I use a lot of Alder which is notorious for going bad quickly and don't have any problem as long as it gets used within a couple of years.

When I move my wood to the wood shed I put the damp pieces on top of the pile and they dry quickly and are ready to burn within a couple of weeks.

Fir and Hemlock will resist going bad for a longer period of time.

I might add that out here on the West coast we will have rain most of the time from October through June so this is probably as extreme as it gets for trying to season wood.

:agree2:

 

[Mike PA]

I grab 1-2" branches and lay two parallel rows and stack on that. Mix in a few rocks to make sure that the stack is steady, and it works great. Keeps that lower row dry. I think it helps a lot.

 

[Zodiac45]

It's always better if you can keep it up off the ground. Air circulation and all that. It also depends on the species conserning the rot question. White birch for example is a fast rotter if you don't split it. The bark is thick and holds water in. Lasts almost twice as long if split but hardly more then a year if not. Other species are not so bad.

 

[Austin1]

Yep as metioned above keep it off the ground and you will be okay, I use pallets to keep my wood off the ground. I have 4 full pallets stacked about 6 feet tall and then have a bunch running down the side of the garage that I have cut in half 6 in total stacked about 5' tall. I do find that Pine,Fir and Spruce last at least two years. But Birch, Poplar, Maple okay not real Maple It's Manitoba or Box Elder seem to attract UN wanted critters such as big Ass Wood ants and mice?
You can hear the ant's pop in the fire!

 

[habanero]

I agree with Alderman. I don't bother messing with trying to stack wood on branches, blocks, etc. What Dad did for years, and what I still do, is stack the wood right on the ground-using the biggest pieces as the bottom of the stack. I just leave that layer right on the ground as I use the wood off the stack. Then, in the spring I peel up the ones off the ground and put them on top of the first part of the stack I'll start on the next fall. By fall, they are washed free of dirt and debris and are plenty dry and ready to burn. Note I don't cover the top of my stacks either, but if you're so inclined just leave the dirty wood uncovered for a few good rain storms and it will be cleaned up fine. Then cover as you normally would.

 

[allthegross]

stack it bracket

i like to use these. i did not get presure treated 2x4 and this is the third year using them. They are in great shape im sure to get a few more years out of the boards and the brackets will last forever. I have them one 16ft 2x4 with 2x4x5 on the ends.

<a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff19/ALLTHEGROSS/?action=view&current=100_0785.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff19/ALLTHEGROSS/100_0785.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

http://www.drillspot.com/products/311988/Seymour_30-360_Stack_IT_Bracket_Set

 

[Dok]

i like to use these. i did not get presure treated 2x4 and this is the third year using them. They are in great shape im sure to get a few more years out of the boards and the brackets will last forever. I have them one 16ft 2x4 with 2x4x5 on the ends.

I use those for stacking on concrete- works terrific! For my stacks on bare dirt I put two 2x4's down and drive a t-post on either end. Keeps the bottom row from rotting.
Dok

 

[TJ-Bill]

Pallets work well also..

 

[hausfire]

we guys thanks I got plenty of ideas and im using ALLTHEGROSS 's man thanks I have never seen them that cheap s I bought 4
thanks again

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

Yeah I like keeping it off the ground also. I use landscape timbers and t-posts and pallets. Works well for me.

 

[flewism]

Just pallets and T-posts,

 

[bowtechmadman]

I leave mine right on the ground...if it rots so be it...just adding the nutrients back to the ground.

 

[peterc38]

Pallets work well also..

That's what I use and it is easy enough to get free ones if you look around

 

[TallElf]

I had some left over treated timbers from the last home owners escapades, along with a bunch of pallets that I picked up for free. as the pallets deteriorate I have sacrificed them to the bonfire gods and run up to the feedmill at the end of the road. :deadhorse:

 

[AOD]

Mix of pallets and wolmenized 4x4 scraps that are too short for anything else. Old crappy pallets become kindling.

 

[turnkey4099]

Just finished moving wood into my back porch for the winter. Lasst rick moved was half way under the eave of the woodshed, thus catching all the drainage. top not covered, bottom on the ground and had been there for 2 years. Species Willow. Bottom layer almost as dry as the rest of the stack (which was bone dry) and only minor rot starting. Haven't bothered stacking off the ground ever.

Worst "problem" with on-the-ground stacking is the bottom layer has a film of dirt. A narrow piece of bark scrapes that off.

If you are going to use the wood after at most one winter season of 'in the stack', don't worry about it.


Harry K