Just joining - stack or pile

[VernonFirewood]

I have recently started my own small firewood operation out of greenville sc. I love the site. I have a ? is it better stack or pile split wood for drying. And is stacking just going to cost me more in labor?

 

[Wismer]

Vernon I asked the same question just a week or so ago on here and the answer i recieved was piled wood will create a vaccum type effect causing air to flow in the sides and up through the pile drying just as effectivly as stacking it. Stacking it will just add up your labor costs. Make your piles short and wide instead of tall

 

[livewire]

Just keep it off the ground!!!!

This is easier when you stack it as opposed to pile it.

(some may disagree though)

 

[VernonFirewood]

Is the stacking on pallets rather than piling on pallets worth the extra labor.

 

[livewire]

If it were me...

...I'd think about offering a "stacked" price separate from the "dropped" price. That'll cover the labor of a kid or two stacking.

 

[VernonFirewood]

How long do i dry the stacked wood lifted up off the ground by a pallet of cement blocks, before putting it in my three sided storage shed with partail air-flow and sitting on pallets.

 

[livewire]

How long do i dry the stacked wood lifted up off the ground by a pallet of cement blocks, before putting it in my three sided storage shed with partail air-flow and sitting on pallets.

Hey Vernon! Check your PM's

 

[logbutcher]

Personal or Commercial Operation ?

Commercial: don't waste the effort stacking...move it once. Sell it. Cut in winter, split it, let it sit in the open sun, sell it seasoned next Fall.

Personal firewood: look up the plans for simple. cheap, easy build woodsheds.
Ours is a pole shed 20' X 10' covered in corregated fibreglass roofing. Capacity near 5 split cords stacked tight. Poles are ~ 8" to 12" DBH softwoods. Floor is free scrap oak pallets. Total cost: close to $100. for the roof , spikes, 2X4's for bracing. Could have used more poles but got lazy. The rest of our firewood , 1/2 cord, goes in the covered wood storage next to the house near the stoves.

 

[VernonFirewood]

so it is alright to put the green wood straight into my woodshed, as described above, with out leaving it stacked outside to cure? Is it alright since in the shed the wood will not receive sunlight just air flow from one open side? How long, if in the shed, will the wood the wood take to dry?

 

[lawson's tree s]

i throw all my wood in a pile then when its time to load it i got a loader with a rock bucket on it to load the trucks.

 

[VernonFirewood]

Hey Treeco

can u anwser my ? from post#11

 

[Schultzz]

We sell firewood year round. Most of it goes into a kiln so it doesn't sit around too long. Spicies such as hickory, oak, elm, hard maple, beech, etc. season better when stacked. Never stack wood directly on the ground. The weight from the wood will push it into the earth and will attract bugs, dirt, ants, rot. Cover the top with a piece of metal if you have it, and keep the sides open so the wind, heat, and sun will dry it quicker. Red oak can take up to 2 years to season properly. Most of our wood goes to restaurants.

 

[VernonFirewood]

Stack wood in field on pallets to dry then put in shed our put directly in shed

Im cutting the wood this spring and summer to sell this winter. I do have a way to sell and burn the most seasoned first. The shed is covered so the wood will recieve little sunlight. It does have one open side and the wood is lifted off the ground by pallets so it will recieve air-flow, but i am not sure how much air-flow the wood in the back of the shed will recieve. in this scenario do u think the wood will be seasoned enough to sell this coming winter.There is a hot climate here in summer but a little humid. Opinions please.

 

[Rick Alger]

stack or pile

If you're aiming to sell this as seasoned wood, I urge you to stack it in a single stack well off the ground. Even with this method it takes three or four months to dry, preferably six. Wood dries from the ends in to the center. If the ends are not exposed to sun and wind the wood doesn't dry.

For confirmation, ask a guy who stacks hardwood lumber at a mill.

 

[VernonFirewood]

Rick

So ur sayin i should stack the wood on pallets outside at my wood yard and then after it has seasoned move it again and stack it in my wood shed?

 

[Hozer]

Getting wood up off the ground is a good idea. I can't so I pile it on the highest, best drained spot the Sun can get at.

 

[livewire]

Too many variables, Vernonfirewood!

What species are you dealing with? The more dense the species (hardwood) the longer it will need to season properly. Some people season hardwoods for 2 years before it goes into their shed.

Secondly, I know you said that this is wood that you plan on selling but the methods you're asking about make it sound like nothing more than home use or at the very least a small scale firewood operation.

I split and stack (softwood) off the ground, under cover (to keep rain off). I used all the wood I split LAST YEAR for this years use. The wood I split up THIS YEAR will be ready for the next burn season.

If I had a generously sized woodshed close to my house I would rotate my "ready to burn" wood into it for the the winter. Then I'd have a stack(s) of "almost ready to burn" and a stack(s) of newly split kept out in the yard off the ground. That is MY ideal rotation and does not mean it'll be ideal for you and your situation.

If you have doubts that your wood is seasoned or not, pick up a moisture meter and check it's progress.

If you're really selling this wood I wouldn't worry about the woodshed. To each his own. Ultimately you will have to determine what will work for YOU and what will not.

Good luck!

 

[Rick Alger]

Once it is seasoned, you can sell it as seasoned directly from the first stack. For your own use, yes, re-stack it in the shed.

 

[VernonFirewood]

Thanks

Thanks u guys those ideas really help and thanks arboristsite.com i love ur site.