# Question about putting a roof over the wood pile



## USMC0802 (Sep 30, 2010)

This might get a little long, but I'm trying to get the best, most accurate ideas/solutions.

I'm sick of tarps. Really sick of them. They rip way too easy and after the wind and 5+ inches of rain today, I'm done with them.

I've been doing a lot of searching for ideas on styles, etc on building a structure for the wood.

How much overhang should I leave to protect the wood from blowing wind and snow?

I have about 5 cords outside ready to burn this year, but we put a new stove in and I'm not sure how much we'll be using through the winter yet.

I'm debating on whether or not to put any walls on the structure. 

Right now, a buddy and I cut together and all the wood is going to his place where we'll split, stack, and season it there. Then at some point before the burning season, I'll bring what I'll be burning for the winter to my place. That's the tentative plan at this point. We've quickly accumulated a lot more wood than I think either of us planned on, so I may end up keeping more than just one winter's worth of wood here depending on space at his place.

So, if I have unseasoned wood here, I probably shouldn't have any walls restricting air flow.

The property I own is rectangular with the narrow side being north-south. The wind typically blows west to east, but I don't have room to stack the wood north-south to get the most wind exposure to the stacks.

The pile out there now is stacked in two rows or splits with a gap in between, about 5-6' high, and a little over 40' long. If possible, I'd like to maintain that orientation, but the roof doesn't need to be 40' long. I can stack another row or two of splits and go higher with them if necessary.

These are all images from other threads:

I like this setup, just increase it to hold the wood I need:










http://arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=1310906&postcount=1

This works:




http://arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=996638&postcount=1

But filled like this with wood that needs to season, I don't know if it would be dry enough unless it got more than year to season.





Is this going to restrict air flow too much to dry wood out?




http://arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=2391025&postcount=1

I like the tight stacks and how it's confined to a small space, but I don't see wood seasoning like this:







This looks good as well. Says it holds 5.5 - 6 cords.




http://www.arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=1310066&postcount=34


If possible, I'd to avoid having stacked wood at my place to season that I have to move into a shed and restack later since I'll already be stacking wood at my buddy's place in the fall and then picking it up next year to bring to my place to stack again for that winter.

What to do?


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## Beefie (Sep 30, 2010)

It is all about air flow. If you can get the wind to blow thru it, and keep the rain off the inside rows. You will never keep the rain off the outside row, unless you have a really big overhang , but that gets filled with wood to. All the pics posted are good ideas, it comes down to what you like and fits in your yard.


Beefie


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## USMC0802 (Sep 30, 2010)

Found this one that the wife likes how it looks:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=112592

And the thread about one of the sheds pictured above:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=110909

I'm liking the idea of having the boards staggered on the ends to allow air flow but keep the rain out and having the ability to have a tarp rolled up under the under hang that can be unrolled to protect the front in a rain/snow storm is expected.


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## USMC0802 (Sep 30, 2010)

Beefie said:


> It is all about air flow. If you can get the wind to blow thru it, and keep the rain off the inside rows. You will never keep the rain off the outside row, unless you have a really big overhang , but that gets filled with wood to. All the pics posted are good ideas, it comes down to what you like and fits in your yard.
> 
> 
> Beefie



8' deep north-south is going to be about the max I can go without feeling like it's crowding the back side of the house. I can probably go 60-80 feet long, but I don't want to build a pavilion, I want a woodshed.

I need to get outside with a measuring tape to see if I could put it out at the edge of the property running n-s to get more wind exposure to the length of the stacks rather than the ends.

Here's the most recent pic I have of the pile:





I can build in that area over the wood for sure and I have something in mind for another place to check out. Cripes that bank behind the pile needs some weed killer and work.


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## Alan Smith (Sep 30, 2010)

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=121429&d=1263353393http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=121430&d=1263353449


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## sunfish (Oct 1, 2010)

I stacked my wood out in the weather for years and got sick and tired of it. I built a large wood shed with open sides 10 years ago and life is good.

Dry wood is a wonderful thing


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## USMC0802 (Oct 1, 2010)

sunfish said:


> I stacked my wood out in the weather for years and got sick and tired of it. I built a large wood shed with open sides 10 years ago and life is good.
> 
> Dry wood is a wonderful thing



I'm definitely passed the point of making the decision to build. I'm on to deciding what/how to build.


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## Motodeficient (Oct 1, 2010)

USMC0802 said:


> This works:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What do you think the dimensions are on this design?


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## Jon E (Oct 1, 2010)

The last picture in your first post is my woodshed.

I have it currently stuffed to the rafters, little over 6 cords.

I also replaced the pallets on the end walls with vertical boards, spaced about 1/2" to 1" apart. Gave me more room. The footprint is 8' deep by 16' wide and about 9-1/2' from existing grade to the front roof edge.

If I had the room, I would have made it a bit longer and not as deep - say, 6' deep by 20' or 24' long. Gives more surface area exposed to air.

Anyway, I built mine based partially on ideas I got here. Any roof is a good roof when it comes to drying out the woodpile - it's only a question of design.


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## Winn R (Oct 1, 2010)

An east west orientation will give the south sun on the woodpile, an advantage in drying windblown moisture.

Long and narrow offers advantages over square.

In dry weather I'll pull from that not protected by the overhang. Wet weather is the opposite.


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## USMC0802 (Oct 1, 2010)

I get great sub exposure on everything facing south. With west to east wind, I'm going to benefit more from the sun exposure on the southern most stack? Then I'll build it behind the house where the pike is now and I was thinking 6' deep and as high and long as necessary to get 6-8 cords under it.


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## Blowncrewcab (Oct 1, 2010)

I don't have any good pics but this spring (I was tired of tarps too) I built a wood shed that is 20' x 30' (No Sides), one whole side of the roof is Clear corogated plastic, thats the side the wood gets stacked under  the other side is just galvanized (so I can work in the shade) I have a little over $1k in it, it makes me smile when it's pouring rain and my wood is dry (I did tarps for 8 years) I can back my 16' trailer full of wood under one side, with enough room behind to unload and split, then stack it on the other side with the clear roof  I brought home a few thousand Lbs of wood today (it's backed under it right now)


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## USMC0802 (Oct 1, 2010)

Blowncrewcab said:


> I don't have any good pics but this spring (I was tired of tarps too) I built a wood shed that is 20' x 30' (No Sides), one whole side of the roof is Clear corogated plastic, thats the side the wood gets stacked under  the other side is just galvanized (so I can work in the shade) I have a little over $1k in it, it makes me smile when it's pouring rain and my wood is dry (I did tarps for 8 years) I can back my 16' trailer full of wood under one side, with enough room behind to unload and split, then stack it on the other side with the clear roof  I brought home a few thousand Lbs of wood today (it's backed under it right now)



Sounds awesome, but I don't have that much space to build something that big.


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## BPS. LLC (Oct 1, 2010)

Blowncrewcab said:


> I don't have any good pics but this spring (I was tired of tarps too) I built a wood shed that is 20' x 30' (No Sides), one whole side of the roof is Clear corogated plastic, thats the side the wood gets stacked under  the other side is just galvanized (so I can work in the shade) I have a little over $1k in it, it makes me smile when it's pouring rain and my wood is dry (I did tarps for 8 years) I can back my 16' trailer full of wood under one side, with enough room behind to unload and split, then stack it on the other side with the clear roof  I brought home a few thousand Lbs of wood today (it's backed under it right now)



How durable is the plastic? If properly built would it withstand a good snow storm? I like the idea of a clear roof for when I build my new one!


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## aandabooks (Oct 1, 2010)

Motodeficient said:


> What do you think the dimensions are on this design?



8 X 24. It holds 10.5 cords. The front is 8ft and the back is 6ft. Gives a 2ft slope over 10 foot of steel roof to shed snow and rain. 

It is my shed and has served me well. Total cost with the steel roof upgrade over shingles 3 years ago was right at $350. 

I haven't yet burned more than 7 cords in a winter. So max I will use 2 out of 3 sections worth of wood and the third section gets two years to dry undercover. Refill the two sections that I emptied in the spring and burn the driest wood late in the following winter after I use the two year old stuff first.


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## Oldtimer (Oct 2, 2010)

USMC0802 said:


> I'm definitely passed the point of making the decision to build. I'm on to deciding what/how to build.



Usually, there are "kits" all ready to build at local family owned home centers..

Personally, I wouldn't want open sides, or even semi boarded sides. I'd want a true walled shed with an opening (Doorway/arch) in front that was maybe 4-6 feet wide. I'd let my wood stay out in the sun all summer, and stack it in the shed come fall, all dried. Nothing worse than wood frozen together, covered in snow/ice from the wind..


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## DSS (Oct 2, 2010)

BPS said:


> How durable is the plastic? If properly built would it withstand a good snow storm? I like the idea of a clear roof for when I build my new one!



Those sheets will handle snow. A lot of people use them here, and we get a lot of snow !!!!

There are UV and non UV resistant types, make sure to get the UV stuff.


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## USMC0802 (Oct 2, 2010)

Oldtimer said:


> Usually, there are "kits" all ready to build at local family owned home centers..
> 
> Personally, I wouldn't want open sides, or even semi boarded sides. I'd want a true walled shed with an opening (Doorway/arch) in front that was maybe 4-6 feet wide. I'd let my wood stay out in the sun all summer, and stack it in the shed come fall, all dried. Nothing worse than wood frozen together, covered in snow/ice from the wind..



What about over the winter for seasoning wood? A buddy and I have a lot of wood to split in the next few weeks and it's stuff we want to burn next year. 

Also, when does it go in the shed if it's not going to get any more wind/sun exposure?

If the wood is going to be dry before it goes in the shed, that's fine, but if it's not ready for the stove, it shouldn't be in there, right?


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## Blowncrewcab (Oct 2, 2010)

BPS said:


> How durable is the plastic? If properly built would it withstand a good snow storm? I like the idea of a clear roof for when I build my new one!



I haven't had any snow yet (It doesn't snow much here) but I have had some 60+mph winds, other than some Fluttering sounds it held up great.
I think the closer you put the Batten boards together the higher your snow load rating. it is tuff stuff, we where taking back some extra pieces to home depot, when I took it off the trailer and put it on the cart the wind blew so hard it lifted the plastic, I layed over the piece on the cart and the wind bent it (the plastic sheet) back 180* Basicly folding it in half, when I straightend it back there wasn't a crease mark, thats when I knew it was tough stuff.


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## Oldtimer (Oct 2, 2010)

USMC0802 said:


> What about over the winter for seasoning wood? A buddy and I have a lot of wood to split in the next few weeks and it's stuff we want to burn next year.
> 
> Also, when does it go in the shed if it's not going to get any more wind/sun exposure?
> 
> ...


...


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## woodman44 (Oct 2, 2010)

I am going to get a picture of a very large building on my property and put it up. I am going to use it in a packaged wood business and have to get some ideas on how the wood will do inside a building. It will have all most no sun and very limited air flow but will be very dry. I also have the option to use a old large wood stove in it to heat the area if that would help. Any thoughts?


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## woodman6666 (Oct 2, 2010)

From what you have stated so far I would build a long and kind of narrow maybe 4ft wide and 8ft tall or taller and 24 ft long I would not enclose the sides but would have a watertight roof stack 3rows the full length kind of like the old time corn cribs I still see out in the fields though no one uses them anymore just my 2 cents


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## Blowncrewcab (Oct 2, 2010)

woodman44 said:


> I am going to get a picture of a very large building on my property and put it up. I am going to use it in a packaged wood business and have to get some ideas on how the wood will do inside a building. It will have all most no sun and very limited air flow but will be very dry. I also have the option to use a old large wood stove in it to heat the area if that would help. Any thoughts?




If it gets warm inside and you have some airflow, even Fans to move the air around it will dry wood. if it's just stagnant non moving air it won't be good. the wood you put in it adds moisture to the air, you need to be able to move it out. you can put dry wood into a closed room but fresh cut will take a while since the moisture will hang around.


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