How many rows on pallets

[Eagleknight]

My Enviro Cabello 1200 doesn't have a huge firebox. My ideal cutting length is 14". So now that I have been starting to stack on pallets. I am using the 48" wide pallets. The first row I made I stacked a row on each side then in the middle I threw uglies, but only filled the middle about 3 feet high. This second of pallets row I am stacking 3 rows. I am spacing my pallet rows 4 feet apart. For the most part the middle row is either dead wood that was dry already or ash. In the future I may not have dry wood to stack in the middle. Should I worry about the middle row not seasoning all the way?

 

[the GOAT]

No

 

[NSMaple1]

It won't dry as fast as the outer rows.

Whether that's something to worry about or not would be your call.

 

[zogger]

I do three rows wide, no huge difference. My pallets are up stradling across railroad ties, so plenty of air up and through the stacks. Good place for the smalls, shorts, longs, uglies and already sorta dry wood. I topcover in the winter rainy season, usually put the top cover on the last dry week before I estimate I will start burning.

 

[Ironworker]

I do the identical thing and all is good.

 

[greenskeeper]

I have stacks three pallets deep x 6' high and the stuff buried and against the wall of my garage burns just fine

 

[haveawoody]

3 stack is fine on most wood types.
Center row always takes about 1 1/2 times as long to dry as the outside two.
Things like birch, cotton wood etc that like to dry quick will mold in center row.

Best to do 2 rows if you have the space but 3 will work just more odd dry times for each row and something to keep in mind the center row will always be the least cured wood.

 

[stihly dan]

3 stack is fine on most wood types.
Center row always takes about 1 1/2 times as long to dry as the outside two.
Things like birch, cotton wood etc that like to dry quick will mold in center row.

Best to do 2 rows if you have the space but 3 will work just more odd dry times for each row and something to keep in mind the center row will always be the least cured wood.

I actually find the exact opposite of this. For me all 3 rows are equally dry, although its drying for years and top covered. I also find that birch stays primo in the middle row, any round on the outer row gets wet and punks.

 

[haveawoody]

stihly dan,

I bet you have a good windy location for your stacks so for you the middle row wont be much different than the outer ones.
Usually when someone needs to stack 3 rows it goes hand in hand with cramped conditions so as the stack # grow the air flow declines and the center rows tend to suffer for it.
If planning is good and normal winds are flowing through the stacks all is good, but when a few rows of stacks start blocking that air flow Mr mold sure can show up to the party fast.

Birch here at the best of times is a dry before mold adventure , lots of humidity in my area and not the longest summer so birch for me is always top covered and in the windiest place.

 

[moondoggie]

Just leave a couple of inches between stack when you get a couple of feet up start touching apiece together every 2 or 3 feet. Every foot or so up. Prevents wobbly stacks when you get higher up and allows a bit of airflow in between your stack. Act like a flu pulls in and goes out. (Air)

 

[JRHAWK9]

I also stack on 48" wide pallets. I cut my wood ~20" long though and this leaves me ~8" between stacks when stacking two wide on a pallet. My stacks are 20" wide by 5.5' tall (excluding the height of the pallet). So for every 14' of pallet I have 2 cords.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I gave up using pallets for that reason. I was getting problems with mold and rot in the middle stack.
I don't cover my firewood, have yet to figure out a cheap method that holds up to 70-80mph winds. Gets windy enough that my empty racks get blown across the yard or into the woods.

I made racks that are 5ft wide and problem solved. (Middle row has 6" on either side)

3 stack is fine on most wood types.
Center row always takes about 1 1/2 times as long to dry as the outside two.
Things like birch, cotton wood etc that like to dry quick will mold in center row.

Best to do 2 rows if you have the space but 3 will work just more odd dry times for each row and something to keep in mind the center row will always be the least cured wood.

 

[haveawoody]

ValleyFirewood,

I think it all comes down to location for stacking 3 wide on pallets.
We have a humid spring/summer/fall so for my area I would have the same issues with center row stacks.

Top covers for me are standard, I use clear plastic to allow lots of sun in and easy to staple it to the top of the upright pallets ends.
Main reason for me to top cover is just main rain/snow deflection.
Good and bad in top covers, the stacks stay dryer but long periods of overcast weather and the cover holds moisture in.

Same for me on triple stack pallets, outside rows for me are nice and dry and anything within a foot of the top cover are bone dry.
The center stack 1/3 down and bellow is anything from dry to minor mold signs.

 

[NSMaple1]

My top covering experiments have come around in circle - back to tarp.

It doesn't have to be difficult, and is very cheap. Just get some tarp rolled out over the top of the stack row (cut a big wide one in strips the right size if you don't have the right width), then put another layer of wood on top of it. The top layer of wood holds the tarp in place, and it'll also dry while it's up there too. If you pay attention to how you stack the stack, you can end up with it being higher in the middle than the edges so water will run off.

No tieing, stapling, roping, screwing or anything else.

Last fall I did that, and also tried some roll roofing. Can't find rubber stuff here, only asphalt. Both made it through the winter, but the rolled stuff is showing cracks. The tarp stuff is still in place just the way it was in the fall - and it was a heck of a winter, piles of snow & every snowfall was a blizzard. The top layer of wood will also block most of the sun from sun-damaging the tarp.

Another hint for stacking in rows on pallets - orient the rows so prevailing winds hit the end of the row, as opposed to blowing through the stacks. The rain will only hit the end of the row, and stay out of almost all of the wood. The wind blowing across the ends of the wood will still pull moisture out.

 

[muddstopper]

I use one of those portable carport sheds to stack under. I stack one row about 5ft high down each side and then fill in crossways in the middle. I stack the shed full and it always seems to be dry in the middle and I havent seen any mold so far. This might be because I dont split all of my wood at one time and just fill the shed a little at a time. I would think this probably allows the wood already stacked some time to dry before the next row is stacked in front of it. Shed sits on top of a hill with plenty of wind also.