Pallets, Tarps, Sheds, Lean-Tos, and other ?dry? storage

[Whitespider]

Pallets, Tarps, Sheds, Lean-Tos, and other “dry” storage

I just don’t get it…
Since I was in diapers I’ve been around firewood of some sort. Growing up, both the Grandparents had fireplaces; we had a fireplace and a stove on-and-off. The family lake home was heated (when needed) by a fireplace and for many years the cook-stove was wood-fired. Dad rarely used a charcoal grill; instead he had masonry and stone wood-fired outdoor fireplaces. I’ve had a wood-burning appliance of some sort in my home and/or shop since I left the safety of Moms apron strings, and I’ve always had an outdoor fire pit.

Early fall through early winter was always wood harvesting time. We’d head out to the woods after Sunday go-to-meeting and fill the pickup or trailer, haul it home, eat lunch, then split (with a maul) and stack. Once the serious snow came we were done for the season. The firewood we were harvesting wasn’t for use that year; rather we were always harvesting one year ahead. At the lake home we’d harvest whenever it worked out that we were there and the air was cool… again, harvesting at least a year in advance.

In 50-some years I’ve never stored firewood in a shed, or shack, or whatever. We always stacked it in single rows (with enough space to push the mower between), in an open area, and left it uncovered. Dad would lay old fence posts or pipe down to stack the wood on, which worked sometimes, but usually the varmints would tear up the ground under the stacks so the bottom row ended up sitting in dirt anyway. Sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving Dad would put something on top of the stack(s) he planned on using that year… whatever was handy, like old tin, a leaky air mattress, old boards or plywood, etc… just to keep the snow and ice off… the other stacks were left uncovered until shortly before use. I don’t ever remember having wet or rotten firewood, except maybe the bottom row that was sitting in the dirt… and even though we mostly harvested oak, none of it required 2-years to season sitting out in the open, in single rows where lots of sun and air could get to it.

So I don’t get the “woodshed” thing… Where the splits are often stacked end-to-end… Where the firewood doesn’t get the sun… Where the air circulation is at least compromised to some degree…
I still stack my firewood in single rows, in the open, and leave them uncovered. I don’t use old fence posts, pipes, or pallets that just create a home for varmints anymore… I’ve gone to laying a moisture barrier directly on the ground (old vinyl siding works perfect). A couple weeks ago I laid some plastic on top of three stacks, maybe an inch overhang at most, using a few splits to hold it down… I’ve got probably around 8-cord I won’t even bother to cover. My oak was felled last winter, bucked in early spring, split and stacked in late spring… and it’s dry… it burns very well… hot and clean. AND it ain’t even been a full 12 months since it was felled!

 

[slowp]

View attachment 210217View attachment 210218View attachment 210219View attachment 210220

It goes into the shed, eventually. That shed has ventilation from me cutting out sections of plywood between the studs. It heats up IF we have a spell of hot weather and theoretically acts as a kiln instead of a sauna.

Instead of just a row getting ruined if it stays on the ground, it is more like two rows here. That's even with stacking on top of boards.

Ideally, a proper woodshed here has a roof with three sides open. The wood needs protection from our winter horizontal rain events. Just as an example of our damp, we grow moss on the vehicles we drive if they are stored outside.

 

[forestryworks]

Depends on climate I guess.

Average humidity here is around 17%. Don't take long for stuff to dry.

 

[Chud]

I like the woodpile tarps from Northern for covering rows.

 

[mizzou]

I just don’t get it…
Since I was in diapers I’ve been around firewood of some sort. Growing up, both the Grandparents had fireplaces; we had a fireplace and a stove on-and-off. The family lake home was heated (when needed) by a fireplace and for many years the cook-stove was wood-fired. Dad rarely used a charcoal grill; instead he had masonry and stone wood-fired outdoor fireplaces. I’ve had a wood-burning appliance of some sort in my home and/or shop since I left the safety of Moms apron strings, and I’ve always had an outdoor fire pit.

Early fall through early winter was always wood harvesting time. We’d head out to the woods after Sunday go-to-meeting and fill the pickup or trailer, haul it home, eat lunch, then split (with a maul) and stack. Once the serious snow came we were done for the season. The firewood we were harvesting wasn’t for use that year; rather we were always harvesting one year ahead. At the lake home we’d harvest whenever it worked out that we were there and the air was cool… again, harvesting at least a year in advance.

In 50-some years I’ve never stored firewood in a shed, or shack, or whatever. We always stacked it in single rows (with enough space to push the mower between), in an open area, and left it uncovered. Dad would lay old fence posts or pipe down to stack the wood on, which worked sometimes, but usually the varmints would tear up the ground under the stacks so the bottom row ended up sitting in dirt anyway. Sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving Dad would put something on top of the stack(s) he planned on using that year… whatever was handy, like old tin, a leaky air mattress, old boards or plywood, etc… just to keep the snow and ice off… the other stacks were left uncovered until shortly before use. I don’t ever remember having wet or rotten firewood, except maybe the bottom row that was sitting in the dirt… and even though we mostly harvested oak, none of it required 2-years to season sitting out in the open, in single rows where lots of sun and air could get to it.

So I don’t get the “woodshed” thing… Where the splits are often stacked end-to-end… Where the firewood doesn’t get the sun… Where the air circulation is at least compromised to some degree…
I still stack my firewood in single rows, in the open, and leave them uncovered. I don’t use old fence posts, pipes, or pallets that just create a home for varmints anymore… I’ve gone to laying a moisture barrier directly on the ground (old vinyl siding works perfect). A couple weeks ago I laid some plastic on top of three stacks, maybe an inch overhang at most, using a few splits to hold it down… I’ve got probably around 8-cord I won’t even bother to cover. My oak was felled last winter, bucked in early spring, split and stacked in late spring… and it’s dry… it burns very well… hot and clean. AND it ain’t even been a full 12 months since it was felled!

I agree. The only wood that seems to take longer than a year to season properly for me is honey locust and apple. My Grandpa told me you had to season wood outside for a year before putting wood in a shed and the shed should be pretty well open on the sides. I do use oak pallets because I have some. I only cover about a weeks worth if it's going to rain or snow.

 

[Carl Anderson]

I leave my wood outside too and cover what I need for the current burning season but honestly I am considering building a small shed for a few cords and some equipment storage, nothing fancy though. My dad has a bunch of building materials he has collected over the years that he wants gone so I figure what the heck. I don't have a garage and very little space inside for wood storage and it gets to be a pain dealing with tarps covered in snow and ice 2-3 times a week to go get more wood for the house. Plus I only have 2 acres so I end up storing wood in conspicuous places and the tarps don't look the best (but not that bad with the brown or black tarps). If I get to it this year we'll see what I get thrown up. It will probably be a 3 sided structure so it will still get air flow and I can get at the wood easily with the front loader (which also lives outside currently but it's an old 1958 MF Workbull, it likes it outside).

 

[Garmins dad]

Since i was a little fart i can remember my uncle cutting cutting and splitting wood. Then i got older and would help him.. He has a pole.. i'm guessing 8 feet high then out from that he has four poles 4 to 5 feet high. He just tosses his splits around the 8 foot pole and builds a pile.. once oct hits he digs out his tarp and hangs the tarp off the center pole. Then ties the corners of the tarp out to the other poles.. I asked him about air flow and how the wood burns (mostly spruce and pine), He says just fine.. he has been heating this way for 30 plus years.. And here i am the town fool that built a nice shed for the wood to stack in.. I'll use my wife as a excuse. she likes it looking neat.. Personally the stacking drives me nuts.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Woodomaker]

I just don’t get it…
Since I was in diapers I’ve been around firewood of some sort. Growing up, both the Grandparents had fireplaces; we had a fireplace and a stove on-and-off. The family lake home was heated (when needed) by a fireplace and for many years the cook-stove was wood-fired. Dad rarely used a charcoal grill; instead he had masonry and stone wood-fired outdoor fireplaces. I’ve had a wood-burning appliance of some sort in my home and/or shop since I left the safety of Moms apron strings, and I’ve always had an outdoor fire pit.

Early fall through early winter was always wood harvesting time. We’d head out to the woods after Sunday go-to-meeting and fill the pickup or trailer, haul it home, eat lunch, then split (with a maul) and stack. Once the serious snow came we were done for the season. The firewood we were harvesting wasn’t for use that year; rather we were always harvesting one year ahead. At the lake home we’d harvest whenever it worked out that we were there and the air was cool… again, harvesting at least a year in advance.

In 50-some years I’ve never stored firewood in a shed, or shack, or whatever. We always stacked it in single rows (with enough space to push the mower between), in an open area, and left it uncovered. Dad would lay old fence posts or pipe down to stack the wood on, which worked sometimes, but usually the varmints would tear up the ground under the stacks so the bottom row ended up sitting in dirt anyway. Sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving Dad would put something on top of the stack(s) he planned on using that year… whatever was handy, like old tin, a leaky air mattress, old boards or plywood, etc… just to keep the snow and ice off… the other stacks were left uncovered until shortly before use. I don’t ever remember having wet or rotten firewood, except maybe the bottom row that was sitting in the dirt… and even though we mostly harvested oak, none of it required 2-years to season sitting out in the open, in single rows where lots of sun and air could get to it.

So I don’t get the “woodshed” thing… Where the splits are often stacked end-to-end… Where the firewood doesn’t get the sun… Where the air circulation is at least compromised to some degree…
I still stack my firewood in single rows, in the open, and leave them uncovered. I don’t use old fence posts, pipes, or pallets that just create a home for varmints anymore… I’ve gone to laying a moisture barrier directly on the ground (old vinyl siding works perfect). A couple weeks ago I laid some plastic on top of three stacks, maybe an inch overhang at most, using a few splits to hold it down… I’ve got probably around 8-cord I won’t even bother to cover. My oak was felled last winter, bucked in early spring, split and stacked in late spring… and it’s dry… it burns very well… hot and clean. AND it ain’t even been a full 12 months since it was felled!

I stack in single rows too.....I use steel ibeams, laying on its side, between two trees, and stack thereon....bottom rows stay dry. Cover with old shower curtains, tarps, etc.

 

[thepheniox]

I have two years worth of wood out at my friends farm.

In the spring while it's still cool out I'll fill my woodshed. The wood is already seasoned. Just sits in the shed staying dry for the summer. I live in the city and built the shed so it looks nicer for the neighbors. The wood is so dry that when I fill up the shed the neighbor asks where all the wood went that was in the shed last year. He sees no smoke all winter. I guess I'm doing something right because the furnace only will kick in a couple times a winter.

 

[Marc]

Around here (central Mass), woodsheds are the exception, from what I can tell.

Most everyone does it like you. Stack outside, air dry. You'll get as many opinions on seasoning time as people you ask, but it's pretty typical to season uncovered, in the elements, then cover up one year's worth in the early fall of that year with tarps, OSB, or whatever you have handy.

The sheet metal carport things are getting more popular around here because they're cheap, apparently. But I think they're hideous, don't last and are largely unnecessary anyway.

 

[LFEngineering]

As a newcomer to the wood burning scene I've spent days reading about everyone's stacking & storage methods. I also spent a good amount of time planning my wood storage / splitting area. The plan was to keep 1 year of wood split & stacked a on pallets covered with tin roofing and 1.5 years worth, unprocessed ready to be cut, split & stacked over summer after the rest went up the chimney. It was a great idea until I got 4+ cords of free "side of the road" wood from the Oct 31st snow storm. Like many of us here stopping to pick up free wood is a no-brainier, especially when its cut to 18" lengths and the rounds are stacked by the curb. The only problem is I've had to throw my plan right out the window. I've stacked wood everywhere and I've now restored to just throwing it into a huge pile. I was worried what would happen with out it being stacked, but Thankfully after reading this thread I feel I have little to worry about.

 

[greendohn]

I love my wood shed

love my wood shed. I need to figure out better air flow, it's a work in progress. hate diggin' my wood outta' the snow. used to do the "cover the top" only routine. as wood ash becomes acidic when met with water, i wasn't liking the idea of the ends of my wood being snow-ice encrusted and tossin' in the OWB. doesn't make sense to encourage even the remote possibility of a corrosive environment in my burner. I like to stack my wood also. I think it keeps things neat and organized and helps me to take stock of what's on hand. My shed has electricity and a little weather radio. I have been known to hang out in my wood shed during winter storms, slurrpin' a cold one, listening to my little radio. Life is good. When i was burning wood in the house, I would pack wood into the wood bin, holding a weeks worth of wood. Having the wood bin next to the fire place/insert, those ice-snow packed ends had plenty of time to dry, adding a little moisture to the indoor air as well, life was good then, also. Each to their own. It doesn't need to make sense to me what another guy is doin' ,,or how he does it...heck, I don't even need to understand it..long as it's workin'..

 

[zogger]

A good woodshed is sort of a combo building. It holds the wood, plus some of your other junk. Mostly....it keeps snow and ice off *easily*. Here where I live now, snow accumulation is negligible, so I just use plastic on the top of the stacks, not the sides. Whereas, if I were to move back up into the "multiple feet at a time, plus ice" zone, I would build a woodshed. The garage is for cars and saws and stuff like that, and is real weatherproof, the shed is for wood and the ancillary stuff that doesn't need quite so much protection beyond a roof, your tractor/lawnmower, splitter if you have one, etc.


The most impressive, bar none, wood burning operation I have been involved with (at a private level, wood shops and factories are a whole nuther level) was a dairy farm I worked at. Numerous buildings, starting at one end with the house, the far end was the concrete floor silage feeding huge long bunker building, all connected with walkways or tractor ways, so no need to go outside much in the winter (up in maine), for the operation to run day in and day out. Milking parlor, bulk tank room, carpentry wood working room, machine shop/garage, free stall barn. Hay barn off to the side.

Included was a big indoor woodshed, that held multiple years worth of wood, for two heaters and the kitchen cookstove that got fed. Walkway from the house, then the woodshed, then onto the other buildings. I really can't say how many cords were stacked in there, IIRC three year's worth a fair good bit. Wood was cut year round when "spare" time was handy, which isn't a lot on a dairy farm. If the snow was too gnarly deep for the tractors, the crawler got used to move logs and wood. So, they were always a few years ahead, it was seasoned OK after that time. There were some windows that got opened in nicer dry weather (so mostly opened all the time). The wood was outside in the round cut up until splitting, but then right into the shed.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Pallets Make Sense

Of them all, I think pallets under a stack make the most sense. Get the wood off the ground so that it won't freeze there. Tarps make little sense in Nebraska and other midlands states because they hold moisture in. Tarps might make some sense elsewhere if you have an unusual amount of precip (ice, heavy snow, rainfall, etc.).

This year I brought in 30 pallets and they already have paid off because of the wet snow and then very cold weather. The bottom layers of logs in the stack were still easy to remove. Last year they were already frozen solid to the ground.

 

[sbowman871]

Let it all hang out

Here are my piles. Pics taken a few weeks ago. I'm about 1/2 of a cord short of what I would burn in 2 years. I don't plan to cover anything. Since I don't burn wood in the winter (camping only), I let it all hang out. A few days before I go canping, I load up the black pickup with the tondeau cover on it, and leave it in there to dry out any surface moisture. I will cover my pile at the campground if we are expecting rain. Works for me. :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

View attachment 210250View attachment 210251

 

[CTYank]

I take my cue from the best practices of the lumber industry- as possible some sort of cover over all lumber being air-dried. Mainly, because you want it dry. That's my goal.

Some stacks are impractical to cover now, but they're for a year or more in the future.

About a year and a half's worth are either top-covered with tarps or in a little half-cord stovewood shed. Open to airflow and facing south.

Then, a few weeks stacked next to the stove, in a sort of cool-kiln, and the MC takes a dive.

 

[dhopkins55]

Yep, pallets is what I stack my wood on after it's cut & split. Keep it out in the open, where the wind and sun can do their magic. I have a friend down the road who makes pallets for businesses and when he gets older ones in to recycle, he just lets me have whatever I want. Anything more "sophisticated" than that is beyond me.:smile2::smile2:

 

[Whitespider]

 

[sbowman871]

Kinda reminds me when a buddy and I walked into a "gentleman's club": "Those are some awsome stacks!"

Rep on the way

 

[cnice_37]

Seems like a nice flat yard with tons of open space. Your story may change if you were a wood burner in a different location and couldn't effectively season like you show. Also, if you can't store say a weeks worth, or even a few days worth, of wood in a nice dry spot then you're cursing those damn snow covered piles every time you trek out there.

Myself, for example, would love a wood shed. We live on a little over an acre, with the majority of the flat section in front/ sides of the house. These locations don't lend themselves well to sunlight nevermind the aesthetics of having 10 cords of wood (about 2 years worth) fencing in your yard. This year I've started storing about 1/3 cord in the basement but in years past it was stored on the back deck with a little covered unit I made that held maybe 1/2 face cord (1/6 of a cord.) That amount of wood during Jan/Feb made me have to fill it twice a week and the ends would be soggy. Oh yeah, snow covered tarps aren't much fun.

This spring I will build a shed for my tractor, other stuff, and have 2 open ends with a roof to move the next year's batch in to stay covered. Season outside the shed, move in to the shed when its time is up.