Firewood stacking

[Kent Adams]

Rich Riddle's post about getting ready for winter has me thinking of buying some firewood. I'm going to purchase 2 cords of wood, higher than the typical amount I purchase each winter but I thought, what the hey, might as well have the wood season over the next couple of years for what I don't use this year. Typically, I store about 1/4 of a cord in my carport, but this is too much to store there and have any room to bring in the cars so I'm going to store it along a privacy fence in my yard.

I was just going to put up a stacking base using some cinder blocks and landscape timbers. Does anyone see a problem with that? I could make some half lap joints out of the timber and just use the timber instead of the cinder blocks but since the timbers are only 3 inch or so in thickness, I'm not sure that's enough ground clearance.

[Todd Burch]

Use the cinder blocks and your landscapes timber will love you for it. And they will last many more seasons than if they were sitting on the ground. I would just butt them. You could, however, stagger the joints if you are making a long run. I would be tempted, with 2 cords, to make back-to-back stacks (2 or more rows deep). You could alternate using a given row each year, always using the oldest row first.

Also consider leaving enough room behind your stack to get your mower through in the summer.

[Lee Schierer]

You will also want to cover the wood to keep it dry, otherwise it will just decay.

[daryl moses]

I use landscape timbers, p/t 2x4's or whatever is lying around. As long as your firewood isn't making ground contact it will last for two or three years.
I built a firewood rack with a roof that sits just outside my basement door that will hold a couple of weeks worth of wood and replenish it when necessary.
I don't use anything elaborate for my large firewood stack, but do keep the top covered with corrugated tin weighted down with cinder blocks.

[Ken Massingale]

You will also want to cover the wood to keep it dry, otherwise it will just decay.

Absolutely. These (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_tarps-canopies-shelters+tarps+wood-pile-tarps) are sized specifically for stacked firewood.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Absolutely. These (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_tarps-canopies-shelters+tarps+wood-pile-tarps) are sized specifically for stacked firewood.

Those tarps look nice, but don't use them as pictured. You don't want to cover the sides of the stacks. The wood won't dry and the tarps will retain much more moisture underneath keeping the wood from drying out.

[Malcolm McLeod]

...room behind your stack to get your mower through in the summer.

+1 And particularly don't use the fence for support. The termites and carpenter ants love people who do.

[Kent Adams]

Absolutely. These (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_tarps-canopies-shelters+tarps+wood-pile-tarps) are sized specifically for stacked firewood.

Just bought a few of these, thanks for the tip.

[Yonak Hawkins]

You don't want to cover the sides of the stacks.

This is why I use old pieces of tin I got from the recycle place.

[Anthony Whitesell]

+1 And particularly don't use the fence for support. The termites and carpenter ants love people who do.

I never understood why people stack the wood right against the side of their house. Between the ants, termites, mice, squirrels, and chipmunks why not just leave the door open or burn down the house and save time.

[Ole Anderson]

I stack in a 5x7 covered rack up against my house, 35 years now, but the house at that location is entirely brick. No problems. Spiders and a stray chipmunk is all I have to deal with. I also keep 1.5 face cords for next season under my elevated deck as well as 6-8 armfuls in a steel circular rack in my garage. Wood get staged from below the deck to beside the garage to inside the garage to the fireplace. I go through about a face cord a year. And about 3 bags of marshmallows.