Cord wood stacking

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AZRanger

AZRanger

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Neighbor
Joined
Aug 20, 2022
Messages
5
Location
Arizona
Hey all.
I've cut, stacked and burned cord wood off and on over the years, and I'm about to stack another cord for the season.
I've never found a good way to place the bottom rows though.
If I stack directly on the ground the bottom rows get mouldy, termite infested etc.
If I stack using pallets or such for dunnage it creates a great home for packrats.
What good options work for you?
 
AZRanger said:
Hey all.
I've cut, stacked and burned cord wood off and on over the years, and I'm about to stack another cord for the season.
I've never found a good way to place the bottom rows though.
If I stack directly on the ground the bottom rows get mouldy, termite infested etc.
If I stack using pallets or such for dunnage it creates a great home for packrats.
What good options work for you?
Click to expand...
We always placed on a tarp, and then made sure it was under cover as well.
 
Dani said:
We have iron type rods balanced with concrete blocks to keep the wood off the ground. If not up off the ground, it will rot.
Click to expand...
I guess it depends on your environment and how fast you go through a cord. Nevertheless, I had deer mice or rats living in an old stack one summer. Little bassers. Yes, the wood had quite decayed. Removed it since the chimney isn’t worth a fire anyway.
Maybe stacking on a slight incline on the tarp would work.
Does concrete provide a good surface?
 
Patchouli said:
I guess it depends on your environment and how fast you go through a cord. Nevertheless, I had deer mice or rats living in an old stack one summer. Little bassers. Yes, the wood had quite decayed. Removed it since the chimney isn’t worth a fire anyway.
Maybe stacking on a slight incline on the tarp would work.
Does concrete provide a good surface?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't rely on keeping any wood on the ground around here no matter what you tried to help it along. We are very humid and very wet certain times of the year,
You gotta figure out your own situation on what works and what doesn't.
 
AZRanger said:
Hey all.
I've cut, stacked and burned cord wood off and on over the years, and I'm about to stack another cord for the season.
I've never found a good way to place the bottom rows though.
If I stack directly on the ground the bottom rows get mouldy, termite infested etc.
If I stack using pallets or such for dunnage it creates a great home for packrats.
What good options work for you?
Click to expand...
We used two methods, the first was easy, I brought home junk pallets and made a row, come spring the pallets became kindling for the next year. the next method wasn't as stable, I put a row of cinder blocks down and put a layer of scrap lumber on top, but I had to drive some bed rails in the ground on each end to hold stuff steady. picking up a fallen woodpile in the cold sucks! pack rats/sewer rats are easy. make the ground clearance big enough a cat can get in there, even if you don't have one, they won't nest there.
 
I got a couple of old bee houses. Tipped them on their side and covered the new roof with tin. One is bigger than the other, but the two hold four cords stacked tight. Perfect for one years worth.

Wood rats are an ongoing problem.
 
A metal rack worked for me in Show Low, high enough off the concrete carport slab to permit sweeping underneath with a broom... however, I had a Camry in the carport, might not work with a full-sized truck or SUV. :rolleyes:
 
We place ours on pallets and cover with a tarp. We have no packrats in our neck of the woods, so that's has never been an issue. However, red squirels do make homes in the interior of the wood pile. That's really not an issue either. They skedaddle when I start removed firewood close to their nest.
1661703669101.png
 
I have a base of gravel and place a couple 2x4s down on top of the gravel. No issues with little critters in my neck of the woods.
 
I'll use just about anything. Most everything I list below was either free or damn cheap.

Wood pallets - just throw down some Tomcat (or other brand) bait chunks underneath if you want varmint control.
Nestable Plastic pallets - They sink into the ground a little but work well.
Scrap lumber - When I'm at a lumber yard, I check their scrap piles for 2x2's or 2x4's. They're either free or darn near it.
Other materials (I normally find on Craigslist or auctions). My favorite find is fiberglass ladder rails (prior to the ladder being built). They're incredibly strong, lay relatively flat to the ground and last darn near forever.
 
Wingnut said:
Holy Toledo!!! That's a LOT of firewood, lol... :oops:
Click to expand...
Not really. I'm betting part of it goes for outdoor BBQ and get togethers like it does here. My uncle cooks outdoors every day!
 
Mom was a "Badventist" too! Dad was a Baptist, I hung out with Mormons at one point, then I went Pagan! :D

Funny thing. everybody but Catholics thinks the Pope is 666, but taking Occam's razor to it, the "devil? LOL" would be trying to take out his biggest enemy first. Oh well. Religion, race and politics...*sigh*

When I get another crock pot, I'm going mostly vegan IF I can get the grains and legumes I like here. 1 ounce of meat can flavor a gallon of soup after all.
 
Magus said:
Plastic pallets too, forgot those!
Click to expand...
Plastic pallets do hold up longer than wood pallets. But my work won't give the plastic ones away for nothing. Wood pallets however are free. As are caged IBC totes, after the containment is damaged anyway.
 
Like this.

  • Zoro #:     G8458177
  • Mfr #: RACX FDA APPROV

Z_xJ_uocpIx_.JPG

$148.28
  • Item: Pallet
  • Pallet Type: Rackable
  • Pallet Material: Polyethylene
  • Length: 48 in
  • Width: 40 in
  • Height: 6 1/8 in
  • Static Load Capacity: 25,000 lb
  • Dynamic Load Capacity: 5,000 lb
See full prod
 
joel said:
Like this.

  • Zoro #:     G8458177
  • Mfr #: RACX FDA APPROV

Z_xJ_uocpIx_.JPG

$148.28
  • Item: Pallet
  • Pallet Type: Rackable
  • Pallet Material: Polyethylene
  • Length: 48 in
  • Width: 40 in
  • Height: 6 1/8 in
  • Static Load Capacity: 25,000 lb
  • Dynamic Load Capacity: 5,000 lb
See full prod
Click to expand...
Damn. That's kinda expensive. Though that is the new price I assume.
 
Griz78 said:
Damn. That's kinda expensive. Though that is the new price I assume.
Click to expand...
Yes, but it is cheaper than iron or aluminum I beam.
I have 4 inch angle X 1/4 X 16 feet, painted orange, that I am not using..
 
joel said:
Yes, but it is cheaper than iron or aluminum I beam.
I have 4 inch angle X 1/4 X 16 feet, painted orange, that I am not using..
Click to expand...
Check out market place and Craigslist. I've seen caged IBC totes fairly cheap on there.
 
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