Why did I stack firewood so high?
I had purchased a steeI structure specifically for housing my wood supply so as you would expect, I was trying to store as much wood as possible under one roof using the limited space. Since the roof supports were about 8′ off the ground, I thought why not stack as high as I could?
How I did it and lessons learned. A few tips:
1. First, from the pics you can see I used 2X4’s held together with steel brackets. I made sure the bottom boards were as level as possible.
2. Be particular when choosing which logs to stack. Longer pieces on the bottom as best you can.
3. Do not stack any short, gnarly pieces (save them for another pile).
4. Take a little more time to “build” the wall of wood as opposed to quickly stacking it. Just a few seconds more for each log is all you may need to secure each piece alongside and on top of the others….shaking each log a bit as you “nestle” it alongside/on top of the others.
5. Maintain the stack too. After every 3′ or so, I used a level to make sure the stack was not leaning front or back, adjusting by knocking in the pieces to make sure the stack was plumb. Also, periodically, as you and your friends are checking out how cool your wall of wood looks, you may need to adjust certain logs that may be slowly working themselves away from the stack. I used an old 2×4 piece to poke the log(s) back into the pile (see pic). Sounds like it is a lot of work but it really doesn’t take much more time than usual.
Some benefits of doing it this way:
Space saver: I was able to stack approximately 2 ½ cords (2 rows 7 ½’ high) in a small, confined area.
Seasoning: There is more wood exposed for quicker seasoning via air exposure.
Easier to re-stock: Because of the “sections or partitions” of 2×4’s, I could take from one section while keeping the others intact which then enabled me to “re-stock” the empty section while starting to take from another and so on and so on.
Stack tree species separately: Because of the “sections” I mentioned above, I was also able to stack hardwoods separate from softwoods or wood specifically used for my outdoor pit in one section as opposed to the wood I only burned for my indoor woodstove.
Conclusion:
This method of stacking firewood (over 7′ high) isn’t for everyone and can be dangerous if not done properly. So there are some risks involved. But from my experience, I believe the benefits far outweigh the dangers. I would suggest stacking your firewood in smaller sections and lower to the ground until you become more familiar with this process and then “work up” from there.
Happy Stacking!