Wood Storage Strategy

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pukingRainbows
Posts: 131
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:56 pm

Wood Storage Strategy

Post by pukingRainbows »

So I have a wood burning stove and I collect burlap sacks of wood to burn from a local carpentry shop.

Here's my dilemma: How much should I store? And how should I store them?

The bags of wood are thrown out at variable times and in variable amounts by the shop. Usually around 4-6 bags at one time. Sometimes there will be 0 bags in a month, sometimes a little over 20. I can go through only about 2 or 3 bags a month.

I'm assuming this won't go on forever so I want to take and store as many as I can. Right now, I have approximately 20 bags sitting in my shed. It's not ideal because it's taking up useful space just sitting there, as well as providing comfortable space for vermin to take up residence.

I'm trying to figure out what is the best strategy for physical storage as well as a general thought process for acquisition. Basically, how do you manage a resource that is plentiful now, (more than you can currently can use) but ultimately will be disappearing.

Any thoughts?

Toska2
Posts: 420
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:51 pm

Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by Toska2 »

Two or three crates on pallets. Think potato or watermelon crates. Just empty them in as stacking too carefully allows ants to nest.

Depends on the room for amount. Wood stored inside should last indefinitely so have 2+ bins and alternate filling and emptying them.

Any alternatives like unwanted soft wood (poplar, dogwood, pine) to mix in? Ask the manager of the shop for scraps? Plant trees now? Consider a pellet/corn stove because of easy purchase and storage?

vexed87
Posts: 1521
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:02 am
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by vexed87 »

@pukingrainbows,

How much do you use in a given year? Is it your sole form of energy, or a backup? Fuel for cooking, or just heat?

I'll pick up on the last but perhaps most important point you made. If you foresee obtaining wood in the future in sufficient quantities to be useful, then no matter how much you stock up on, you will run out eventually so it doesn't sound like a good option for you to rely on locally. Consider alternatives, or strategies to supplement your existing reserves.

Farm_or
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Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by Farm_or »

Stacking on pallets is a great idea. It will help keep it off the ground and you could possibly move it or sell it if you had to.

I have a bit of that same dilemma. Neighbor was taking down a Grove of locust. It's super convenient and premium firewood so I bought all he has (like four years worth @ 4 cords/year). I have it piled in the front pasture with various formations of "shock" stacks as I find the time and motivation to hand split.

pukingRainbows
Posts: 131
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:56 pm

Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by pukingRainbows »

Thank you all for the thoughts and ideas.
It's given me a better perspective with which to move forward.

I'm definitely going to consider future alternatives and begin preparation now while I still have this current resource stream flowing.

Right now the wood is for recreation more than anything (sauna) so I can adjust my usage as necessary but I plan to incorporate it more completely as an alternative and/or back up heat source in the future.

I'll do a test run and keep some bags outside on a pallet covered with a tarp and see what happens. Mice? Irate neighbours? And then go from there.

@Farm_or - It's a pretty good dilemma to have. =)

Riggerjack
Posts: 3180
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by Riggerjack »

So you are getting scraps of dimensional lumber? Varying sizes of rectangular blocks? Why store them in bags? And why does the carpenter provide burlap bags?

I assume this is kiln dried lumber, so I would look at neatly stacked on a shelf, as my primary storage. Mice/rats/spiders are the primary woodpile problems, but that is caused by a combination of moisture and stacked irregular shapes, making easy shelters. With lumber scraps, you can close up those gaps, and since it is already dry, you can just stack it to minimize gaps, off the ground, and you should be fine. Dry wood is inert. It'll just gather dust. I would take all I can store easily, and save the burlap for landscaping.

George the original one
Posts: 5404
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
Location: Wettest corner of Orygun

Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by George the original one »

+1 Riggerjack.

If I were in pukingRainbow's shoes, I'd try to maintain a 6 month to 1 year supply. And I'd probably build a second storage shelter for the wood, but that's from the perspective of living in a climate where outdoor storage is dry for only 3 months of the year and tarps shred in the winter winds.

pukingRainbows
Posts: 131
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:56 pm

Re: Wood Storage Strategy

Post by pukingRainbows »

@Riggerjack - You are right. It is all kiln dried lumber.The sizes are variable and generally less than 12" in length. I think that's why they end up in the burlap.

I like the idea of a neat stack on a shelf. It would just require a fair bit of labour for each bag. I'm thinking it would be best to do one bag at a time in the vicinity of the wood stove, just prior to it being burned.

@GtOO - I think building storage is a good idea. My climate is pretty harsh, I'm in an urban environment so pallets of raw materials aren't looked kindly on, and this would also give me an excuse to do some carpentry myself.=)

In general, I want to maximize both storage and use of this resource while it's still available. So I'm also thinking about other possible uses of the wood. Rocket stove? Cob oven? Carving materials?

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