There are two ways to stack a cord of wood: with the help of a rack or without one. Only one of these methods will get you taken seriously as a mountain man. Woman. Person.
Skip right to the stacking tutorial.
I’ve been stacking wood since I was 9 years old. Because apparently I was some sort of pioneer child, further proven by the fact that my favourite toy was a potato. My father Norm taught me how to stack wood. According to Norm (may he rest in peace with a roaring fire) you should basically be able to drive a monster truck up one side of your wood pile and down the other without it moving an inch.
While it's true you want a very stable pile of wood, if it's stored outside you don't want it so tightly packed that no air can circulate through the logs. That'd get you laughed RIGHT OFF THE MOUNTAIN.
First some fun facts about wood. I mean what facts about wood aren't fun? Do they even exist?
Table of Contents
What's a face cord of wood?
8 feet wide x 4 feet high x 16" deep.
A face cord of wood is a stack of wood that's 8' long x 4' high made of wood that's 16"-18" lengths. So if someone delivers wood to you saying it's a face cord but it doesn't measure that when you stack it, then you didn't get a face cord. A face cord is also called a rick. I have NO idea why.
What's a bush cord of wood?
8 feet wide x 4 feet high x 4 feet deep.
A bush cord is the same amount as 3 face cords. It's called a "face cord" because the amount is the same as what you see on the face of a bush cord.
Is Stacking Wood Good Exercise?
You bet it is. Even the tiniest person will burn around 300 calories an hour moving and stacking wood. The bigger you are the more calories you'll burn.
How do you get a stable, solid stack of wood without using racks? You use the wood stacking technique of making wood pillars.
How to Stack Wood (without a rack)
To stack cords of wood without the help of any rack you're going to have to build something to contain and stabilize the wood pile. You have to make wood columns out of your firewood on either end of your wood pile. If you do it right they'll act just like regular columns and stabilize the whole pile.
Pros
- No extra materials or costs required for this method.
- Looks super-cool.
- Very sturdy.
- Gives you street cred. Errr ... pioneer cred. Homesteader cred?
Cons
- It's time consuming.
- You have to be precise. If one log in your pillar isn't steady your entire pile could crash down.
**The night before your wood is going to be delivered make a batch of chili. Seriously. You'll be so happy you did then when you're 8 hours into stacking wood the next day.**
Here's my award winning (not really but it COULD be) Chili Con Carne recipe.
- Lay equal sized pieces of wood side by side, then side by side in the opposite direction. Test your stack as you build it to make sure it isn't rickety. When you push on the wood there shouldn't be any wiggling.
2. Continue doing this until your stack is 4' high.
3. Fill any large gaps in the column with smaller pieces of wood to create a sturdier structure.
4. Repeat this on the other end of where your wood pile will be. There should be a space of around 7' between your columns.
For the past few years I've made my columns anywhere from 4'-5' high and I haven't had a single one fall down.
5. Once you have made your wood columns, you can stack your wood in between.
Wood Stacking Tips
- Use square cut logs or logs with a very flat side for your columns. Save round logs for in your main pile.
- Use the largest pieces of wood on the bottom of the main pile (in between the columns) so they can support the rest of the wood.
- I do 2 logs one way, 2 logs the other way and then fill in the columns. Doing 3 and 3 logs will make a sturdier column, but also take a lot more time.
- The MOST important thing for stacking the columns and your main pile is to make sure they are level. If things aren't level they'll eventually topple over. It might not be today or this week, but they will fall down.
- I stack directly on my flagstone because it doesn't hold water. Do not stack directly on soil or grass if you can help it because that'll rot the wood AND it'll be filled with bugs who happily house themselves in your pile. Just place a couple of long 2x4s down 12" apart and stack your wood on that to keep it off the ground and dry.
- Put any weirdly shaped logs that just won't fit into the pile nicely off to the side. They'll only make your wood pile wobbly. When you're done stacking you can put the weird ones on top of your finished pile.
- To cover or not to cover? If your wood is in open air the best thing to do is cover just the top of the pile with a tarp to keep rain and melting snow off of it. The rest of the pile should be left open to allow for air circulation. The easiest thing to do is to place a folded tarp over the pile and hold it down with a few of the weirdly shaped logs.
- Wear steel toed or HEAVY boots for wood stacking. I wear Bogs like this and I've had them for years.
There are 2 mistakes people make when stacking wood. They either stack it too tight so there's absolutely no air circulation in between the logs which promotes damp wood that isn't ready for a fire OR they just drop it down and end up with a pile so loose and wobbly that it tumbles over the second an amorous squirrel chases his lover over it.
If you don't have a huge property for keeping wood, just use whatever space you can to stack your wood. If you have nice piles they look really good around your yard come fall and winter.
To Stack Firewood with a Rack
Buy a firewood rack, set it up and start stacking. That's all there is to it.
Pros
- Much faster to stack wood on than making wood columns.
- Keeps wood off of the wet ground.
- Almost zero chance of the wood pile ever toppling over (which is really dangerous!)
Cons
- It can get expensive if you need a lot of racks.
- You have to store the rack somewhere when it isn't in use.
Where to buy Wood Racks
Most hardware stores carry some form of rack, but for larger racks you're best bet is Amazon. You can see all the Amazon wood stacking racks from big to small here.
You can also buy plain brackets that 2x4s fit into which create a rack that can be disassembled at the end of the season. They work great but you're going to have the added expense of the brackets themselves, plus you need a lot of 2x4s if you're stacking a lot of wood. All of which you're going to need to store when they're not in use.
The racks I'm using in this photo are plastic, which eventually cracked but you can now buy cast iron brackets.
How to Stack Wood. With or Without a Rack.
How to stack a bush cord of wood without a rack using wood columns.
Instructions
- Lay equal sized pieces of wood side by side, then side by side in the opposite direction. Test your stack as you build it to make sure it isn't rickety. When you push on the wood there shouldn't be any wiggling.
- Continue doing this until your stack is 4' high.
- Fill any large gaps in the column with smaller pieces of wood to create a sturdier structure.
- Repeat this on the other end of where your wood pile will be. There should be a space of around 7' between your columns.
- Once you have made your wood columns, you can stack your wood in between.
Notes
- Use square cut logs or logs with a very flat side for your columns. Save round logs for in your main pile.
One Face Cord = 8 feet wide x 4 feet high x 16" deep.
One Bush Cord = 8 feet wide x 4 feet high x 4 feet deep.
- Use the largest pieces of wood on the bottom of the main pile (in between the columns) so they can support the rest of the wood
- I do 2 logs one way, 2 logs the other way and then fill in the columns. Doing 3 and 3 logs will make a sturdier column, but also take a lot more time.
- The MOST important thing for stacking the columns and your main pile is to make sure they are level. If things aren't level they'll eventually topple over. It might not be today or this week, but they will fall down.
- I stack directly on my flagstone because it doesn't hold water. Do not stack directly on soil or grass if you can help it because that'll rot the wood AND it'll be filled with bugs who happily house themselves in your pile. Just place a couple of long 2x4s down 12" apart and stack your wood on that to keep it off the ground and dry.
- Put any weirdly shaped logs that just won't fit into the pile nicely off to the side. They'll only make your wood pile wobbly. When you're done stacking you can put the weird ones on top of your finished pile.
- To cover or not to cover? If your wood is in open air the best thing to do is cover just the top of the pile with a tarp to keep rain and melting snow off of it. The rest of the pile should be left open to allow for air circulation. The easiest thing to do is to place a folded tarp over the pile and hold it down with a few of the weirdly shaped logs.
My wood order for last year was 2 bush cords. This year I only got half that amount delivered. In January I'll order the next half.
Splitting the orders means you only have to find half the amount of room in your backyard to stack it, plus in January when I get the next order it'll give me a reason to get outside and move my Christmas ass.
Curious about what 2 bush cords look like when they're dumped on the road and how long it takes to stack them? It goes something like this ...
You wake up in the morning and you stack. And you stack and you stack and you stack. And when the neighbour asks if you'd like some help you say NO. Because you're stoic. And hard working. And filled with OCD tendencies about your wood stacking. So no. But thank you.
And hours pass and neighbours pass and you start to feel embarrassed because it's getting late and you're still stacking wood. You're sure people think you're lazy. You aren't stacking fast enough.
And just when you're about to cry a neighbour comes over and starts lugging wood into the backyard. He doesn't ask if you need help. He just starts stacking. And then so does his son. And later on the elderly woman from down the street who recently fought cancer and the heartbreaking death of her husband grabs a rake and starts to help clean up.
And by 9 o'clock or so, almost 12 hours after you started, those 2 cords of wood are finally moved.
And so are you.
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Jaime
I love your neighbors. Sometimes the best way to help someone is not to ask them and just get started doing it. I also think you are probably a pretty excellent neighbor. I totally made that up in my head, but I feel like it's right anyway.
Maria
G*A*S*P!!!!! Holy Moly!!!!!!!! That's a lot of pizza wood :) I think you're insane. But that's a good thing, and a compliment. Did you split it too, before stacking? Once again. You're insane!
Rondina
That was sweet of them. The whole time I was looking at how far the wood was stacked from the fence. Worried about termites and carpenter ants. I don't think you have that concern.
LazySusan
The last time I bought wood was in the late 1970's, and they delivered it already stacked on some sort of platform. Drove the truck right into the back yard and dropped it down with a tailgate lift. And it was under $100 for it. We're still trying to get through the wood from branches that are downed on the property every year from storms, but we don't use it for heat at all, unless the power goes out. What an accomplishment to have gotten all of that done in a day. I was wondering how you'd protect it from being stolen during the night. I admire your energy. It's the sort of thing I wouldn't mind doing for awhile, but I don't think I could have handled 12 hours of it, even at my best physical condition in my life. And if I did manage to make it the 12 hours, I wouldn't have been able to move for 3 days after. You're an excellent example for the rest of us, in so many ways!
Manisha
We just recently got 1 1/2 cords of wood that my hubby hauled and stacked himself. He looks mighty fine and trim these days. Damn! I wish I had put in some effort to help out because that is a great workout. And I'd like to look as fit as he does!
Ashley W
heartwarming story, plus I LOVE the smell of a wood burning fire. :)
Wisconsingal
Awesome neighbors. And a good explanatiion of how you got rid of that back fat from last Christmas. Just in time for this Christmas.
Nancy Blue Moon
Good neighbors are a blessing indeed Karen..the kind of people who don't do things because they have to..they do it because it is the right thing to do..
ktr
I love seeing neatly stacked piles of wood but with the amount we cut, split and stack (20 loggers cords - no that is not a typo, only about half of it fits in our 8x35 foot wood shed) we don't take the time to make our piles look nice - just make sure the piles aren't leaning and that they are braced on the ends with the sides of the wood shed.
Jeannie
My Father's favorite hobby was getting wood, we would go out every weekend and cut wood in the forest. Then we got to throw it off the truck and stack it and my dad would come out and push it to see if it was stacked properly. We would all stand and hold our breath because if it fell, we started all over again!! I hate getting wood to this day. However, I love wood heat there is nothing like it hands down. Warms you to the Bone :) I owned a daycare and the only form of heat was a big wood stove, I made a deal with a client. They get the wood, I would babysit for free!! It worked out well. I like cutting it, I love stacking it too. Just don't ask me to help you get it to my house, I'll pass.
It sounds like you have some amazing neighbors, they can be a blessing or a curse and it seems you are blessed!!! Thanks for the story, brings back some good memories. I am in NM at the moment and we don't need wood so much. Going to move back to MT soon and I already told my hubby I need a house with a wood stove, that is my gimme!!!
Laura Bee
Memories of stacking wood as a kid. We had a big woodshed attached to the house. You had to go from the shed through the summer kitchen, into the kitchen and then the livingroom. One of our chores was bringing in wood. Usually Gilligan's Island was on - I remember walking really slow through the living room but going as fast as we could to the shed-load up & rush back to catch another minute of it.
We have great neighbours too. moving this week, hope we find some more. :)
Julie
Karen - My husband is obsessed with his wood pile and chopping wood as well as procuring it. Well, he happens to be working from home today and I said "you have got to read this post from a blogger I read". He did and he was not only impressed with your wood stacking talents but your reference to your hooch still.
I said to him, yeah, Karen is the kind of woman you wish you were married too! I then told him about your heated kitchen tile floor that you busted and layed. Needless to say he was impressed!
Elen Grey
Geez Louise! That's some fine stacking. And some major cuteness factor in that toque. :-)
Brenda
so I dont have a wood burning anything and was about to just skip the post but I thought, "Karen's always funny so I'll just click on this anyway". I had to hold back a tear at the end.....
what great neighbors and, once again, what great writing. Thanks Karen
Karen
Thanks Brenda! My goal is, if you aren't interested in the topic you should at least be entertained by the writing. ~ karen!
Jan In Waterdown
Did you steal that line from Red Green? (If the women don't find ya handsome, they should at least find ya handy!) hmmmm . . . or maybe he stole it from you! hah!
Kim from Milwaukee
Handy goes soooooo much farther than a handsome face!!! Where is he?
Elaine S.
God, I miss Red Green... I'd forgotten his wonderful tag line. Thanks Jan.
Jan in Waterdown
Yup, pretty funny guy. Hubby used to work with him. Been to his huge gorgeous house once.
Feral Turtle
I love your Bogs! I think I might get a short pair for next year. I pretty much wear my Bogs for three seasons...my feet get a little too hot to wear them all summer. We are in the process of cleaning up our wooded area with enough firewood to last us a lifetime and I have to say I am impressed with your wood stacking capabilities!
Valerie
You have completed this task. Well done!
You are now a woman that is really "stacked."
Getting the wood ready for burning:
If you would like to make this part of wood burning really exciting and fun you could invest in a wood splitter available at Canadian Tire. This gadget helps to prevent rotator cuff problems caused from that circular arm motion which sometimes occurs when splitting with a maul. Once you get good with the splitter you can even make kindling with it.
*Someone needs to create waterproof tarps not made from plastic that can be used to cover the top of wood piles. Tarps that don't crack and split in freezing winter weather.
judy
ditto on the non plastic. Caught a thing about a Mother Polar Bear with 2 cubs-very thin and ill looking. Can't swim 60 miles to catch a seal and rest on floating ice for the swim back. Very little floating ice anymore due to warming waters. Any-hoo the poor cubs were attempting to dine on plastic bags. I didn't have much hope for any of the three and they are such a beautiful magnificent creature. Wonder if we're are smart enough not to join all of the thousands of beautiful creatures that are ceasing to exist.
JeannieB
If you lived down east in N.B., you'd be using your wood today, to keep the house warm while the power is out. And you'd be outside, shovelling the snow that has fallen.
Your stacked wood looks excellent Karen. A lot of work, but at the ready for when the winter settles in here. I'm glad that you have such thoughtful, kind neighbours. They look out for you.
Years ago, I remember looking into the side yard of a big, treed estate down on the lake. They had a row of big wooden " cribs", with a rustic , wooden roof overtop and each " crib" was filled with firewood labelled with the species of tree that it came from. I wish I had taken a picture.
Marion
Sounds like you have awesome neighbors!
Connie S.
Karen, You never cease to amaze me with what you accomplish in a day! And you have amazing neighbours :)
It's wonderful to see and experience the Good in people . (It's " a good thing" as Martha would say )
thanks for sharing
kate-v
Good post
Karen
Thanks kate-v! ~ karen