Packrat-proof Firewood Stack HOWTO
Packrats are a horrible nuisance
Packrats infest any available space that provides shelter, create a nest, and start destroying paper, plastic, rubber, and anything else they can get their hands on to stuff the nest. Aside from the droppings and urine they leave the destruction they cause includes dead vehicles, chewed wiring, and destroyed appliances.
To read more about packrats, check out Mr. Packrat's page.
Keep the firewood off the ground
If you elevate the firewood stack a few inches off the ground, the packrats will leave it alone. An easy and inexpensive way to do this is to place the stack on two parallel two-by-four wood studs, which are elevated on top of three building blocks.
Because the rats will nest inside the blocks, even if they have to tunnel to get into the blocks, it's necessary to cover both sides of the block. Here is what it looks like:
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Build the stack so it stays together
If the logs fall off, they will form a ladder the packrats will enjoy climbing, if they don't nest in the fallen logs themselves. For this reason it is necessary to ensure the logs will stay together. With relatively small logs, there is enough rough surface for the logs to hold together by force of gravity and friction. With larger logs, however, it is sometimes necessary to alternately stack the logs perpendicularly on the edges.
Start the first layer as you normally would, placing logs front-to-back. Alternate the second layer edge logs thus:
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Place logs between the edges front-to-back. Make the third layer as you did the first, and again alternate the edges.
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TIP: Place edge logs with funky protrusions so that they won't rotate and fall off. See an example here:
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The Final Product
When done, you will have a pile elevated above the ground, blocks that are covered on both sides, and wood that will not fall off the pile. In short, a packrat-proof firewood stack :)
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Ehud
2006-12-02
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