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Just made the 90144 rack with a shelf. I wanted an 8 ft. rack, and felt this would provide a sturdier result than just using unsupported uprights. The two kits were only $20, plus 8 pressure treated 2x4s. I did add 8 Simpson metal braces between the base and the uprights, which improved stability. The rack is very solid, and in my opinion, a good product. That being said, my favorite rack is the Woodhaven. I have several, varying from 5' to 12'. If money is no object, they are definitely more solid, and I highly recommend them. However, I need several more racks, and money is definitely a factor in my case. It took a little longer to assemble the 2x4 Basics rack, but it turned out fine. I have also used another plastic rack, but do feel this one is sturdier. For me the low price, relative ease of assembly, and very good result merited the four star rating. It actually took me nearly as long to assemble the Woodhavens, and considerably more $$. Maybe I should have titled this "2x4 Basics, the one to buy when you're having more than one."
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I ordered two kits for this wood rack specifically because of the low maintenance I did switch out the screws included in the package for outdoor deck screws to reduce the risk of rust further. I like the fact that I can construct it to any size I want or need and (other than the screws) it's made completely of sturdy plastic and pressure treated lumber. I created a double decker (using the two kits), but kept it at 4 feet tall (required 10 pressure treated 2x4's) and included a second center beam across each deck even though the instructions called for only one. There are preset screw holes to allow for four 2x4's across each level and that adds to the rigidity of the rack when under a load.
One thing I do have to say is if you're planning on building your rack fairly wide (e.g. 8 feet or so), then order one extra kit. When loading the rack you do notice that the center of the lower shelf does sag if it's not supported. An extra kit would give you one more support to add in the center of the bottom shelf (where most all the load is) to eliminate that sagging. At this point I'm just going to place a brick or two under the center of the rack to raise it up to level (instead of ordering another kit, unstacking the wood, tearing it down, and adding an additional brace). Had I known it would sag this much, I would have planned ahead and ordered a third kit in advance.
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I bought two kits to make a 4' high by 8' wide rack, to hold about a third of a cord of wood. It's very easy and fairly economical to make the rack, but the big problem is that once it's loaded with firewood, the whole thing sags in the middle under the weight. It's the 2x4s that are sagging, not this product itself, but it's sold as a solution to make a rack of this size so I expected it to work. Now I have to come up with a solution to lift the middle of the rack and I'll probably have to remove all of the wood before I can modify the rack. I'd say this is a better solution for a 4 foot wide rack.
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If you have *never* built anything before, this is a good starter project. Basically, you drive screws into predrilled holes and make cuts according to the instructions. Done and done. I made three of these a year ago. After a year, this is my report.
1) Filling these racks with a face cord of wood will sag the centers; 2x4s do not have the rigidity to withstand this weight for long. Be smart and place bricks or stone under the centers.
2) The weight of a face cord will force the sides apart, and the recommended screws won't cut it. The pressure will be lateral from the top, down, so buy a 5/16" long drill bit, four 6" 5/16" galvanized bolts, four 5/16" galvanized washers and nuts. Drive in the screws as directed, but then drill a center hole through the top joins, and bolt it so the extra bolt material faces inside the rack. This significantly strengthens it for a year. I did this for a repair and it's easily the best method for the money.
3) Paint your lumber after making the cuts. Your wood rack will be exposed to the elements, and if you do not want to keep building these every two-three years, treat your lumber. Paint is a cheap solution for this. You can maybe get five-eight years now, instead of three-five.
4) Once you see the effect the plastic forms have, and the role they play, you can probably build a rack on your own using metal brackets or just wood with bolts. Keep in mind that wood on ground leads to rot, so think about how you're going to get the rack off the ground. Bricks are a fine idea, so are cheap patio pavers.
5) Get used to spiders and termites finding your wood. Knock wood before bringing it to your fireplace. That cracking and popping in the fire? Insects.
-C
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This rack system does make the job of building a firewood rack a bit easier, but it has some drawbacks. It's super simple to put together cut 2x4s to the right length, screw the base 2x4s (3 of them) to the brackets and then stick in the vertical pieces. Easy, huh? Well, the main problem I found is that the holes for the vertical 2x4s are a tad too big, so they wobble around and lean to the side. I used treated 2x4s that are slightly bigger than non-treated, but they still wobbled. The one screw they supply to hold a vertical in place just doesn't do the trick. Instead I went to my nearby hardware store and got some 90-degree corner braces which I screwed to both the base 2x4s and the verticals. That helped a lot. Not sure if I would buy this system again. But it did help me build an odd-sized rack that fits the space I have perfectly.
