[Dave Paine]

If I build a shelf at about 4' high so it's not just one huge stack of wood, about how far apart should I put supports for the lumber...every 2', every 4'?

Ideally I'd like the wood to be nicely stacked, but still relatively accessible.

Are the boards longer than the height available? If not consider standing on end.

I have a fixed lumber storage area and I have some board on their sides and some on the face. The ones on the sides are for easy access.

I have my supports every stud = 16in. Wood gets heavy very fast. Too few supports and the stack could fall down. I like to over design such things.

 

[Dave Paine]

Ideally the wood is stacked flat, and stickered between each board. Good to help keep the boards flat, but not so good for access. Hard to always need the board which is at the top.

So alternate stacking arrangements are trading off access for less than ideal stacking.

You want to have minimal stress in the boards. For example stacking at 30 deg would likely cause the boards to bend over time.

Also ensure no water on the floor. End grain will adsorb standing water like a sponge.

So if you stack on end, you want to be as close to vertical as possible, and have a strap around the middle to prevent falling forward. Ideally have something at the bottom to prevent slipping at the foot.