Guide: storage
Storing pallets outside through an Orlando summer
Pallets stored outside through an Orlando summer need three things: to stay off the ground, to be covered from above, and to have air moving through the stack.
The yard rules
- Off the ground. Put the bottom pallet on dunnage or a slab with a gap under it, so water does not wick up.
- Covered, not sealed. A roof or tarp keeps off rain. Leave the sides open; an airtight wrap traps moisture.
- Air through the stack. Even slight air velocity of a few feet per second helps prevent mould.
- Not too tall. A short stack dries from the sides faster than a tall one.
- Sorted by use. Keep food-grade stock in a dry corner, apart from cores.
Why it matters here
Orlando gets roughly 8.05 inches of rain in June, 7.46 in July and 7.69 in August. A stack in the open takes the lot. A pallet that was Grade A in May can be cores by August, because wet wood warps, splits and moulds.
Indoors against outdoors
| Storage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Indoors | Stays dry; the best for food and pharmaceutical stock |
| Covered outdoors | Stays out of the rain; humidity still gets in, so airflow matters |
| Uncovered outdoors | Takes the full rainfall; expect moisture and mould in summer |
If a stack is already wet
Spread it out in the sun and wind where you can, and let it dry below 20 percent before using it for sensitive loads. Mouldy boards are replaced, not dried. When a stack is past saving, the disposal page takes over.
A yard checklist by month
| When | What the weather does | What the yard does |
|---|---|---|
| March to May | Rain builds; stock is still dry | Set dunnage, lay out the yard, cover the stacks |
| June to August | About 45 percent of the year's rain | Check the middle of each stack weekly; keep sides open |
| September | The wet season ends | Pull out damp stacks and let them dry in air |
| November | The driest month at 1.79 inches | Sort, repair, clear what has gone |
A stack that sheds water
Stack on level dunnage, tilt the top layer slightly, and keep the stack short enough that wind reaches the middle. Rain that lands on a flat top pools and runs into the joints; one that lands on a sloped cover runs off. A cover that touches the ground on all sides stops the air that dries the wood, so leave a hand's breadth open at the bottom edge.
Hurricane season and tarps
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, which covers the wettest part of the Orlando year. A loose tarp over a stack becomes a sail in a storm, tearing free and sometimes pulling the stack with it. Tie a cover down to the dunnage or the pallets, not to a single board, and take it off if a tropical storm is forecast. Better yet, keep stacks short and strapped in the weeks when a storm is likely.
What to put under the stack
Dunnage is the wood that holds a stack off the ground. A pair of 4 by 4 timbers under the bottom pallet, running across its stringers, gives a gap of 3.5 inches that air can move through. A concrete pad gives a stable base, and gravel drains better than packed soil. Plastic sheeting laid on the ground stops moisture rising only when it is covered with gravel; open sheeting collects water.
Sources
Last reviewed 12 November 2026.