Whether you're preparing for winter or love the warmth of a wood-burning stove, learning how to store firewood properly is essential. As a DIY homeowner, you want to ensure your firewood is always dry, seasoned, and ready to burn. This guide will help you stack, store, and season your firewood like a pro, ensuring a crackling fire all season.
Why Proper Firewood Storage is Essential
Properly stored firewood means better, more efficient fires. Dry, seasoned wood lights quickly, burns hot, and produces less smoke. It also helps you avoid the problems associated with burning green, unseasoned wood, such as increased creosote buildup in chimneys, which can lead to dangerous fires.
The Risks of Storing Firewood Incorrectly
Improper storage can result in damp, unusable wood. Worse, it can attract pests like termites and rodents or lead to the growth of mould and mildew. For example, storing wood directly on the ground can cause the bottom logs to rot and decay. Taking a few precautions can prevent these issues and extend the lifespan of your firewood.
Firewood Storage Options: Indoor vs. Outdoor
Storing Firewood Outdoors: What You Need to Know
Outdoor storage is the most common and practical option for firewood. Cover the top of the pile with a tarp or plastic sheet when storing your wood outside. However, expose the sides to promote airflow and prevent moisture from becoming trapped. The last thing you want is damp, mouldy wood after all your hard work.
Consider building a simple shed or rack to store your firewood. A firewood storage shed protects your wood from the elements while allowing enough airflow to keep it dry.
How to Store Firewood Indoors Safely
If you decide to store some firewood indoors, only bring in small amounts at a time. Firewood can harbour insects like ants or spiders, so limiting indoor storage to what you will burn in a day or two is best.
Tip: Keep indoor firewood away from walls and off the floor to prevent pest problems and ensure proper ventilation.
Best Practices for Stacking Firewood
Choosing the Ideal Location for Your Firewood Pile
When selecting a spot to store your firewood, convenience and safety are key. Choose a location that is easy to access, especially in winter. However, avoid stacking firewood directly against your house, shed, or garage, as it can invite pests like termites into your home.
Place your firewood in a sunny, dry spot. Sunlight helps dry the wood faster and keeps it drier for longer. Avoid areas prone to flooding or excessive moisture, as wet ground can lead to rot.
How to Stack Firewood for Maximum Air Circulation
Good air circulation is critical when stacking firewood. Stacking your wood in a criss-cross pattern or rows with gaps between each log is the best way to promote airflow. This allows the wind and sun to dry the wood more evenly, ensuring it's ready for use when you need it.
The Importance of Keeping Firewood Off the Ground
Keeping firewood elevated improves air circulation and prevents moisture from the ground from soaking into the logs. A simple solution is to build a platform using 2x4s and concrete blocks. This setup ensures proper air circulation underneath the woodpile, reducing the risk of rot.
DIY Firewood Storage Racks and Sheds
For the DIY homeowner, plenty of simple and affordable ways to build your firewood storage exist. Here are three easy options to keep your firewood dry and off the ground.
1. Simple Firewood Rack Using a Pallet
One quickest and most cost-effective way to build a firewood rack is by repurposing an old pallet. This DIY solution lets you elevate your wood from the ground, ensuring it stays dry and avoids moisture-related issues.
Here's how to create a basic pallet firewood rack:
- Elevate the wood: Start by laying a pallet flat on the ground. The slats in the pallet will naturally lift the wood off the ground, allowing for better air circulation and keeping moisture away from the logs.
- Stack the firewood: Neatly stack your firewood on top of the pallet, leaving space between the logs to improve airflow.
- Cover the wood: You can use a tarp or a piece of metal roofing to cover the woodpile and protect it from rain and snow.
This basic setup is perfect for homeowners who need a quick and easy storage solution.
2. Modified Pallet Firewood Rack
If you want to take the pallet design further, you can create an elevated pallet firewood rack with a few simple additions. This design provides more stability and can be expanded to store more firewood.
Here's how to build the modified pallet firewood rack
- Base setup: Start with a pallet on the ground like the simple firewood rack. This will serve as the base to elevate your wood from the soil. If you need additional space, you can attach another pallet to the base pallet, extending the storage capacity. This modular design lets you easily expand the rack as needed.
- Add side supports: Take two more pallets and stand them vertically on each side of the base pallet. Secure them with wood braces or 2x4s, connecting the upright pallets to keep the firewood neatly stacked.
- Cover the wood: Use a tarp or metal roofing to shield the firewood from the elements. Ensure that the cover allows airflow while keeping moisture away
This elevated design secures your firewood and makes it easier to stack and access larger quantities of wood.
Image Credit: Colby Ramos on Pinterest3. Easy Firewood Rack Using Cinder Blocks and 2x4s
This no-tools-required firewood rack is another great DIY option. It's easy to set up, inexpensive and can hold a large quantity of firewood.
Here's a quick breakdown of how to build it:
- Materials: You'll need 2 or 3 cinder blocks, 2 landscape timbers, and 2x4s (cut in half).
- Set up the base: Place the cinder blocks holes-up in a stable, level area, and lay the landscape timbers across them to create a raised platform.
- Create the uprights: Insert the 2x4s into the cinder block holes to form the vertical sides of the rack.
- Load the firewood: Stack your firewood onto the rack, ensuring good air circulation between the logs.
- Cover the wood: You can cover the woodpile with a tarp to keep it dry, securing it with bricks or rocks to withstand windy conditions.
This rack can be quickly assembled and disassembled, making it perfect for homeowners with flexibility in their firewood storage.
Keeping Firewood Dry: Tips for Covering Your Wood Pile
How to Properly Cover Firewood Without Trapping Moisture
When covering your firewood, avoid sealing it off completely. Cover the top with a tarp or plastic sheet, but leave the sides exposed for airflow. Trapping moisture can cause your wood to reabsorb water, even if it has been fully seasoned.
The Best Materials for Covering Firewood
The best materials for covering firewood include tarps, heavy-duty plastic sheeting, or specially designed firewood covers.
Tip: Ensure the cover is heavy enough to withstand wind but breathable to allow air circulation.
