5 Tips For Properly Storing Firewood

5 Tips For Properly Storing Firewood

In this guide we’ll be giving you 5 tips that everyone can use when choosing how and where to store their firewood. Whether you are a beginner or expert, we are sure you will be able to learn some new things from this guide. And why wouldn't you? With firewood being cheaper in the summer months, it makes sense to buy it in summer and store it until winter. Meaning that storage will help you save a lot of money!

1 - Store In A Dry & Secure Area

When storing your logs it is important to choose the right area for the job. You want somewhere secure, dry and well ventilated. And while this may seem easy enough, we’ll go through all the most popular options below and the upsides and downsides of each one.

Starting with storing your logs inside. A lot of people like to keep their logs stacked near their fire, because of the convenience and reliability. And there are definitely a lot of good sides about storing your logs inside, it’ll be dry, well ventilated and warm. However there are also a few key downsides, such as the amount of storage room you have. You might have enough room to store a few days worth of firewood, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to store all of your logs inside. Also if your logs aren’t kiln dried then they are very likely to bring with them pests as well, such as spiders, ants, woodlice etc.

Next we have the option of storing firewood in your garage. Storing your firewood in the garage can be a good idea, depending on the environment in your garage and the other items stored inside. You will want it to be dry, well ventilated and to have nothing perishable inside. Better yet if your garage is not right next to your house, this is ideal. As this discorages pests from making your home theirs.

Finally we have the option of storing the wood outside, which will often be in log stores or under a tarp. When choosing to store your wood outside there are a few precautions that you will want to make. Firstly try to find a breezy, dry area of your property that is decently far away from your home. Then make sure to store your wood on top of a raised platform from the ground, an easy way to do this is on pallets or in a log store.

2 - Allow For Ventilation 

If your logs aren’t kiln dried then you will want to keep your logs well ventilated. As this helps to keep them dry and potentially even dry them more. It also helps to stop any pests from making your logs their home, as not only are wet logs bad for burning, but they can encourage bugs and rot. If your are using a tarp to cover your logs then do not fully cover the sides of the logs, as allowing the logs to breathe will aid with ventilation.

3 - Keeping Your Firewood Protected

Preparation is key when storing your firewood, as you can never know what the weather might bring. So proper preparation can make all the difference when keeping your logs dry. Having a tarp at the ready on those especially wet and windy days, can save you from the woes of wet logs. Also when choosing where to store your logs, choose a high up location that isn’t going to get clogged up with water or flooded, even better if it is in direct sunlight.

If you don’t have somewhere to store your logs outside, then why not invest in a high quality log store. Or better yet, build one yourself. You can build log stores out of old pallets or from flat packed kits.

4 - Properly Stack Your Firewood

When stacking your wood up to store it, doing it properly will help it to dry and discourage pests. For best results stack your logs in rows no higher than 4ft high, this is made easy when using a log rack, pallets or posts. If you are stacking kiln dried logs then stack it with the bark side up to help protect it from the elements. Whereas if you are stacking seasoned wood then stack it with the bark side down, as this helps it to dry quicker.

When stacking your wood make sure to stack it on top of a raised area. This can be done in many ways, but the easiest is with either pallets or a log store. Above all else, do not just throw your logs into an unorginized pile. As doing so will lead to a lack of ventilation, which then means the logs in the middle will rot instead of drying.

5 - Check Your Local Regulations

Different councils and areas can have vastly different laws on how you can store your firewood. Which makes it always a good idea to check up on the laws where you live, to see how and where you are allowed to store your firewood. As you don’t want to stack up all your firewood to just have to pull it all down and move it later.

You can often find this online, on government websites or local council websites.

With these 5 tips you should have no problems storing your firewood. You can view our full firewood range here! We also have plenty of other firewood related articles! Such as a handy guide on the most popular types of firewood and how they burn!

Firewood - Everything you need to know