How to Store Firewood (5 Great Tips)

You might think you can chop and stack firewood as is. But how you store your firewood actually speaks volumes about how long the wood will last and what it might attract.

Here, we’re going to discuss different ways to store your firewood, whether you are using it for a fireplace, wood-burning stove, or fire pit. Also, we’ll give you some tips on things to avoid.

The 5 Tips to Store Firewood

1. Firewood Is Best Stored Outdoors

Because of adequate airflow, it’s best to store firewood outdoors. It eliminates a lot of indoor mess and prevents molds and moisture from building up on your logs. If you have a spot outside, you can stack your firewood, providing the right coverage when necessary.

This will only be the case for some due to available space. However, even if you keep your logs in a covered area, they tend to keep better outside.

2. Use Plastic Sheeting or Wooden Log Stores

Because mold, bug infestations, and other problems can arise from stacking firewood directly on the soil, we recommend ground coverings. You can get a plastic tarp or sheet to place down before laying your logs. This provides protection, preventing moisture, mold, and parasite exposure.

Or you can buy wooden log storage that lifts the logs off the ground to provide adequate airflow and separate it from moisture. You can buy a log storage setup at certain stores or online.

3. Use Coverings As Needed

Your main goal when you store firewood is to keep it completely dry. That means protecting it from inclement weather and setting it out when the sun shows.

You can buy wood covers or tarps to protect your logs. In precipitation, you will want to ensure your logs are protected. However, when it’s a sunshiny day, your logs could really benefit from having direct sunlight and airflow to keep things moisture-free.

It might be nice to go to the store and buy log coverings if you don’t already have some on hand. However, it would help if you alternated, using these coverings only when necessary, such as in rain or long periods of moist weather.

4. Store Only Dry Logs in Indoor Structures

If you have a garage or building ready to store wood, this is perfectly fine. However, you want to ensure that all of the wood is completely dry. If you have any moisture in the wood, there is not enough airflow in an enclosed space to properly dry it out.

Over time, this can lead to trapped moisture, mold, and rotting. If your wood becomes undesirable, you’ll be less likely to use it. It isn’t recommended to burn rotting wood pieces. This wood will be less dense and burn less efficiently, producing less heat.

Plus, rotting wood also often has mold and fungus, and no one needs to breathe that in.

5. You Should Not Store Firewood Next to a Structure

When you’re stacking your firewood, you should never do it up against any structure, whether it be your home or an outbuilding. There are a few reasons we recommend keeping firewood away.

First, dead wood attracts termites. So if you live in an area where termites are possible, you could attract them to your home. Anyone who’s ever had termite damage in their home can tell you just how costly and tricky it can be to treat the situation.

Keeping your firewood approximately 20 feet from your house can eliminate the risks. Also, firewood stacked away from your home provides proper airflow to prevent rotting and trapped moisture.

Benefits of Chopping Your Own Firewood

Having your own firewood on hand saves a lot of money during the cold seasons, permitting you to require logs to heat your home. But here are some additional benefits of cutting and storing your own wood:

Is It Better to Split or Round Logs?

You might have seen firewood chopped down the middle and in half. But is it better to have circles or split pieces? Split wood dries faster and burns more efficiently than round log pieces. The pieces should be between 3 and 8 inches in length, depending on the fireplace size.

Round logs burn a lot less effectively. So, they do best with an already-existing, well-established fire.

Conclusion

Storing firewood is pretty simple. It’s best to store it outdoors with proper airflow and no exposure to direct ground. You can easily find a place roughly 20 feet from your home to place your wood.

Make sure you can provide adequate airflow but have a plan in place to keep it out of the elements. As long as you follow these basic tips, you can store your own wood piles successfully.

Featured Image Credit: Paul Maguire, Shutterstock