How To Store Firewood

There’s nothing better than an open fire or wood burner in ones home when it’s cold and miserable outside. How to store your firewood may be thinking about, or how to store your firewood the correct way.

1. Seasoning Firewood

Seasoning firewood essentially means drying the wood out. Correctly seasoned firewood should have around 20% moisture and will burn a lot easier.

The time it takes to season firewood can depend on where you live, weather conditions, what the wood was like when it was delivered / chopped. However, preparing well in advance is the key here. Also, storing the wood will also play a huge part on ensuring your firewood is usable through the colder months.

Rule of thumb though – Prepare in Spring, ready for October.

2. Cutting Wood / Splitting Wood

Ensure your wood is split to the correct size for fitting in your fireplace or wood burner.
Not only will this save time when grabbing wood for use, but it’ll stack easier if the wood is relatively the same size.

3. Sun and Wind

A sure fired way of reducing moisture is exposing the split firewood to sun and wind. As mentioned earlier, how long this takes to dry can depend. Anywhere from 6 months to two weeks!

For quickest results place your wood in single rows, spaced out in an area that has good wind flow and sun. These need to be levitated slightly, so placing the wood in shed with a raised wooden floor or placing on pallets or similar will be most effective. Moisture attacks from above and below, so making proper precautions is a must.

If you need to protect the wood from rain during this time, we suggest covering with a tarp. Not directly on the wood, but either tied above, or placed over a frame construction.

4. Stacking

Incorrect stacking can mean you’ll be spending most of your winter re-stacking your firewood.
One gust of wind to an unorganised or weak stack will act like a domino effect and before you know you have wood all over your garden…and possibly wet!

Split wood is not the most easiest thing to stack. Odd shapes, bits sticking out..it’s not the best for creating a neat pile.

Option 1: If you’re stacking in rows we’d suggest putting posts at each end of your pile.

Option 2: Criss-cross your wood the best you can. You’ll find that criss crossing with also allow for wind to flow through the pile. Give you even more chances to season.

DO NO STACK DIRECTLY ON THE GROUND. You’ll still be fighting against moisture. So keeping your wood inside a shed or on top of pallets is perfect.
Moisture, especially on the ground will end up rotting your wood. Which could leave you with a quarter of unusable firewood during winter.

5. Covering

One of the most popular options for covering firewood, especially if you’re keeping it outside, is by using a heavy duty tarp.
Waterproof, rot proof tarpaulin is perfect for protecting against the rain or snow.
Either place above or on the wood for protection.