When it comes to enjoying a warm, crackling fire in your home during the colder months, proper firewood storage is essential. Storing your firewood correctly ensures it stays dry and ready to burn efficiently. Homeowners can take several steps to store firewood effectively and safely.
Choose the Right Location
The location of your firewood stack plays a critical role in maintaining its quality. Firewood should always be stored off the ground to prevent moisture from seeping into the logs. Using a firewood rack, pallets, or bricks for elevation is a simple yet effective solution. Additionally, it is important to keep the stack at a safe distance from your home—ideally at least 20 feet away—to reduce the risk of attracting pests like termites, ants, or mice. Selecting a sunny spot is also beneficial since exposure to sunlight helps keep the firewood dry by promoting airflow and evaporation of any moisture.
Protect Firewood From the Elements
While sunlight aids in drying firewood, exposure to rain and snow can have the opposite effect. Shielding your firewood from precipitation is essential, but it is equally important to allow for proper ventilation. Cover the top of the stack with a tarp, ensuring the sides remain open to facilitate airflow. This arrangement strikes the right balance between protection and ventilation, preventing moisture buildup while keeping water off the wood.
Stack Firewood Correctly
A well-stacked pile of firewood is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Proper stacking promotes air circulation, which is vital for keeping the wood dry. Alternating the direction of each layer, often referred to as the crisscross method, creates gaps that enhance airflow. Keeping the stack at a manageable height is also crucial to prevent it from toppling over. If you’re storing multiple piles, leaving some space between them ensures better airflow and makes it easier to access the wood when needed.
Monitor for Pests
Firewood can attract insects, but there are ways to minimize this risk. Regularly inspect your firewood before bringing it indoors to ensure it is free of pests. Avoid treating the wood with pesticides, as burning treated logs can release harmful chemicals into the air. To further reduce the chances of infestation, rotate your stack and use the oldest wood first. This practice helps prevent insects from making a long-term home in your firewood.
Avoid Storing Firewood Indoors
Although it may be tempting to keep a large supply of firewood indoors for convenience, doing so can lead to several issues. Firewood stored indoors can introduce pests into your home and create unnecessary mess. It is best to bring in only the amount of wood you need for immediate use, leaving the rest safely stored outside.
Note The Size
Any wood you receive that is larger than 8 inches should be split as soon as you can. That’s because green wood is much easier to split than seasoned wood that has had time to harden. All wood should be in the range of 8-12 inches, cut into a triangular shape, and stored as described above. Triangular-shaped wood is easier to stack and, when it comes time to burn, is easier to carry from your woodpile to your stove.
For more information on how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us any time.