What are the basics of firewood storage for wood fireplace burning?
Let your firewood breathe, but don’t let it get soaked with rain or snow. Cover the top. Let the sides breathe. Firewood stored outside must be covered on the top and free to breathe on the sides. Wrapping your wood in a tarp or plastic will cause the wood to retain moisture. Dry firewood under 20% moisture is essential to get the most heat and burn time from your fuel.
You can find out your wood’s moisture with a moisture meter. High levels of moisture in firewood causes more creosote. Creosote causes a dirty chimney and can lead to chimney fires. (Fireplace experts recommend getting your chimney swept every 2-3 cords of wood burned.)
There are plenty of correct ways to store your wood with the application of these basic firewood storage principles. We have seen everything from wood kilns made from pallets to specialized wood sheds to DIY cinder block wood racks on /r/woodstoving. (If you ever need help with your wood stove, this Reddit community is a great place to ask questions.)
What is the best way to store firewood for a wood stove?
There are a lot of ways to properly store firewood as long as it is covered and the sides can breathe. Our preferred method of firewood storage is to put the large quantity in a lean-to so trucks can easily drop off loads of fuel. (An easily accessed drop off location is very appealing to landscapers and arborists looking to get rid of extra wood.)
Firewood seasoning lean-to (wood storage shed)
Store a majority of the firewood in a shed or lean-to. Consider ease of wood drop off and loading when creating the structure. We highly recommend a lean-to with a large opening for easy access. Folks heating with a wood stove tend to use an average 2-4 cords of wood per winter. We store at least in our lean-to at all times to make sure the wood is properly seasoned. Storing wood in a safe, dry place provides peace of mind. Seasoning more wood than you need for one season if you have additional storage is always worth the investment.
What is the best firewood rack?
Move firewood to wood racks near home your home. Stacking wood inside of a durable wood rack with a cover near the home provides easy access to wood during the burn season. We have found Woodhaven firewood racks to be the most reliable way to safely store our wood at The Stove Shop in Phoenixville, PA. The high quality keeps your firewood dry and wood rack unrusted, unbent and unbothered in the elements.)
Assembling wood racks from other companies is a long, frustrating process. We love Woodhaven, because of their precise holes and easy assembly. Putting a Woodhaven wood rack is a pleasure compared to any competitor firewood storage rack.
What is the best way to store firewood inside?
Store a very small amount of firewood in a firewood box or inside with a firewood cart. A mobile firewood cart to move the wood from outside to inside for your daily load is a must have. The alternative to a cart is a wood bag, which is great for cutting down on dust, you just can’t hold as much wood. If you don’t mind going back and fourth to your rack, a firewood back from Whiteduck Tuff is a wonderful solution.
Do you store your wood inside? A downside of indoor wood storage is bugs, dirt and dust in the home. Many bugs come out of the wood as temperatures rise. (It is warmer inside than outside during the fall and winter. If you don’t have the extra money to spend on a wood rack, you can always DIY a firewood rack!
Maximize your wood stove during burn season!
Firewood racks with a durable cover are an excellent way to store large amounts of wood outside. Seasoned firewood is essential to safely burning your wood stove or wood fireplace insert. Seasoned firewood is considered any wood that has been split and under cover for more than one year. Moisture percentage below 20% is a good target.
Do you store your firewood in a pile our back? Are looking for a better way to store your firewood than leaving it in a mess outside? A firewood rack of some kind is the way to go. We can not more highly recommend Woodhaven firewood racks. These wood racks are made in the USA from 16 gauge steal and are worth the premium price tag. The folks that make these firewood racks are proud to make the best firewood rack in the world. Woodhaven takes pride in their premium product. When assembling this wood rack the precision cuts make a massive difference. Assembly is simple and the rack lasts a lifetime.
A wonderful low cost firewood rack is using cinderblocks. Check out this useful video about how to build a cinder block firewood rack:
Buy yourself a new firewood rack from The Stove Shop Fireplace Experts. Since 1977 we have been helping folks stay warm and save money from our showroom in Phoenixville, PA. Please contact us if you have any questions. We sell Vermont Castings, Harman, Quadra-Fire wood stoves, pellet inserts and more.
