How to Store Firewood

Using firewood to heat your home during the winter months is a great alternative to central heating and is growing in popularity. Few things can beat the ambience of sitting in a room heated by an open fire or wood-burning stove. In summer chimneas, fire pits and wood fired pizza ovens make a great addition to any patio, allowing us to stay outside and make the most of those long summer evenings.

Increasingly, many people also choose to buy logs in the summer and for some very good reasons. Well-dried logs provide the perfect fuel for those firepits, chimneas and pizza ovens, and when that first cold day of autumn strikes you’ll have dry logs at the ready! Buying logs in the summer months can also have its financial benefits, with some suppliers offering attractive discounts and incentives.

We’re often asked how to store logs, and here are our top tips:

Store outdoors

The wind provides a perfect natural ventilation system. It is the combination of air circulation and ventilation that will ensure your logs are effectively dried, or if using kiln dried logs, kept dry. Many people choose to use an outdoor log store or sometimes simply place the logs onto a pallet and cover with tarpaulin. It is important not to cover your logs completely as this will restrict air circulation, allowing moisture to damage your log supply. Instead, make sure that the sides remain open.

Split the wood

Splitting your firewood will aid the drying process, as this action will lead to an increased surface area being exposed to the air. Alternatively, buy your firewood already split to save yourself a lot of hard work!

Stack properly

In order to let air circulate ensure that you leave gaps between the logs. Some people like to stack each layer in the direction of the next one, ‘Jenga’ style. This will ensure that the logs will be well ventilated. Each stack should be around a metre tall and approximately one log-length in depth. You can also keep your logs in the nets they were purchased in, if applicable

Leave a space

If you are stacking your logs against a wall don’t forget to leave a space behind to let the air circulate. You might want to be careful not to leave too big a space though, so as to prevent children or pets climbing into the space.

Keep them off the ground

Logs should always be kept off the ground to allow for proper ventilation. Stacking them on top of a wooden pallet can make the perfect solution.

Log stores

Consider investing in a specifically designed log store. These will have the correct level of cover and often an inbuilt plinth to keep logs off the ground as well as making an attractive garden feature.

Bring your logs inside, a day in advance

Remember to bring your logs inside at least a day in advance. Keep them in a dry area of your home and they’ll be good to burn the next day.

You can order your logs with free delivery all year round from us. Our kiln dried logs are sold ready-to-go and unlike unseasoned wood won’t need to be dried out for long periods of time. Kiln dried logs make the perfect choice for open fires, woodburning and multi-fuel stoves as well as pizza ovens, chimneas and fire pits.