Cold weather is coming, which means it’s time to light up your fireplace or firepit and build up your woodpile for the season. Whether you’re chopping firewood yourself or buying it and bringing it home, make sure you’re storing it correctly—don’t just dump it on the ground.
Where to store firewood
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First things first: Most firewood must be stored outdoors. Green firewood that has been recently chopped and seasoned firewood that has been air-dried for at least six months often contains bugs, mold, and fungus, which you don’t want in your home. Plus, these types of firewood need additional drying time in the open air and should only be brought inside when it’s time to burn them.
If you have kiln-dried firewood, which has been dried for 36 hours at 265 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce its moisture content below 20%, you can keep it inside in a room with low humidity and good airflow.
For outdoor storage, do not stack your firewood against the wall of your home (or shed or garage). Doing so would make it easier for termites and other bugs to burrow into your siding as well as provide a home for pests like rodents and reptiles. Storing wood against a wall also prevents airflow—which keeps pieces dry—and it’s a fire hazard.
Instead, wood piles should be a safe distance—at least 20 feet—from any structure. If you live in an area prone to wildfires, you may be required by local or state law to store wood even farther away. The U.S. Forest Service’s defensible space guidance recommends keeping flammable materials like firewood stacks and propane tanks at least 30 feet from your home.
Firewood should also be stored in a sunny and dry area of your yard. Avoid spots that tend to flood or accumulate more snow, as well as those that are heavily shaded.
The best way to stack firewood
Your firewood-stacking method must keep your wood both ventilated and dry, as moisture makes it more difficult to ignite and produces more smoke. You should elevate your firewood off the ground using a firewood rack, pallets, or 2 x 4 boards. Some firewood racks come with covers—otherwise, you can stake a tarp over the pile (make sure it covers no more than the top third, keeping it dry but allowing for airflow).
There are a handful of stacking techniques to choose from, but there are some basic principles to follow:
- First in, first out: Place the newest pieces on the bottom so you use the oldest and driest wood first.
- Green and seasoned wood should be stacked bark side down, while kiln-dried wood should be stacked bark side up.
- Stack wood loosely and level.