How to stack fire wood

You may have noticed that there is no rhyme or reason to my blogs. That's because I'd rather blog about stuff thats on my mind at the time, rather than force a blog I don't feel like writing. So the topics will definitely bounce around a bit. I think it will make it more interesting anyway. So with that said…

How to stack firewood

Why stack firewood?

 Well, there are a few reasons. The main advantage to stacking is for the purpose of drying out wood that is not yet seasoned. If you have green wood that was recently cut, it must be dried out to get the most out of it. And it needs to be stacked outdoors and in the sun if possible. You should never store "green" wood indoors like a basement. You will most likely get mold on your basement ceiling due to all the moisture coming out of the wood.  Another benefit to stacking is getting the wood off the ground so it can dry out faster. It's important to get good air circulation underneath and around your stack. Another great benefit to stacking, it looks nice and orderly compared to a big heap, and is easier to deal with when taking wood away to your wood stove or boiler.

Where to stack your firewood

You will want to choose a spot that is not too far away from where it will be going to burn. Lugging firewood a long distance is no fun, and a lot of hard work. I chose a spot beside my garage that's not too far from my basement doors. If at all possible, its best to keep it covered in some way. Whether its under some type of roof or under a tarp or heavy plastic. If using some type of covering make sure to keep the sides exposed and only cover the top of the stack. This will allow the best air flow around the firewood. If you are stacking by your house or another building, you may want to consider checking with local building and fire codes. In some areas it is recommended or required to be a certain distance away from buildings.

How to stack

When stacking, you want to keep it off the ground. Wood that is in contact with the earth, will soak up moisture and start rotting. Stacking on a hard surface like concrete is ok, but you could put down 2x4's that run parallel. This will improve the air flow underneath. If stacking on the ground, definitely keep it off the ground. I used pallets that I got for free from a neighbor. These work great if you are stacking a couple cords. I laid 2 pallets end to end, and 5 pallets long giving me a stacking area of around 8' by 17'. This size of an area can hold about 4 cords stacked at 4' high. So to get started, I make what I like to call the end towers. When building the end towers, you need to use split pieces that are straight and smooth. Start with 2 split logs running parallel with each other that sit as flat as possible. You don't want logs that wobble back and forth, which will make your tower uneasy. Next put 2 more split pieces running parallel, opposite to the first 2 on the bottom. You continue this pattern taking care that each piece sits well on the other without too much wobble. This is the most time consuming part, and my least favorite part of stacking. But it is the most important part, because these towers will be holding some of the weight of the stack. You should not go higher than 4' with your stack, because it could become too unstable.

 As you can see in this photo, you can add smaller pieces in between the main support logs. I don't like having wasted spaces. So once the towers are built on either side, its time to start filling it in. Take your time and make a nice stack by trying to fit each piece together nicely. Its kind of like putting a puzzle together. The better job you do, the more you can fit into a space. If doing multiple stacks, leave a few inches between the rows for good air flow.

I went with a tarp cover for this year. But in the Spring I plan to build a roof connected to my garage. The tarp is ok, but I don't see it lasting much more than a year, and a roof will look much better.  Again, if you do use a tarp, never cover the entire stack. Always leave all the sides exposed so the wood can properly dry out. As a side note, if you don't have nice straight pieces to make the end towers, you can drive 2 posts into the ground and stack between them. I've even seen wood stacked between two trees, but keep in mind trees sway with heavy winds and could end up toppling your pile over. You could even stack your firewood without the end supports at all, just don't make the ends of the stack too vertical, or could end up with a firewood avalanche.