Storing Your Logs

How do I store my logs?

Make sure the storage area is close to the house so logs are easy to take indoors. Also consider whether it's convenient for delivery vehicles to deliver the logs near the store so it's easy to stack the logs away. If not possible, make sure you include a wheelbarrow on your shopping list and be prepared for some exercise! 

The store needs to be dry, ensuring no wet weather can get to the logs. The firewood must be stacked off the ground to prevent dampness rising from the ground or watter collecting on the bottom. A pallet can provide a perfect base on which to stack logs. Make sure all sides of the store are slatted to allow maximum airflow throughout the stack of logs.

The store needs a good roof. Putting a sheet over the stack is not ideal as it restricts airflow across the top of the stack and, in warmer weather, could lead to sweating and mould growth.

In the same way as you always need air for optimal fire burning, the same principle applies to log storage – plenty of openings for airflow to allow this natural product to breathe.

Can I store my logs in my garage?

Storing logs in your garage is perfectly acceptable - providing that the logs are already dry and there is sufficient airflow to keep them that way. If you're thinking of keeping freshly cut or green logs in there, there might not be enough airflow to season them, and you will be left with potentially damper logs than before with the addition of some mould. If you are storing your kiln dried logs in your garage, we recommend you still store them in a log store, just so that the logs are kept off the ground providing good airflow from underneath. However, if you don't have a log store, you can use the wooden pallets as a base to keep the firewood off the ground. The gaps in the pallets will provide the much-needed airflow. 

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How long do I need to season logs?

Generally, logs will take about two years to season but will depend on species. The denser the species, e.g. oak and apple, will take up to three years to dry even when the wood is cut into log lengths (av 25cm) and split. However, ash could be as quick at 6-12 months and softwood even quicker.

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How much firewood do I need?

It depends on many factors, such as the size of your stove, house size, insulation, and how much you use the stove. An average 5kw stove, using it in evenings and weekends from October to April, you will need approx. 3-4m3 of best quality firewood.

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Can firewood go bad?

If stored in a dry, clean store off the ground, your firewood should be fine for 3-4 years. However, if not stored correctly, firewood will start to rot due to regular and prolonged contact with moisture. You should store your firewood off the ground and protect the wood from excess moisture and weather by covering it with a tarp or a weather shield. 

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How long can I store my firewood until it goes bad?

If following the recommended procedures above, firewood can be stored for up to 3-4 years with no issues of the wood going foul or rotting. 

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