Happy Urban Dirt

Wondering what are the best ways to store firewood? You are not alone! There’s something wonderful about cuddling up in front of a real fire, and more and more people are now using conventional open fireplaces or stoves.

With fuel prices constantly rising, a wood burning stove or multi fuel stove gives you another option when it comes to save energy home heating.

A wood burning stove means you need a sufficient supply of one thing – wood. To burn efficiently and maximize heat output, the wood you burn must have time to parched, otherwise known as “seasoning.”

Protecting your wood supplies is significant, so store them properly so you always have a source of parched wood and decent fuel for your fire on hand.

Green and parched firewood

Firewood is classified as “parched” or “green”.

Arid wood is more steep to purchase because it has already gone through a seasoning process, such as kiln drying. Arid wood burns at a higher temperature, is more effective and produces fewer emissions than burning fresh wood.

Arid wood storage

Arid wood can be stored completely closed, in a woodshed or covered with a tarp.

However, the more ventilation the better, because if the storage room becomes damp, the wood will simply absorb the moisture and burn like green wood. This means that all the effort you put into hiding it will be wasted.

Green wood storage

The green wood has either been freshly cut or has fallen from the trees, but still contains a lot of moisture and sap.

In order for green wood to parched, it must be properly seasoned so that it burns well. Wood dries best when cut into low pieces and left in piles raised off the ground.

According to DEFRAfirewood is ready for burning after losing approximately 80% of its moisture content. Wood that is too damp is not only more challenging to delicate, but also produces excess smoke. It uses more of the fire’s energy to boil the water, so you get less heat coming out of it. You are also effectively adding water to the fire, which, as everyone knows, makes for a needy flame.

Another thing to consider is that greenwood smoke also leaves a residue in the chimney, making it necessary to neat it more often.

To season green wood, it should be left outside and open to the elements so that air can flow around it rather than being closed off. It also needs a roof that protects against rain.

There are many styles available in the heated tub store market. You can also easily build your own. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, just a good roof to protect you from the elements and enough ventilation. A three-sided design with a sloping roof that allows rain to run off is ideal.

TIP: When building or placing a wood storage facility, try to find a sheltered spot outside so that it is not affected by rain falling at an angle. Covers such as a carport work well.

How long does it take to season wood?

Greenwood can take anywhere from six months to a year to parched, depending on the season. For example, if you want to have a good supply of wood for the winter, it is best to start the seasoning process in early spring.

If you have growing wood that needs to be removed, the best time to harvest is before the spring and summer growing season. This helps with the drying process as the sap content is low and the wood will naturally have a lower water content. The wood then has the advantage of lower moisture levels and warmth during the summer months, which helps speed up the evaporation of moisture.

Another way to season wood faster is to remove the bark from the logs. The bark slows evaporation, so removing it will facilitate moisture escape.

If you have wood from different tree species, the seasoning time will vary. Softwoods, such as pine, season faster than hardwoods Alder or birch.

If you have a mix of both types, prepare one side of the wood stack for hardwoods and the other for softwoods. This way you won’t have to keep putting away wood that isn’t ready.

How to know if the wood is seasoned

The best way to check if your firewood is parched enough is to look at the ends of the logs. As the wood dries, it shrinks and then cracks appear.

Another good indicator of whether the wood is parched enough is the sound of the wood when tapped. If you hit two pieces of seasoned wood together, you will hear a clear, clear sound. Green wood produces a muffled sound when struck.

Another sign is that seasoned wood turns a lighter gray color than the wealthy brown color of unseasoned wood.

Where to place your wood shop

When choosing a location for your lumber yard, it’s a good idea to choose a convenient location close to your home. This makes it easier to bring the wood and place it inside the house, which you will be grateful for in the winter.

Retrieving wood from the pile every day can be quite labor-intensive, and because the logs are ponderous, it may require several trips. A location within walking distance will be ideal. Not only will it be easier to bring in the wood, but another benefit is that any pests that are attracted to the wood pile will also not be attracted to your home.

Plan ahead and make sure the area you choose will not obstruct any paths or doors or will not be needed for any other reason.

Once you’re ready to exploit your seasoned wood, it’s a good idea to take it home a few days before using it. It can be placed near a fireplace or wood stove. The additional heat from the fire will give the wood time to parched further, making it a more effective heat source.

Tips for stacking and storing wood

The ideal solution is to store firewood in an open structure such as a lean-to or shed on three sides.

Wood needs good ventilation to age and stay parched, but it needs a roof to prevent it from getting soaked by rain or snow. An simple way to store fresh wood is to cover the top of the pile with a tarp, leaving the sides open to allow air to circulate around the pile.

Here are some tips for stacking firewood:

• Splitting the wood into smaller pieces causes it to parched out faster than any larger logs stacked.

• Round wood dries slower than low logs, so it should be split if possible.

• Do not stack firewood next to the exterior walls of buildings. If the pile catches fire, it may cause property damage.

• Stacking wood works best on level ground because the rows of wood will be stronger. When building a pile, you may need to place a few logs here and there at different angles to keep the pile stable.

• Choose a shining place to store your wood as this will allow the wood to parched out faster. The heat of the sun will accelerate the evaporation of moisture. If you have an area in your garden that is exposed to the wind, this is also an ideal place to store firewood as there will be plenty of air circulating around it, helping to season the wood.

• If you exploit a tarp to cover your woodpile, remove it on parched days to facilitate evaporate moisture.

• Stack wood no higher than 4 feet. Taller piles will be more unstable and likely to tip over. As the wood dries, it shrinks, so it’s significant to make sure each piece is securely stacked to allow for some movement.

• Place on an aged pallet or something similar to prevent moisture from the subfloor from affecting the wood. A tarp or good drainage gravel is also suitable. Laying the first layer of wood bark side down will facilitate keep soil moisture away from the pile.

• Maintain a gap of several inches around the edges of the stacks, as well as between the stacks and the walls, to ensure good airflow. Lay the wood loosely.

• If firewood comes into contact with the ground, it will be exposed to moisture and begin to rot. A little bit of mold on your wood pile is common, but burning enormous amounts of moldy wood can have health effects. Moldy wood smoke can cause eye irritation, a runny nose, and make asthma symptoms worse. Airborne mold spores can then settle in other areas of your home.

• Stacks of wood should be close enough together to prevent animals or children from climbing between them. Not only does this make the pile protected, but it also saves you the time and hassle of re-stacking the wood if it falls over.

• Organize your wood pile so you know exactly where to find both larger and smaller pieces of wood. To delicate a fire, you will need logs, smaller pieces of wood, and kindling. You’ll save time and it’ll be easier if you don’t have to dig through the pile to find the wood you need.

• Rotating the wood and burning the oldest wood in the pile first will keep the pile moving and discourage pests from taking up residence.

Wooden structures

Stacking firewood is an art. There are several different ways to do this, and the choice depends on your available storage space.

One of the easiest ways to store firewood is to stack pieces with vertical stops at the ends. This secures the wood stack and prevents it from falling sideways. The stop can be a piece of board, the side of a warehouse structure, or you can connect vertical lengths together and secure them.

Round pile of wood it is a more compact method of storing wood. The pieces of wood are arranged so that all the ends meet in the middle, forming a circle. While this may save space, the disadvantage is that it increases the drying time of the wood.

Cross pattern Layering wood is also an effective method of seasoning. Alternating layers arranged in opposite directions allow air to flow freely and speed up the drying process.

The rules for storing firewood are plain to learn. Once you have mastered the routine of properly stacking wood and protecting it from moisture, you will get a lot of pleasure from burning wood in your fireplace, as well as maintaining a wood pile.

If you have space, try creating a rotary system where you burn parched wood from one pile while the other pile is drying. This ensures a good supply of seasoned wood throughout the year.