Homework: Storing firewood
This firewood is protected from rain and snow. You can't easily see the tar paper that covers the top of the firewood that's under the green tarp. Credit: Tim Carter
1. Cover the stack
It is not uncommon to see stacked firewood piles with no top cover. You get a much hotter fire from dry wood than from damp. If firewood gets wet, some of the combustion BTUs in fire are absorbed by the water and water vapor from the wood as it cooks in the fire. The more moisture, the more energy will be wasted vaporizing it.
2. What to use
There are all kinds of methods of covering firewood. Some homeowners even keep firewood sheds next to their homes. There are endless storage solutions. But when money is tight and you need dry firewood stored outdoors, something simple, such as inexpensive tar paper and a fiberglass tarp, can do the trick.
3. How to stack
There is a way to stack firewood so it air dries quickly. The first thing to do is to split all the firewood to the size you intend to use. Be sure when it's cut that it's the correct length to fit in your fireplace, wood stove or fireplace insert.
4. How to store
It's best to store firewood off the ground. If you can afford some treated lumber 4-by-4s to use as runners, these work great and can last decades. If you have access to younger straight trees such as birch, you can cut those to make runners that are about 14 inches apart, center to center. If you use trees, it's important they be the same diameter. You want the stacked wood to be plumb, so your pile doesn't tip over. If you can't afford treated lumber or don't have access to trees, store the wood on well-drained gravel. You don't want wood in contact with damp soil. That will cause the lower row to rot.
5. The wind factor
It's ideal to stack the wood so the long rows are parallel with the prevailing wind direction. Once the wood is covered, the piles act like a miniature wind tunnel as the wind blows through and across the wood.
6. Geometry
At the end of each row of firewood, you want to stack each successive layer at 90 degree angles to one another. This tower of firewood offers pretty good stability at each end so that the weight of the pile doesn't cause the wood at the end to tumble off the row. You should also keep about 6 inches of space between each row to promote air circulation. If you stack all the wood tightly, it takes longer to dry. If you do three rows, try to make sure the center row is higher than the other two by about 4 inches.
7. Covering it up
Once you've got the wood stacked -- you may not want to go higher than 54 inches -- cover the wood with two long pieces of overlapping tar paper. The higher center row helps ensure any water drains to the sides. Then, cover the wood with a fiberglass tarp so the top is covered and it extends partially down the sides. Try to keep the ends of the rows uncovered as much as possible to promote great ventilation.
8. Wing it
Don't cover a stack of firewood completely with a tarp. This traps water vapor and makes it impossible for the wood to dry. It's best to install stakes and rope at the sides of the tarp to extend the tarp out and away from the wood like a camping tent. These tarp wings ensure the sides of the wood stack don't get wet from any but the hardest rain.
9. Aging in place
Real firewood pros stack and cover their wood for at least a year before they intend to burn it. This means you typically have two years' worth of wood on site at the beginning of each wood-burning season.
10. Splitsville
Don't forget that some wood is easier to split when it's partially dry. Other wood is best split as soon as it's cut into links from the fallen tree. A hydraulic wood splitter will become your best friend if you intend to burn lots of firewood.
