When storing wood for a fireplace your entire store should be in a different room than the wood burner. Although you can keep a small quantity ready to hand, your main store shouldn’t be in the immediate proximity of the log burner for safety reasons. Another great form of storage is outside or you can store wood in a garage.
Why does storing firewood properly matter?
If stored incorrectly the quality of your firewood will significantly decrease and damp wood can lead to:
- Hard to ignite
- Lots of smoke
- Short burn times
- Mold and pests
Therefore taking the necessary precautions is essential to make sure you are saving your money when it comes to firewood.
Take a look at some of the log burners we have on offer in our clearance sale!
How to store wood for a fireplace indoors
Proximity to the wood burner:
Storing fuel near your log burner or stove even when it is not in use can be extremely dangerous. In the manufacturer’s instructions, there will be guidance on the minimum distance for combustibles to be stored. But in general the further away the better as this reduces the chances of reignition. This links to one common mistake which is storing firewood on top of your wood burner! Whilst the idea of drying your firewood on top of the burner seems like a good idea, this is extremely dangerous and exponentially increases the fire hazard.
Only store the amount you intend on using over the next few days:
When bringing firewood from outside to your storage which is suitably far enough away from the burner, only bring how much you are going to get through in the next couple of days. This ensures that you don’t have excessive amounts of wood being kept indoors therefore increasing the fire risk.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if there is an integrated log store:
Similarly to reading the manufacturer’s instructions on storage distance, you will want to read their instructions on how much you can store safely within the integrated storage to help with storing wood for a fireplace.
How to store wood for a fireplace in the garage
It is ok to store wood in the garage, but you will want to ensure that the wood is already dry, this is because there won’t be enough fresh flowing air in the garage to help the logs dry out. Additionally, when storing logs in the garage wood can absorb exhaust fumes and then emit a faint smell when burning, yet if you store your logs outside you can avoid this.
How to store wood for a fireplace outdoors
Protect your firewood from the elements:
When storing firewood outside there is the chance that it can reabsorb moisture and potentially even begin to decay, using a slatted log store with a roof is a great way of avoiding your logs being exposed to rainwater. Some rain coming into contact with your logs is not the end of the world, as by the time you come to burn the logs the excess moisture should have dried off.
Store from the bottom up:
By this we mean keep your newest logs at the bottom and the oldest logs at the top. This again ensures that your wood will have time to dry if it needs to and is especially helpful if you are sourcing your own logs.
Ventilation for your wood:
Ideally, you want to have your logs elevated from the floor (e.g. on top of a pallet) and not extremely tightly packed. this is because you want to allow for airflow throughout to allow for your logs to dry. Even if you have bought logs that are “Ready to Burn”, your logs can still reabsorb moisture whilst being stored.
Location of outdoor storage:
When choosing where to store your firewood outside, there are a lot of factors which might change where you end up putting it. For example, you don’t want the storage to be directly underneath a gutter as this could result in excess rainwater dripping onto the logs. Or are they exposed to direct sunlight in this spot, because this will help significantly with the drying process? You will also want to think about how accessible it is. This is because you will have to go to this store every time you need more logs to keep the fire burning, therefore putting it at the other end of the garden might not be practical.
If you have any more questions please get in contact with us and to learn more about Aspect Fires click here.