Firewood remains a widely used fuel in our country. With a neutral carbon footprint and rarely coming from far away, it does not necessarily deserve to be excluded from our hearths and many homes are equipped with fireplaces, insets or wood-burning stoves. Correctly stacked, logs can also add an aesthetic touch to a garden. Discover our tips to help you store your wood in good conditions and get the best yield for cosy winter evenings.
Where to store your firewood?
Once felled, cut to length and split, wood must be stored in a place that is both dry and well ventilated.
First of all, do not dry wood in a shed, cellar or garage: these places encourage stagnant air and humidity. Besides not drying properly, wood could harm the hygiene of your home, because it contains a significant amount of water. Bear in mind that wood is a material capable both of releasing and absorbing water. These properties mean gardeners must dry it outdoors in the open air before considering bringing it inside.
How to dry your wood?
Store wood under a tarpaulin, plastic sheet or corrugated metal in a corner of the garden
This first solution is very effective. Indeed: air can circulate in all directions through the pile, unlike storage pressed against a wall.
Wood should be raised on a pallet or other support to prevent direct contact with ground moisture. If you choose this type of storage, corrugated metal sheeting is a good option to cover your pile, as it heats up in summer and thereby speeds drying. If you cover the pile with a tarpaulin, make sure it does not trap condensation on its inner face, which would degrade the wood.
It is possible to make this type of storage attractive by adopting a concentric shape for the pile. This method is widespread in Eastern Europe but requires a little more time and know-how. It does not need a tarpaulin because water runs off to the outside with this technique.
Store wood under a shed lean-to or against a wall
This second way of storing wood is more costly, but means you need not worry about the weather or harm garden aesthetics. The ideal orientation for your wood shelter is south-south-east to allow faster drying. Ideally, the shelter should be in a windy, more exposed part of the garden. North-facing aspects should obviously be avoided to prevent dampness.
As with tarpaulin storage, place a pallet or support under the pile to avoid contact with moisture. If your surface is concrete or stone, this precaution may be unnecessary.
This type of storage can, however, attract pests such as rats or martens, which may cause damage to garden or home.
When and how long to store your wood?
It is generally considered that most types of wood should dry in well-ventilated shelter for at least 6 months to be usable. However, this will depend on wood density, time of felling, species and your geographic location.
One of the best times to stack wood is early spring or late winter. At this time, trees are "out of sap" and contain less water. The wood will benefit from beginning to dry with a lower water content.
If stored correctly, wood can in principle be burned the following winter. Never burn wet wood! That would not only be disastrous for heat output, but also for health. Green wood emits a range of molecules that are very harmful to health. If your logs give off bubbles and water, stop using that wood immediately.
How to stack your wood?
When storing wood, the more air circulates the faster and more effectively it will dry. Practically, stack logs in one direction and then in the other so they lie perpendicular to each other. This technique increases ventilation in your stocks and makes them much more stable. A pile where logs are stacked all in the same direction tends to collapse at the sides. There are structures or posts that can be installed to retain piles. These costs can be avoided by using staggered stacking.
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