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Storing firewood can simple but there are a few tips that can make the job easier. Storing firewood the right way can also ensure you have better quality wood and a better wood burning experience.

The main objective in storing firewood is to keep it dry. Dry firewood is much easier to burn and produces more heat and less smoke and creosote.

Dry wood can soak up a lot of moisture so in order for it to stay dry it should be stored in a covered place to keep the rain and snow off of it. The ideal place to store dry wood is in a shed or other covered structure. If you don’t have a structure to store it in you can cover it with a tarp or plastic sheeting. But this is where a lot of people get themselves into trouble.

A lot of people will cover their wood pile and end WhatJobs up covering the whole pile all the way to the ground. The problem with this is you will cut off most of the air circulation which will hold in moisture. Now any moisture that gets inside will tend to stay inside and cause the wood to stay damp and maybe even start to mold and rot.

The solution is to only cover the top of the pile and leave the sides uncovered. Even if the sides get a little wet that’s better than having the whole pile sealed up in a stagnant environment so the whole pile gets damp and moldy.

If your firewood is wet or green one of the best ways to dry it is to leave it outside uncovered exposed to the sun and open air during your dry season. Even if it gets rained on some that is fine as long as you have plenty of dry weather to dry it out before it’s time to burn it.

Once it’s dry you can bring it in under cover so it will stay dry. You can also put wet or green wood in a covered area or shed to dry but it probably won’t dry as fast as it would out in the open sun.

Stacking wood can also help it dry since it puts the wood in narrow rows so it can get good air circulation. The key there is to keep your stacks a few inches apart or away from any wall so air can circulate around the sides of the stack.