If you have a wood burner or fire pit, you may not be aware of the dangers of not storing your firewood correctly. Incorrectly stored firewood can cause many issues, some of which will affect your wallet, while others will affect your health. We always recommend that you keep your wood in log stores or a log shed to ensure proper storage.
Dry seasoned fire wood is crucial, and if you are seasoning your freshly cut wood, this process takes approximately six months. If you do not season your wood fuel, you will soon find out that green newly cut trees and branches are hard to light, produce less heat when burned, and have a shorter burning time.
Of course, it is not practical to store all your firewood indoors, so appropriate outdoor log storage is required. Log stores provide a convenient, safe, and dry space for your firewood. Your dry wood will burn more efficiently, putting more heat into your home, and produces less smoke, which is vital for maintaining air quality in your town or village and keeping your neighbours happy.
Wet Firewood Can Be Very Damaging
When wet firewood burns, it produces a residue of tar and creosote that lines the inside of your brick chimney or metal flue. The tar and creosote are flammable and can cause dangerous chimney fires. It will also blacken the glass on modern wood burners. Tar build up will restrict the flow of air through your chimney, and this can cause smoke and carbon monoxide to enter your home or make it impossible to light your wood-burning fire in the first place.
If firewood is not stored undercover in log stores, the rain and snow will wet your logs. Keeping the wood under a tree can further exacerbate the problem, with drips soaking the stack below.
The Importance Of Keeping Your Logs Off The Ground
If you leave your logs in a heap on the ground or grass, then the logs will not only absorb rain and snow melt but also soak up dampness from the ground, adding moisture to your firewood stack from above and below. Wood decay and growth of fungi and mould also become an issue. Using log stores will stop this problem and also prevent insects from attacking, eating, and nesting in your precious wood.
You could opt for a tarp, but these are prone to blowing off and ripping in storms and degrade under sunlight, gradually breaking down and falling apart. Furthermore, tarpaulins do not provide a solution to the problem of getting your firewood off the ground.
Log stores will keep your firewood off the ground, avoiding collapses with the sides holding the timber in place and preventing rain from drenching the wood earmarked for warming your home. When using a log store, you should stack your wood loosely to encourage maximum ventilation. Ensure the ends do not but up against a wall because this is where most of the moisture exits the wood during curing.
To order log stores for your home or business, please contact our team.