The Fundamental Guide to Storing your Firewood

At WoodShack, we make it easy to order the right winter fuel for your home — with free shipping, too. But, once you’ve chosen the perfect fuel and ordered it, you’ll need to store it until you’re ready to enjoy that perfect fire.

So, how do you decide where to store your wood? Should you keep it indoors or outside? How do you store your winter fuel safely? No need for too much pondering, we’re here to give you the answers to these questions and more in our ultimate guide to storing your firewood and winter fuels. The best practices for storing fuels vary depending on the amount and type, so read on for some new and improved storage knowledge.

Should you keep firewood indoors or outside?

Whether you should store firewood indoors or outside is mostly dependent on how much firewood you’re storing. For individual bags or small amounts of firewood, it’s fine to keep this next to the fireplace or elsewhere inside your home. This usually means keeping about as much firewood as you’ll use in the next 24-48 hours. Bear in mind that some kinds of firewood, especially undried logs, can bring woodlice, termites, spiders, or ants into your home. Kiln dried logs won’t have this issue, although if you store them outside you may still be inadvertently transporting a few stray bugs from your garden into your home — this is why we recommend only keeping a small amount inside at any one time.

For large amounts, such as a pallet of firewood, you’ll need a storage place outside of your home. This may be in a garage, cellar, shed, or even a custom-built wood store. What’s important is that the wood is stored undercover, as you don’t want to add any moisture to the carefully dried out wood. For seasoned logs or wood that you’re drying, ensure that there’s airflow around the wood as this encourages further drying and stops the wood from rotting. Ideally, use a covered wood store with slats in the sides to allow natural airflow around the wood. You’ll also want to ensure that the wood is raised off the ground, especially if it’s outside, as contact with soil, dirt, or grass can add moisture and cause the wood to rot. In a pinch, you could stack the wood on a pallet outside and place a tarp over the top, but a dedicated area to store wood will keep your firewood in the best shape for better burning.

Should you store kiln dried logs outside?

For other types of winter fuel (such as heat logs, smokeless coal, or instant light logs) the best storage practices are similar to those for firewood, but with a few differences. As with all fuel that you’re going to burn, it’s essential to keep everything nice and dry, as any added moisture will affect the quality of the fuel. Ensure that you keep the fuel stored off the ground, and make sure that it’s covered to prevent moisture from entering the fuel. For fuels like smokeless coal, a covered coal store is ideal, however many people repurpose old wheelie bins to use as coal stores. Heat logs or instant light logs just need to be stacked in an appropriately dry area.

It’s also best to follow the same guidelines for storing accessories like firelighters and kindling. Even if these products are individually wrapped, allowing them to get too damp can affect their ability to light. When you’re starting your fire, there’s nothing more frustrating than damp lighting material, so take care to ensure that your firelighters and kindling stay dry.

How do you store firewood and winter fuel safely?

The other important thing to consider when storing your winter fuel is safety. Large stacks of flammable material like firewood and other kinds of winter fuel are a fire hazard, and so you’ll need to store them away from any possible flame or heat sources. It’s also best practice to store your fuel away from firelighters or kindling, or even things like stacks of old newspapers. Basically, avoid anything that could catch fire easily.

Ideally, to make sure the risk of fire is kept as low as possible, only store a small amount of winter fuel near to your stove or fireplace. If you’re storing larger amounts of fuel, keep it either outside your house or in a secure place away from any heat sources.

So, keep these guidelines in mind, and your winter fuel storage solutions will be easy to determine. If you’re looking to stock up, try our pallet deals. Save up to 35% by ordering in bulk and relax knowing you’ve got enough fuel to keep you going throughout the chilly winter months. But, if you haven’t got any space to store your fuels, you can just order a few bags at a time.