What is the Proper Way to Stack Firewood?

Every year it seems that the weather gets more unpredictable. A lot of cities throughout the country are experiencing new high temperatures in the summer and new low temperatures in the winter. There are a lot of people, particularly in the north, that may be looking for ways to keep warm during the winter and one of those ways is to start a fire.

Most people that want to start a fire in the fireplace will have a stack of firewood in advance. The most common way to stack this fire wood is to stack them on top of each other all going in the same direction and stacked tightly together. This is actually not the best position to stack firewood.

The first step is actually when do you buy the firewood? Firewood should not be bought at the last minute When firewood is freshly cut the logs still contain a lot of water and a fresh cut log will also produce a lot of smoke. Firewood should be bought long before the winter so that it can sit and lose its moisture. Firewood is also probably cheaper during a different season. Waiting until the winter and buying firewood at the last minute when it is in great demand will probably cost significantly more.

If the firewood is stacked to tightly then the firewood will be susceptible to dampness and if the firewood is damp then it will likely grow mold. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac the correct spacing for firewood is, "Small enough for a mouse to run through, but tight enough to prevent a cat from chasing it."

Where the firewood is placed is also important. Firewood should always be stacked outside. Try and find a sunny spot to stack the firewood because the sun and air will help to season the logs. Firewood that is seasoned simply means that the moisture content of the logs has been reduced to less than 20 percent so that again, it will prevent moisture and mold.

It is also important not to stack the firewood directly on the ground. Some sort of base should be put underneath the firewood to keep it from touching the ground. The logs that are touching the ground will accumulate moist and can also attract insects. A tarp is not a good enough base because it can also accumulate moisture. The best thing to use as a base would be rocks, bricks or cinder blocks.

The firewood also should not be stacked going in the same direction. The main reason is simply that a pile of firewood can fall easily this way. Try crisscrossing the logs so that the pile is sturdier. Crisscrossing the logs will also help with ventilation which will keep the logs seasoned and prevent moisture