Wood storage?

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,702
Cumbria
We've had a few big trees cut down and cut into handy lengths. We've not got a woodburner but family has. We're looking at storing it to dry it out but have nowhere really suitable. There's a passageway at one side of the house we don't use that we could stack it in but no shelter there from rain. There's a summerhouse we currently use as a paint store but not sure that's right.

How would you recommend we store the wood so we can hand over dry wood for the family end user? Don't want to spend on a proper wood store since we're only keeping it for others. Would it dry simply stacked in the open, say down the side of the house? Would the top layers stop the lower ones from getting wet through?
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,774
Berlin
The usual tarps from the hardware shop exist also in a long and narrow size. That's the best option.

You build a wall as high as a man and cover it.

The question is only if you are willing to cut and split it for others. I personally would rather ask them to pick it up now, because you create double work if you store it on your ground.
 

Kadushu

If Carlsberg made grumpy people...
Jul 29, 2014
944
1,024
Kent
As mrmike says, you want a waterproof top and well ventilated sides. It sounds like your options are limited but the absolute ideal in my experience is a polytunnel or greenhouse dedicated to drying wood. I've cobbled together log stores in the past which are pretty similar to a pallet compost heap but with a tarp on top and a pole up the middle to make the rainwater shed sideways.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
786
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Mind, a lot can be done by just stacking it so it always sheds water to the outside.

Not sure how someone managed to make a book out of that concept and I do wonder what they wrote for the other mass of pages but there you go.
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slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,179
1,109
Devon
I cut, split and stack our firewood out in the open for the spring and summer. We get a lot of wind and it's often dry so I don't worry about covering the stacks until after a dry period in late summer. I'm sure some say that rain helps the wood season.
 

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