Proper Summer Firewood Storage

Have you ever given much thought to proper summer firewood storage? It’s okay if you haven’t because today we’re going to cover the reasons why storing your firewood the right way matters.

Wood should be dry to prevent creosote

Before we address the how-to of proper summer firewood storage, we should answer why it’s important. We spend a lot of time here at Oliver Twist focusing on education. One of the things we teach our customers is the importance of using the right kind of firewood. What do we mean exactly?

When you chop wood, it may look dry. However, it will still have some level of moisture in it. Whenever you burn freshly cut wood, it produces more soot and smoke than it should. This leads to creosote build-up in your flue. This is both a fire and health hazard and should be avoided.

As a good rule of thumb, firewood should be allowed to dry for six months before burning it.

Ground-level moisture

The first is ground-level moisture. From humidity to evaporation to morning dew and more, there are plenty of ways that Mother Nature likes to keep the ground from drying out. However, as we just mentioned, you need to dry the firewood before burning it. While the top of your firewood pile may be dry, whatever touches the ground will be damp and unusable.

Rainwater

However, proper firewood storage also means you’re protecting it from summertime storms as well. Wood will dry out, yes, but remember our earlier comment.

Firewood should be allowed to dry for six months before burning it. That means if you’re constantly letting it get wet, it will never have the opportunity to fully season.

Keep firewood away from your home

If you stack your firewood right next to the walls of your house, those pests we just mentioned, may slowly make their way into your house. Instead, keep a gap of at least a few feet. Or ideally, you would keep your firewood in an enclosed metal storage shed.

Strategically stacked and covered

A shed does a couple of things. One, it keeps wood covered from rainwater. Two, it keeps the pests we mentioned at bay. And three, it gives you a way to strategically stack your firewood. Using pallets, 2x4s, or another small platform, start with your largest pieces and place them on the bottom. Then, create rows until you have the smallest pieces on top and all of your firewood can adequately dry out before fall.

P.S.: It’s time to schedule an inspection!

While proper summer firewood storage is important, another element you shouldn’t overlook is scheduling your annual sweep and inspection. Our team can make sure that the physical components of your chimney and fireplace are in good working order so that you’re well-prepared for using them this fall.

Would you like to get in touch? Then give us a call. You can contact the team at Oliver Twist by calling (714) 843-9944 or sending us a request online.