Fireplace wood rack big enough?

Jon1270 said:

Part of my deal is that I have a 2 cubic-foot, non-cat insert. No matter how I load it at night, the temp drops pretty low by morning. None of this is to disagree with you, though. I am going to try burning directly from the stacks at least some of the time this year, and see how it goes.

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I hear ya bud, we all have to do what's best for us, and we all keep learning.... I was in that thread about the beetles boaring into the wood so I may have them, then I was stacking this morning and there was a big spiderweb near by....so I will be cautious this year for sure....

Jacktheknife said:

Depends on how much wood you plan to burn, I guess. According to the dimensions of the rack you gave us and assuming you will burn 4 cord this winter, I calculate that you will have to fill this rack 263 times.

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That may be technically true, but just because the holder is only 8" deep doesn't mean he will be putting only 8" splits in there--I would assume 18" splits, and if so, then he would only need to fill it about 114 times.

I like how the black metal of the rack matches the feel of the surround.

For what it's worth, I have a day storage box near the stove (a wood box that my wife likes how it looks) and a small wood rack in the basement that holds 2 days of wood. I figure even with covering the wood will get damp so I take it in the basement and let it dry before bringing it upstairs. A little more shuffling of wood having two indoor storage locations but don't we all need the exercise in the winter anyway?

I'm fortunate to have a covered back porch and can get 2 or more cord on there, easy access and it stays dry. If you don't have a garage or shed to store wood I'd suggest doing some planning on how you can stack and keep dry a cord or so of wood real close to the door you use to bring the wood inside.

I'd even consider 2 sawhorses with a hunk of plywood screwed down on top and then a cut/fit piece of plywood for the ends and rear side, (I screw 'em right to the sawbuck legs) maybe beef up the top with 2x4's before laying the top plywood sheet on there.....I use a rendition of this setup to keep my generator dry when operating in snow/rain.

I use a cheap tupperware type tub to keep a day or so of wood inside, but rarely go for that wood, and normally go outside and get what I need to load. I stock up heavier inside the house if there is a snow storm forecast to pass through.

HDRock said:

Here ya go To cover, or not to cover, THAT is the quesion

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Break out the pop corn

Shari said:

Cover your stacks.

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Burning wood is not a neat type of activity. I have a 2 foot wide rug I roll out to cover my path to the stove.
Whatever drips or falls does no damage. Roll it up when company comes

To elaborate on the original question, I'd guess you'll be filling it daily.

I have this http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Firep...or-Firewood-Racks/2ft-Woodhaven-Firewood-Rack. I have it heaped up full when I leave the house for work in the wee early morning. I load the stove when I leave, I'm gone overnight, and when I get home the middle of the next day, my wife has a few splits left in it. If it's really cold and windy, it is empty and she has grabbed a few splits from the garage.

It isn't as neat as a box, but I sweep up every time I load up. Not a big deal, a 30 second job.

I think you'll want to move that rack to the other side, because of the way the door swings.

I have a couple 6' L, racks on the deck by the door , and one inside 2'L X 16"D X 4'H ,it sets on carpet, so, under it ,I have a 36" x 25" x 0.75" oil drip pan cost $10, scuffed it up and painted it black, It does a good job keeping the dirt n crap contained , just vacuum when needed.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/RHN0/11430/N0026.oap?ck=Search_drip pans_-1_-1&keyword=drip pans

I would guess that, in practice, you won't actually fill it up because it will be a needless pain in the butt to insert the last several pieces one at a time. A rack or bin that's open on top allows you to simply lower in an armload at a time, and pile it high if you feel like it. With this design, I bet you'll habitually stop when it's 2/3 full.

teutonicking said:

That may be technically true, but just because the holder is only 8" deep doesn't mean he will be putting only 8" splits in there--I would assume 18" splits, and if so, then he would only need to fill it about 114 times.

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So, to answer the OP... once per day?

The folks quoting thermal shock and other phenomena associated with having their firewood stored outdoors, and thus 30 - 60F cooler than it would be sitting inside, are not thinking this thru. A stove designed to rapidly heat from 60F to 700F ain't gonna know a bit of difference in wood at room temp vs outside temp, despite what's happening in the firebox at time of loading. The only valid argument I've ever seen for storing or staging some wood indoors, is to remove some surface moisture before loading, if its rainy or snowy outside. That... and kindly staging some wood by the stove for the missus.

To the op, you will be filling that rack at least every day that you burn, maybe twice, if your burning morning noon and night and can't even fill it 100% due to the top being closed. If Your probably going to burn everyday, that would be a minimum of 150 days, if not more right? I would break this down even more, how many splits can you fit into it? How many splits do you start off with when it gets up to temp? And how often and how many splits do you put in each time, this will help you determine the amount as well. 4 cords is a lot of wood to transfer through that size holder. But try to keep notes when you start up and keep us posted. I am very curious about my upcoming years consumption.

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:

I hear ya bud, we all have to do what's best for us, and we all keep learning.... I was in that thread about the beetles boaring into the wood so I may have them, then I was stacking this morning and there was a big spiderweb near by....so I will be cautious this year for sure....

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One thing to keep in mind is bugs pretty much go dormant in the winter due to the temps outside. I always bring in a day or two worth of wood that I keep in a wood cart next to the stove and I maybe see a spider or two a year from it. I don't really see bugs as an issue but there is def still a mess associated with storing wood inside.

I'm currently working on cutting a hole between my garage and the stove room. I am going to frame a box into the wall with sealed doors inside and out. This will allow me to store 2-3 days worth in the box and refill it from the garage when needed. I plan on just keeping a small log holder and stand next to the stove then so I can carry a load at a time from the box to the stove. It should eliminate some of the mess and keep me from having to carry wood thru the house to the stove. I know this isn't an option for most but I'm excited to try it out. I'll post some picks as I get things going on it.

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:

To the op, you will be filling that rack at least every day that you burn, maybe twice, if your burning morning noon and night and can't even fill it 100% due to the top being closed. If Your probably going to burn everyday, that would be a minimum of 150 days, if not more right? I would break this down even more, how many splits can you fit into it? How many splits do you start off with when it gets up to temp? And how often and how many splits do you put in each time, this will help you determine the amount as well. 4 cords is a lot of wood to transfer through that size holder. But try to keep notes when you start up and keep us posted. I am very curious about my upcoming years consumption.

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Good points Ram. I'm also curious about my consumption this year with the new stove. One thing I've learned from the past few years is to make the process of transporting wood to the stove as simple and quick as possible since it is something you will have to do every day or two. The last thing you are going to want to do before bed or first thing in the morning is go out and get more wood when it's 10 deg out
I focused last year on keeping enough in my garage for a few days of burning. This allowed me to refill my staging area when I had time to and not when I had to. I could then do it after I got off work or on the weekends instead of at night before bed. It makes all the difference in keeping this something you enjoy rather than a chore to keep up with.

I got my idea for my garage staging area from a member here last year. I use 3 avg size trash cans I keep full of wood in the garage. I stack the wood vertically in each can 2 to 3 rows high. This gives me about a day and a half worth of burning per can. I then just use a dolly to take each one to the side of my garage to reload the cans a couple times per week. Maybe not the best way to do it but it worked for me and was easy to keep up with.

I'd say that thing's not going to give you a days worth of burning, and there is going to be debris everywhere around it.

I keep a 1/4 cd in my attached garage and use one of these to reload the stove.

I say fill it with paper birch splits & rounds and leave it full for decoration.