Any harm in storing wood in garage?

[SeattleRider]

I am thinking of building a rack in the garage to store about 1/2 a cord in the garage, fir and pine.

Anything wrong with this approach?

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Only that you may hit it with your car or truck.

 

[SeattleRider]

Ralphie,
I have a 3 car garage and just one car so I figured I can store some wood in one side just to keep it dry and save on the labor next winter

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I have found the need to keep dry wood in my garage for burning but I wouldn't put it inside till after first freeze...

 

[mstoelton]

risk of bugs, hence the after first frost recommendation.

 

[billb3]

If it is stacked in front of the car and the stack gets used to judge if the car is in all the way there will be quite a few holes in the sheetrock to repair in the Spring.

 

[aansorge]

I start putting wood in my garage once it gets cold...maybe late October....and it is super handy. I get a trailer load from my uncle's place about every three weeks. No problems and super handy, but not a place to dry your wood.

 

[BrotherBart]

If it is stacked in front of the car and the stack gets used to judge if the car is in all the way there will be quite a few holes in the sheetrock to repair in the Spring.

My mother-in-law's trick.

1, Park car.
2. Attach tennis ball to string.
3. Hang tennis ball from garage ceiling so that it just touches the windshield.
4. When you pull in just pull in far enough for tennis ball to touch windshield.

 

[pen]

No problems and super handy, but not a place to dry your wood.

Excellent advice! If the wood needs to season, that needs to happen where some airflow is around (outside). Garage is handy and dry, but not the best environment for drying.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I've talked about this before that I keep wood in my garage year round and haven't had any problems. It gets hot and dry in there like a kiln and it dries BETTER than if it was outside....

 

[SeattleRider]

Woodsman, do you take any steps to make sure to avoid a potential bug problem?

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Woodsman, do you take any steps to make sure to avoid a potential bug problem?

No, I don't. It is a double car garage not attached to the house, about 50 feet away from it. The only "evidence" that I ever see of bugs or critters is piles of sawdust from bugs chewing away inside the wood, and some birdseed in between some splits from chipmunks or field mice, but I've never had any problems with termites or such.

Again, this is a detached garage far from the house; don't know how I or the wife would feel about critters if it was attached to the house!

 

[webie]

Worse time I have ever found to bring wood inside is after the first frost , It seems to have way more bugs then bringing it in in the heat of summer , I just brought in a trailer load last weekend and killed a dozen flys and other critters , that seems to not happen in summer , I guess the bugs need a home too . I think they think its spring if its cold and your bring there home inside to warm up .

 

[SeattleRider]

My garage is connected to the house so I guess I will be putting the rack outside for now .

 

[Hickorynut]

I use our two car attached garage as a staging area all during the burning season. Start with at least two pickup loads all stacked in a row. When that gets low pick a good dry day and add some more. So on a daily basis, I use a log carrier to go get wood from the garage and stack in by the insert as needed. On a real cold day, make several trips out in that cold garage in my stocking feet and even in my briefs occasionally . But it works.........

 

[ErikR]

SeattleRider, I have a wood rack in my attached garage. Its 27' long and holds 16" splits stacked 4+' high. My cats love to sit in the garage and watch the stack. They're great mousers!



I've never noticed a bug issue, mice yes, bugs no.

I live in tick country (lyme disease) and the major carrier of Deer Tick nymphs are field mice. To try to eliminate as many nymphs as possible, I made PVC tubes with permethrin treated cotton balls in them. The theory is that the mice will steal the balls as nesting material, the permethrin will kill the ticks and not harm the mice. I can't say for certain just how effective it is at reducing the tick population, but for the few $ I have invested in it, it can't hurt. This winter, I've been feeding my fireplace with wood from the garage. I found where all the cotton balls from the tubes scattered around my yard have ended up. I guess the mice don't mind the permethrin....

One of the mouse nests...


YMMV, do as you see fit, but I've never had a bug problem with my garage storage. Stock it with dry, ready to burn wood, and be prepared to find a mouse or two in the pile some day...

 

[SeattleRider]

Erik, now that is a big stock you got there .

 

[Seanm]

I have an attached garage that I store one weeks worth of firewood in. My side door to the garage is nice and close to the wood stove so its very convenient. Nothing worse than slogging in the snow to get a few splits. I would never season wood in the garage, for me its a spot to put dry wood thats ready for the fire.

 

[BobUrban]

Great idea IMO. I brought 4 cord into my unfinished basement this pat fall in preparation for a typical burning season - This has not been a typical burning season. The only down side at all is that I am going to need more in March and am hoping some of this snow goes away so I can use the quad and trailer but it is looking more and more like I will be using a sled for a few loads. Dog gone it!

 

[wahoowad]

I also keep splits in my garage. I keep between 1 and 2 weeks worth in case I get behind in refilling my normal rack outside my back door. This wood is always dry in case a tarp is blown away, etc.

Never had an issue with bugs. Most will die from lack of moisture. I can see how it would be disconcerting if a split unleashed a flood of carpenter ants but they would try to get outside and/or die too.

 

[jillybeansisme]

Well, once I finish arguing with myself about what I'm going to do with my 14 trees that have to come down in order to build the house, I'm going to build chicken wire enclosures with pallets on cinder blocks to raise it off the ground and cover with tarp also covered with chicken wire. Hopefully, the wire won't be cut to take the wood. It'll age there until the house is built and then some will move to the covered patio.

Part of me wants to get some milled into planks and kiln dried to use on the playroom wall . . . but I haven't finished arguing with myself over it yet.

 

[billb3]

My mother-in-law's trick.

1, Park car.
2. Attach tennis ball to string.
3. Hang tennis ball from garage ceiling so that it just touches the windshield.
4. When you pull in just pull in far enough for tennis ball to touch windshield.

Exactly the device I have in my current garage now even though this garage has no sheetrock

 

[velvetfoot]

I put 6 cords along a garage wall up to the ceiling.
I'm going to need some additional storage down a level with a wood boiler.
Not sure if in basement or not.
Wood has powderpost beetles. Not that much of a problem in garage.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I would not stack wood in the garage unless it is already dried. In October, we move wood into our barn and this is enough to get us through the winter and I'll have that space to use during the summer months. It works well but remember that we have wood in there only during the late fall and winter months.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

SeattleRider, I have a wood rack in my attached garage. Its 27' long and holds 16" splits stacked 4+' high. My cats love to sit in the garage and watch the stack. They're great mousers!

View attachment 128286

I've never noticed a bug issue, mice yes, bugs no.

I live in tick country (lyme disease) and the major carrier of Deer Tick nymphs are field mice. To try to eliminate as many nymphs as possible, I made PVC tubes with permethrin treated cotton balls in them. The theory is that the mice will steal the balls as nesting material, the permethrin will kill the ticks and not harm the mice. I can't say for certain just how effective it is at reducing the tick population, but for the few $ I have invested in it, it can't hurt. This winter, I've been feeding my fireplace with wood from the garage. I found where all the cotton balls from the tubes scattered around my yard have ended up. I guess the mice don't mind the permethrin....

One of the mouse nests...
View attachment 128287

YMMV, do as you see fit, but I've never had a bug problem with my garage storage. Stock it with dry, ready to burn wood, and be prepared to find a mouse or two in the pile some day...

Love the kayaks! Great off season boat storage!