indoor firewood

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beermann

Feeling the Heat
Jan 16, 2017
318
canada
During the winter months what do you all suggest.

1) get a decent looking firewood rack and store a couple days of wood inside

2) get a basket and hand bomb wood when neede....likly not a good idea, seems like a lot of work all day.

3) store as much wood as reasonably possible in the basement/garage as soon as the snow starts falling.

Would my wood be better off sitting outside during the winter months?

How do you guys manage your wood? I'm burning maple and just got a score with some ash (1/4 cord)
 
I do number one. I made a small 2x4 rack about 12" wide by 7ft long and 4ft tall. Its in my attached garage and that's enough wood for 3-4 weeks or so depending how cold it is.

Bonus is I put a shelf on top to put my winter boots/work clothes stuff on top.

My buddy did the same but his has dividers(uprights) every 2 ft and he sorts his wood by size/"freshness" on one rack

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I do #3. However I have a wood furnace in the basement, so it makes it very easy to manage, the wood is right next to the stove. Also it's an unfinished basement with a cement floor, so the mess isn't really an issue for me personally.

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I basically do #1. My wood stacks are kept about 50 from the house. I then keep an 8' rack right outside the back door that gets the top covered. And I have a smaller 3-4' rack right next to the stove that usually lasts 3 days give or take. That rack gets filled from the 8 footer right outside. That way the wife or the kids can easily get wood if needed.


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5 cord of winter hard wood stacked in the basement
every September for the last 38 years . Unfinished
basement . clean up mess as the wood is used .
Have NEVER had a BUG problem. Do not have to
venture outside to get wood and do not have to
move snow or ice to get wood . Always warm and
dry ready for the furnace .
 
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I made a small box just outside front door (about 24"w 32"l 18"d) and keep it full for wife and kids. Also use laundry basket in house beside stove. About 20' from house is wood shed with 28 - 30 cord

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I keep about a week's worth of wood in the basement through the winter. I keep several more weeks worth outside under our deck right out the basement door. I refill each weekend during burning season. Never any problems with bugs doing it this way.
 
Option #4 (not listed): Build a woodshed and get the wood from the woodshed. (Although in fairness I make a little more work for myself since I move a week or two worth of wood on to my covered porch each week . . . and then move a day's worth of wood every morning into the woodbox beside the woodstove to make it easier for my wife to load the stove.
 
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5 cord of winter hard wood stacked in the basement
every September for the last 38 years . Unfinished
basement . clean up mess as the wood is used .
Have NEVER had a BUG problem. Do not have to
venture outside to get wood and do not have to
move snow or ice to get wood . Always warm and
dry ready for the furnace .

Yup. 100%. Everyone here does the same thing
 
I just built a small woodshed at the end of the driveway that holds about 1/3 cord. I didn't want to use up the whole yard with a massive unwieldy shed that I might have to take down if we sell the house. It seems to keep the rain and snow off pretty well but is open and well ventilated. I bought a firewood rack for inside about 3'x15". It also has an upper rack for starter logs and kindling. Then my bulk storage is in the woods with 10 pallets that will get some type of tarp/roof after the pallets are full. I think it should be fine for next season.
 
I do close to # 3 I start to fill 3 rows in the front porch around the first of Sept that are 6 foot wide and about 5 foot tall. Then I fill it back every week or so. Then if we are going to have a snow storm or Ice I add a extra row. I stack it with first row soft woods, second row all hardwoods, 3rd row depends on time of year cool like fall about all soft, then when it starts to get cold it goes to all hardwood. I quit filling the porch around the second week of Feb. then burn down till empty and then bring in a wheel barrow load as needed.
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to build a nice 6' high, 3 to 4' wide single row holder (similar size as a bookshelf) that will sit beside the fireplace. So left side of the mantle will be books right side will be an equal sized shelf full of wood. I'll use a bucket/holder to hand balm once it runs low.

I don't think I can make firewood in my basement fly with the wife but if I can, problem solved.
 
I have a 1/2 cord rack in the garage and (2) large TS metal buckets I keep full by the stove in the basement
 
3) store as much wood as reasonably possible in the basement/garage as soon as the snow starts falling
We built our new house that last summer. When I was a kid my folks stored firewood in the basement, so I did the same. I throw it down the wood chute and stack it in the fall and then never have to touch it again until I put it in the furnace. It is right there, no moving, no re-stacking. When I need heat, head down in my warm house and fire from the stack right next to the furnace. Doesn't get much better than that!
upload_2017-4-28_12-32-11.jpeg
I did over-estimate a little. Even though I was pretty sure I would not need it all, I put in about 5 1/2 cords. As it turns out I only burned 3 1/2. 4 1/2 cords will be about all I ever need if we get a cold winter. Now that we have a heating season (mostly) behind us, I can say that I am really pleased with how everything worked out.
 
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I keep most of my wood in uncovered stacks farther from the house but, in the fall, I put a season's worth in covered stacks closer to the house. In addition I keep enough for a week or two in the garage (where it keeps on drying) and enough for a couple of burns in the house (where it will dry even faster). If it looks like we're getting a stretch of bad weather I'll stage more in the garage. My basement is inconvenient for burning purposes so I never store any there unless I plan to build a fire in the back yard.
 
I have a back porch where I can keep enough wood for a couple of weeks, and a rack inside by the stove that holds wood for a couple of day. The stacks are out in the snow, but the wood dries off on the porch, then gets extra dry inside before it goes in the stove.
 
I do number 3 too.

I want to expand my basement storage; this year I could only get about 2 cords in there. Over the past year, I had a basement stove only, so it made it really easy as the wood was stacked right next to the stove. As a bonus, wood that was marginally dry became perfect after about a month of being warmed by the stove. The temperature down there varied from about 70 to 85, with low humidity.

For next burning season, I'm putting a ZC fireplace upstairs. But I'll still store the wood in the basement. Seems much easier to walk down there as opposed to anywhere else. The front porch would be closer, but I can't imagine my wife going for that.
 
We do a variation on #1. Once a week the kiddos bring in a couple of wheelbarrows full and criss-cross stack it by the fireplace. After they get done bringing in, they sweep and vacuum.
Given the family has expanded again, we will not have to bring in any wood until we are in our 60's...and by then the grandchildren can help. ;)
 
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I keep about a face cord in the garage in the winter months on a 2x4 rack. When it gets to be almost empty i refill it from the outdoor stacks.

Day in and day out i can refill the stove from the rack in the attached garage without having to go outdoors.
 
we will not have to bring in any wood until we are in our 60's...and by then the grandchildren can help.
Good luck with that !! All we get from the grand kids is
Gee grandpa we have to do that at home :)
 
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I have a ~4 foot tall rack that is about 2.5 feet wide next to the stove - holds about 2 days worth of 24 hour burning in it. I have a face cord rack right outside the back door that holds about 1.5 weeks worth or so. I refill that on the weekends and the one inside every day or so. Works pretty well for me and as long as I sweep up after myself wife doesn't get too mad. If I know snow is coming I fill both racks up and can go for 2 weeks without having to dig out to the large storage further from the house. Snow tends to melt before then where I am.