Indoor wood storage

[gthomas785]

Everyone on here knows moving firewood around can get old really fast if you don't have a good system. My system is a work in progress.
Old system: Last year I used to haul wood inside from my stacks using one of those canvas totes, and it would take 3-4 trips to fill my wood box. That box would last me about 1-2 days, then I'd do it again. I can tell you, when I get home from work after a 12 hour day in December or January the last thing I want to do is go trudging through the dark to bring in wood before I can reload my fire and put my feet up.

So this year I'm experimenting with this rack I built just inside my back door, which is around the corner from where my stove is. It holds about 1/4 cord which should last me 1-2 weeks on average. That way I can fill it on the weekend, during daylight, with my wife's help. Took us about 30 minutes to bring in this amount of wood using a garden cart and now were set for the next 2 weeks of burning. Does anyone else do something like this, and would you care to share how your system works? I've heard some people voice concern about bugs from the wood infesting the house if you store it inside. But this is not long term storage, do you think I should still be worried about that? What is the longest time you would keep wood inside before burning it?

 

[BigJ273]

I have a wood box built into my chimney/hearth area. It’s all brick. It has an access door from the outside and another glass door on the inside that allows me to take the wood out. I can get about 4-5 days worth in there. Works well. I posted some pics of it on here last season

 

[johneh]

My five cord goes into the basement in September
Never had a bug problem in the last 41 years
It is steps away from the fire always dry snow and ice-free
and I don't get cold/wet when I have to reload the fire

 

[Sawset]

I have a wood cart with casters near the stove, and a storage area in the attached garage. The cart is 2'wide x 3 x 3high, and holds 3-7 days worth depending on outside temps. The storage area uses 1.25" conduits floor to ceiling to hold about 3cord. Roll the cart to the garage door to fill, roll it to the stove and leave it sit till more is needed.
I wonder if climate has anything to do with bug control. Up here we get cold winter temps that seem to keep the bad guys killed off. That, and dry wood seems to make them leave. See plenty of critters crawling when cutting and stacking, with wet wood and all, nice habitat for them, but never when bringing in dry wood for winter.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I don't store all that much inside. But bug problems don't usually develop inside, at least November to March. They happen before wood is even stacked. I visually inspect everything as I bring it in -- if there's a bug possibility it stays outside. That's a piece I throw directly in a hot fire.

I would be leery about having inside storage like that from April to October.

 

[Prof]

I wouldn't worry about it. Most pests don't like well-seasoned wood. I used to throw about 2 cords in the coal bin of my old house with no ill effect. I only keep about a week's worth in my new place, but outside of the stray spider (which is usually eaten by my fat cat), I don't notice much. Like others have said, I wouldn't drag much wood into my house during the rainy days of April and keep it there until the next heating season and I certainly wouldn't try to season green wood inside of the house, but other than that--I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Gearhead660]

I dont have the space to keep more than a weeks worth in the house. Built this bin that I can fill right from the window. Holds about a weeks supply. Fill on weekends. Fill cart from it and wheel it over to stove. No worries about bugs.

 

[kennyp2339]

I have a garage rack that more or less lasts 10 days, I also keep a big metal feed tub near the stove which holds about 2 days worth of wood, the tub is nice because all the wood crumbs stay in the tub, then I just carry it out every so often and dump it in the woods.

 

[Wiess]

I have a little different outlook and actually enjoy bringing in a few armfuls after a long day in the office. I find it nice to get outside for a mental break, if it is a nice evening I will also make some kindling or other minor chore to keep me outside. Our winter wood is stored in a shed and our woodbox near the stove can hold 4-5 days worth of wood. I try to keep the wood box topped up especially when snow is in the forecast.

 

[whtl4856]

My system isn’t perfect, but it keeps my wood dry without having to store it inside:

I have a face cord rack that stays on the covered back porch in the fall/winter months. I use an ATV trailer to back right up to the patio and fill the rack when the weather is good and the big stacks out in the yard are dry (ideally). The trailer can fill the face cord rack in 2 trips if I take the time to stack it nice when loading the trailer.

It’s a short trip from the back patio to the stove room and no stairs so this works well for me.

 

[firefighterjake]

I like handling my wood . . . which is good since I handle it so often.

I mean to say once I have gone through all of the steps of processing the wood -- cutting it down, bucking it up, splitting it, stacking it outside -- I then move it to my woodshed for a year (or two or three). From there I move about 2 weeks' worth of wood on to the covered back porch -- I find it more pleasant to grab wood off the porch then to go out in the dark, rain or snow to get wood. Every day I bring in enough wood to load up the woodbox which lasts a day or so.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

.

Everyone on here knows moving firewood around can get old really fast if you don't have a good system. My system is a work in progress.
Old system: Last year I used to haul wood inside from my stacks using one of those canvas totes, and it would take 3-4 trips to fill my wood box. That box would last me about 1-2 days, then I'd do it again. I can tell you, when I get home from work after a 12 hour day in December or January the last thing I want to do is go trudging through the dark to bring in wood before I can reload my fire and put my feet up.

So this year I'm experimenting with this rack I built just inside my back door, which is around the corner from where my stove is. It holds about 1/4 cord which should last me 1-2 weeks on average. That way I can fill it on the weekend, during daylight, with my wife's help. Took us about 30 minutes to bring in this amount of wood using a garden cart and now were set for the next 2 weeks of burning. Does anyone else do something like this, and would you care to share how your system works? I've heard some people voice concern about bugs from the wood infesting the house if you store it inside. But this is not long term storage, do you think I should still be worried about that? What is the longest time you would keep wood inside before burning it?

View attachment 267896

I like it, although I do get moths inside more frequently than I'd like. I think they are hiding in the soft layer on the outside of the wood.

Once it gets colder, we keep much more inside. Your system looks like a good one.

 

[walhondingnashua]

My grandpa always told me bugs that could do any damage to the house weren't an issue as long as the wood was only in contact with non-wood materials. My wood in the house sits on a metal rack that is against the concrete wall or it sits on the stone hearth. My father-in-law followed this same policy. As said above, anything big enough to really move (moth or wood roach) is entertainment for the cat. He waits by the door when I bring wood in.

 

[Grizzerbear]

I keep a pallet on the front covered porch and just carry it in as I need it. If the house were bigger I would definitely get a system going like gthomas785 has. I don't mind going out and getting it, but the wife doesn't like to leave the nest when it's cold to get firewood off the porch if I'm at work.

 

[NickW]

Yep. 1/4 cord rack near the stove (beyond safety requirements of course), fill every 7-14 days depending on the weather from the 4 cord in the detached garage. Occasional spider or skeeter... Keep a path clear from the garage to the back patio.

 

[walhondingnashua]

My neighbor got rid of his wood stove and gave me one of these. I'm a pretty big fan of it. One cart full fits on the stone hearth and the second cart full stays on the cart. Just under a weeks worth of wood. I have a similar outlook as Wiess... as long as Im not to busy I don't mind the chore once a week or so.

 

[Gearhead660]

My neighbor got rid of his wood stove and gave me one of these. I'm a pretty big fan of it. One cart full fits on the stone hearth and the second cart full stays on the cart. Just under a weeks worth of wood. I have a similar outlook as Wiess... as long as Im not to busy I don't mind the chore once a week or so.

I got one of these carts. Like it a lot.

 

[PJ41]

We keep about a quarter cord in two racks in the basement. One rack lasts about a week. Keep one against the brick chimney and the other against the concrete wall. Bought a pneumatic tired garden cart that fits thru the walk out door; use it all winter.

 

[Qvist]

I usually bring in one heaping wheelbarrow at a time becuase of bugs. Stick bugs and boxelder bugs overwinter in between the splits. They don't wake up till you bring them in and warm them up. A lot of times I will move a few spilts and smell a crushed stink bug. I also have wolf spiders and carpenter ants in the stack. Maybe it's the weather or the fact I live 50yds from a swamp don't know.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

This is my garage rack. It holds just under a face cord. This will last an average of 3 weeks. From here I bring up a tote full just about every time I go up and down the stairs and stack it on a table by the stove. I have brought ants in the house once or twice, however, ant traps have solved that.

 

[usernametaken]

I bring in a full season of wood at a time which is 6-7 cords. I spray the basement floor under and back wall behind the stacks with Permethrin. I also spray the face of the stacks. Zero bugs inside. This is an extremely cheap and easy solution to indoor wood storage.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

i just walled off an area 10x13 ft area in my basement by a window, Wood comes in thru the window, get stacked and comes up the basement steps in totes when needed into a small wood holder that holds enough wood for the day. Pretty slick if i do say so myself. Bugs havent been a problem cept for the occasional spider. I can store enough wood down there, 5 cords, to make it thru winter. My whole set up is really a dream.

 

[Wood1Dennis]

i just walled off an area 10x13 ft area in my basement by a window, Wood comes in thru the window, get stacked and comes up the basement steps in totes when needed into a small wood holder that holds enough wood for the day. Pretty slick if i do say so myself. Bugs havent been a problem cept for the occasional spider. I can store enough wood down there, 5 cords, to make it thru winter. My whole set up is really a dream.

Hey Neighbor. I put in 4 cords, through a 4 foot high cut down door that opens into an egress well. It gets stacked right next to the furnace. Great system. I use a bug spray on each load and don't put any buggy looking wood in, or burn it right away. No problems. I like our system because once it is in and stacked at the beginning of the season, I don't touch it again until it goes in the furnace!

 

[Fiddlerbob]

My firewood has got powder post beetles. You really don't want them in the house. I do store some wood in the attached garage but I make sure it gets burnt within a few days and never have it there outside of cold season.