Firewood storage / drying solutions

[woody woodpecker]

Hi All

what are your thoughts on outside Firewood storage over winter  as i do not have enough under cover storage for the amount that we are now selling . what do you find  works best e.g  potato boxes ,ibc crates or vented bags .  Tarps covering things dont really work as we are in a very exposed area .

thanks chris

[Woodworks]

IBCs with hats on stacked in an exposed spot 2-3 high for the majority of the drying. Yes, rain will get in but most of the hard work will be done. Presuming the weather is set wet we then bring them into an airy shed for a month for the rain wetting to dry out before selling them. 

[woody woodpecker]

Thanks i need to store outside and use without extra handling .

[GarethM]

IBC stacked 2 high with a plywood timber roof on each stack that overhangs 3" all way around.

 

Tarps work well providing they overhang down 6".

 

Never need to bring them inside unless it's barrow bags filling 

Edited November 14, 2022 by GarethM

[Woodworks]

3 minutes ago, woody woodpecker said:

Thanks i need to store outside and use without extra handling .

Then I would go for individual hats for each IBC. The top ones in our system are appreciably drier than the lower crates

[woody woodpecker]

hi i think i will have to stack as we are looking at approx 350 to 400 cube , have you ever tried them stacked 4 heigh . does anyone use potato boxes as the logs would be a bit more protected from the elements .

[GarethM]

Any more than two and your a braver man than I.

[Woodworks]

27 minutes ago, woody woodpecker said:

hi i think i will have to stack as we are looking at approx 350 to 400 cube , have you ever tried them stacked 4 heigh . does anyone use potato boxes as the logs would be a bit more protected from the elements .

 My loader doesn't reach to 4 high and would need a really good flat floor as the slightest angle really shows the higher you go. 3 works well enough on uneven ground 

[Dan Maynard]

Depends where you are in the country too, Woodworks I think is in Devon, I'm in East Anglia and I've never bothered with lids or hats as we don't get much rain.

[gdh]

We use potato boxes as they're bigger and safer to stack. We kiln dry so I can't compare to outside but it dries fine in them, we just make sure to test the center of the box.

 

Old boxes are cheap enough and you can repair them easily but they're about £100 new