We all love hot roaring fires at this time of the year, but what to do with all that firewood? It’s not like we can just dump it all in a pile by the back door and hope for the best, right? Nope, it’s not that easy. Well, you can do that, but then you are inviting bugs and moisture to join in on the fun, and that is not going to help when you want to build a nice fire.

Here are 4 helpful tips for storing your firewood:

Keep Your Firewood off the Ground

You never want to leave your firewood directly on the ground, because the bottom logs will never dry. Plus, the logs will never receive any airflow, so they will get moldy and that mold will quickly spread. A pallet is an easy solution for storing your firewood up off the ground.

Cover Your Firewood

While you will want your firewood covered when it is outside, it is also important for the wood to receive some exposure to the air and the sun. Therefore, you will want to use a tarp to cover the top of the pile with a little bit of an overhang, and then leave the sides open so that the wood can dry out. Stack the Wood Properly

You will not want to stack your firewood right next to your home, garage, or other structure on your property. Instead, you will want at least three feet of space between your wood pile and anything else. This space will allow air to flow to your wood, so that it will not rot or get moldy. You will also want to stack your logs so that there are not large gaps in between. Those large gaps can be too inviting to mice and other animals. Plus, the smaller the gaps, the more seasoned your wood will become.

Use Your Oldest Logs First

When you are choosing which firewood to burn, you will want to choose your oldest logs first. This will ensure that you are using your most seasoned wood before it gets too old and allowing your newer wood to get more seasoned. To make this process easier, you may need to restack your wood periodically. However, it is better to do that in the beginning of the season then in the middle when you are trying to get the wood that you need for a fire.

These four helpful tips should make it easier as you are storing your firewood for all those winter fires this season. If you didn’t get these done before the cold winter hit, it isn’t too late to start now. Throw on an extra layer of clothes and go get your wood pile organized. You’ll thank yourself later when you go to build your next warm fire.

Fireplace Safety and Chimney Inspections in Drexel Hill

We have two CSIA Certified chimney sweeps standing by to assist you with your chimney needs. Give us a call at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a chimney inspection or cleaning. We provide chimney services throughout the Main Line region.