How to Store Firewood Logs: Expert Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Wood Storage

Proper firewood storage is one of the most crucial aspects of wood fuel heating.

Whether you’re buying premium Ready to Burn logs or chopping and seasoning them yourself, proper storage is essential to help ensure that your logs remain dry, safe to burn, and pest-free.

In this expert-written guide, we'll explain the best way to store firewood logs. We’ll discuss what’s best, storing logs outside, indoors, in a garage, or in a specialised wood store. Our experts will inform you about the most common mistakes they see British log burner owners make. Last but not least, we’ll discuss best practices for monitoring wood fuel moisture content and other eco-conscious, responsible wood-burning practices.

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Why You Need to Store Logs Properly

Here are just some of the reasons why it pays to think about proper firewood storage. These are universally applicable to all parts of the world, but they’re especially important here in the UK. This is because we live in a very humid climate. Re-drying processes that take months in southern climes can take just a few weeks in Britain.

Proper Wood Storage Helps Control Moisture Content

Dried wood that isn’t stored properly will inevitably soak up dampness from the air and rain. This will undo all the good that was done during the kiln-drying process (read our article on kiln-drying).

For a clean and efficient burn, logs should have a maximum moisture level of 20%. In the UK, this is by law (read our article on Defra's Ready to Burn standard). The moisture level of a log is measured by splitting a log in two and measuring the value at its core. Why is this important?

Because wet wood is hard to ignite and burns inefficiently, producing a lot of smoke and creating creosote deposits in your chimney (read our article on the dangers of wet wood).

Proper storage keeps your firewood dry so it lights easily and provides maximum heat.

Proper Log Storage Fends Off Mould and Rot

Being an all-natural material, improperly stored wood can quickly develop mould and rot. When burned, mouldy logs will release harmful microscopic spores into the air you breathe. And if you've ever fought mould before, then you know that if you see it visually on one log, it means that your entire wood store is already compromised. So the best way to fight mould is to not let it appear in the first place.

Proper Storage Allows Your Logs to Perform Their Best

Even if you don’t store your logs for a long enough time for moisture to accumulate in dangerous levels, you’ll still appreciate the benefits of properly stored wood. You paid good money for those logs, so why not enjoy a fire that’s easy to light, burns cleanly, and gives off as much heat as possible? Dry logs are also far better for the environment, with laboratory tests showing time and time again that dry logs produce far less particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) when burned.

How to Store Logs Outside: Expert-Approved Best Practices

When it comes to how to store logs outside, a few simple best practices will keep your firewood in prime shape.

1. A Proper Stack Is Everything. Always stack firewood in a tidy pile with small gaps between each log rather than throwing it in a heap. This helps maximise airflow around the logs. Lekto experts recommend stacking wood in a crisscross or grid pattern for both stability and airflow.

2. Logs and Ground Don’t Mix. Never leave your firewood in direct contact with bare ground. Moisture from the soil will seep into your dry logs quickly through capillary action. Our best advice? Aim for at least 5 centimetres of ground clearance. This can be achieved with a purpose-built log rack, by placing the wood on old pallets, or even by creating a raised platform from old bricks.

3. Keep the Top Covered. It goes without saying that you need to protect your logs from the rain. This can be achieved in several ways, each with their own pros and cons. But even a simple cover of a cheap transparent plastic sheet placed on top of the logs is more than adequate. Just don’t accidentally create an air tight seal. You still want some ventilation to go through.

4. First In, First Out. Regardless of how good your stacking skills are, wood simply cannot be stored forever. Sure up older wood before grabbing wood from a fresh batch. This prevents having forgotten logs at the bottom of the pile that sit for too long. Stack each year’s wood separately if possible to make sure you don’t use new logs when you’ve yet to use up old firewood.

Choosing the Right Location For Outdoor Log Storage

When deciding where to store firewood outside, you want a spot that keeps your wood dry and accessible while also maintaining safety. 

Choose a Sunny, Airy Spot

If at all possible, pick a location that gets at least some sun and breeze regularly. Sunlight helps to dry the logs by day, and a steady airflow will carry away moisture. Ideally, you want a south-facing area that isn’t tightly enclosed.

Avoid Tree Cover and Drip Zones

It might be tempting to stack your firewood under a big tree or the edge of a roof to “protect it from the rain”, but anyone who has tried this will tell you it’s a bad idea. Trees and roofs will drip water onto the pile long after it has rained, keeping it wet much longer than usual. 

Fire Safety Is Important

Regardless of whether it's wood fuel or gasoline, storing large amounts of combustible materials near your home is a very bad idea. A common safety recommendation is to store wood at least 20 feet away from your home. Storing small amounts indoors is perfectly fine, but you don't want several years’ worth of firewood anywhere near your home.

Wall Contact Is Your #1 Enemy

Just like the ground, walls are very bad for firewood. Direct contact can trap moisture and invite wood-boring pests to move from the pile into the wooden wall. A little space ensures airflow and protects the structure behind from rot. So if you decide to stack along a fence or shed wall, leave a gap of a few inches between the wood and the wall. 

Outdoor Log Store Ideas and Solutions

Here are some popular, expert-approved solutions for storing your logs outside.

Wood Log Stores

These small, shed-like structures are purpose-built for storing firewood. Typically, a wooden log store has a roof, open front, and sometimes slatted sides or a raised floor. All of these features are designed to keep rain out and let air in. A good log store will be made of sturdy timber, have a slanted roof, and an open front for ventilation. If you’re building your own, just make sure to treat the wood you build it from to fend off rot.

The price? An inexpensive log store from sheds.co.uk can be had for as little as £124.

Metal Log Stores or Cabinets

If you prefer something more modern and robust, metal log storage units are widely available. These are like small metal sheds or boxes with ventilation holes. They offer fully enclosed protection for your firewood and tend to be very durable and pest-resistant. Their main downside is the price. Good models can be quite expensive.

The price? Expect to pay north of £200 for a good one.

DIY Pallet Racks

On a tight budget? Then, a simple log rack might be all you need. These are usually metal frames that hold logs off the ground and keep the stack organised. They come in various sizes, from small porch racks that hold a few dozen logs to large outdoor racks for a full cord of wood. They’re super easy to DIY from old wooden pallets and a tarp.

The price? £0 if you can get used pallets somewhere.

Firewood Sheds

A very popular solution in Northern Europe, the classic firewood shed is perfect for people who buy firewood logs in bulk and dry them themselves. A good shed can easily store two years worth of firewood, allowing you to save money by getting bulk discount. This is by far the most expensive solution on our list, but it can pay for itself in just a few years, if you use a lot of wood fuel.

The price? Starting from £440 for this 10x8ft option from livingathome.co.uk.

How to Store Wood Indoors

Firewood logs can be safely stored indoors, provided certain conditions are met.

• Kiln-Dried Only in Living Spaces. If you plan to store logs in a living space, make sure it’s kiln-dried. Air-dried logs will often be home to pests, moulds, and fungi, even if it is not immediately noticeable. You don't want these anywhere near your children and pets. The kiln-drying process kills off all of these nasties and is 100% safe to store indoors.

• Garage Storage For Seasoned Logs. If you use seasoned logs, then a garage can be a good middle ground between inside and outside storage. A garage is sheltered from weather, but it’s not inside your living space, so fewer precautions are needed. Avoid contact with concrete by laying down a tarp, some cardboard, or a small pallet.

• Check Local Guidelines. If you live in an area with termites or similar pests, there might be recommendations on how far away from the house wood should be kept. In this case, you should forget everything you’ve just read and obey those guidelines. Better safe than sorry.

Want Ultimate Convenience? Choose Kiln-Dried Logs With Free UK Delivery

If all of this seems like a chore, then Lekto’s Kiln-Dried Logs in birch, oak, and ash flavours are a perfect fit for you. Our premium firewood is dried to extra low moisture in an industrial kiln. This allows it to burn extremely efficiently and kills off all pests, moulds, and fungi.

Lekto’s kiln-dried logs are delivered in sturdy, stackable boxes with built-in handles for ultimate storage convenience. Place them on top of one another to maximise the space you have.

Store Your Logs For Free at Our Warehouse

As for the space you don’t have, that’s not an issue, either. Lekto offers 100% free UK delivery on all orders over £75 (see Shipping & Delivery page). So instead of worrying about where to put your logs, simply order them whenever you need them during the heating season.

Firewood heating is hard enough as it is. No need to make it even harder.

Want to learn more about us and our products? Read All You Need to Know About Lekto Woodfuels