Cutting and stacking firewood can be a therapeutic experience. Stacking firewood especially gives me a sense of fulfillment and helps me put aside whatever is pressing on my mind and heart. In addition to expending wholesome energy, the visual and aromatic effect of organizing a wood pile is inspiring and uniquely satisfying.
Of course, a well ordered wood pile is more than homespun sculpture. Whether relying on wood to heat the home or sharing relaxing times around an outdoor fire pit, the way firewood is stacked impacts seasoning, burn-ability, energy efficiency, safety, convenience, value and cost.
Early on I learned the hard way that effectively stacking firewood is not as simple as it seems. If you "take the road less traveled by" and apply some proven techniques, you will enjoy a much smaller learning curve.
Consider first the condition of your firewood before deciding where to locate your stack. If the wood already is seasoned, protecting it from over-drying becomes a priority, so a shed or covered area would be best. If the wood is unseasoned, wet or green, build the stack where it will be most exposed to sun and wind. Keeping the stack at least twenty feet from your home is important in any case.
How to shape or form the wood stack also is greatly influenced by the condition of the wood. As an example, unseasoned wood demands greater attention to air flow in and around the stack.
No matter what the location or stacking technique, start by laying two parallel rows of planks about 15" apart and perpendicular to the direction the firewood ends will point. Keeping wood off the ground, cement or other surface creates air flow, helps prevent mold, and ensures the bottom rows will season with the rest of the stack. I prefer using 4 X 4 timber, but other materials, such as long, straight branches, 2 X 4's, and pallets work just as well.
Before stacking the firewood, you may want to treat the ground with insecticide if you are concerned about carpenter ants, termites or other infestations. Applying insecticides directly to the firewood is not recommended, since it is not wise to burn chemically treated wood in the fireplace or outdoor fire pit.
Stacking wood in contact with other wood also encourages rotting and infestation. For this reason, firewood should be stacked in single rows.
To the fun part. A decision is needed for how to secure the ends in order to keep the stack intact. Herein lies the mark of a good firewood stacker. There are several options. For example, two perfectly placed trees will do.
Another useful and common method involves crisscrossing layers of the straightest firewood pieces to build vertical ends. If done carefully, these Lincoln Log style towers are strong enough to keep the wood pile in place indefinitely. Since the crisscrossing pattern allows greater air flow, you may find that the wood used for the vertical ends seasons faster than the other wood.
A faster, perhaps less aesthetic technique is to drive one or two metal stakes into the ground to frame the ends of the wood stack. Given the length and depth of the stakes, you may have to limit the height of the wood stack.
Interestingly, a more stabilizing technique involves using one stake and twine. Cut several pieces of bailing or other strong twine a few feet longer than your stack. On every third or fourth row, use a slip knot to tie one end of a piece of twine to the stake. Then lay the twine across that row and loop it around the end logs of the next row up. Once a few firewood pieces are stacked on the twine, the stake will draw tight to the pile and you will have a perfect vertical end.
Still another way is to forget the stakes and wrap the twine around end logs at both ends of your stack. Done correctly, the pile will be quite stable.
It is important not to rush through this stacking phase. The last thing you want is for the pile suddenly to fall into a heap. In addition to being extremely frustrating, this can be very dangerous for you and your loved ones. Better to take care in forming straight and sturdy rows that are no higher than four feet.
In building the wood stack, make each row as level as possible. Generally one end of a firewood piece is wider than the other. Placing the wider end on the low side of the pile is a good way to keep the rows close to level. Another thing you can do is look at the stack from one end and check the opposite side from where you are working to see if the pile is starting to lean. If so, the back end of a maul works well for tapping firewood pieces back in line, although it is hard to do this if there are several rows out of whack. Therefore, survey the stack early on and often.
Freshly cut firewood can have water content of 50% or more. 20% is needed in order for the wood to burn efficiently and safely. Therefore, building as much air flow as possible into the stack is important for the drying or seasoning process. In forming each row, do not wedge each piece tightly against the one next to it. Space enough for a mouse to pass but not a cat is the rule of thumb.
Especially after wood has been chopped, there often is bark on one side. This can be an advantage. If the wood is wet or green and will not be covered, placing the wood bark side up helps keep some of the rain from soaking in. If the wood will be covered, stacking bark side down speeds the drying process.
Whether or not to cover a wood pile is a matter of preference more than anything. Although I prefer leaving the stack uncovered at all times to allow the seasoning of the wood to unfold naturally, I am not sure it makes that much difference. At least as many people as not believe that covering the wood stack produces the best results. In very wet climates, I would agree with them.
If you prefer to cover, never completely cover the wood, which will rot rather than dry it. Best to leave the ends of the stack uncovered and the overhanging tarp at least a foot or so from the ground on the sides.
If you want an easier way to organize your wood pile, a heavy-duty firewood rack may be ideal. No need to worry about configuring the base or ends of the stack; that's exactly what a firewood rack is. Different lengths are available to handle the amount of wood that needs to be stacked. For instance, a 36" model holds 3/8 face cord. A 144" model holds 1 face cord.
Now that you have created the perfect firewood stack, you will want to gather any leftover twigs and woodchips. Once dry, they will serve well as kindling. At this point, I highly recommend that you carefully consider what you have done. Look at the picture you have created, savor the woodsy smell, listen for the sounds of wildlife, and enjoy the road less traveled.
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Chris Basher is the owner of www.FirePitNow.com, an excellent online home for outdoor
firewood racks , wood splitters, outdoor fire pits and related products. With its focus on customer service and well-made products, shopping FirePitNow.com is a pleasure. For more information regarding selection and use of outdoor
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