Build a Firewood Shed to Keep Your Firewood Dry and Ready
Firewood cost, either you bought them or you chopped them yourself. In the former you shelled out your hard earned money and in the latter you spent a lot of energy and time. So if your firewood gets wet or becomes filled with moisture, all your money and your efforts will just go down the drain. A wet firewood will not burn properly as we all know, and if you live in an area where rain and snowfall is frequent, it can be virtually impossible to keep your wood dry. Build a firewood shed, the key to this predicament and you can be sure of having dry firewood every time you need it.
The location of your firewood shed is one of the most important decision you should make It should be in an area where water does not pool around the shed, yet it should be near your home so that it would be easy for you to get firewood whenever you need it. You certainly wouldn’t want to walk far just to get some when it’s raining hard or there is heavy snowfall. Also, try to build a raised floor so that moisture from the ground would not easily seep inside the shed. Wet wood easily gets rotten and decomposes.
With regards to the roof of your firewood shed, you should make sure in your plans that it has a high steep and is slanted. This way, snow and rain will easily slide off and would not get inside to the firewood. This goes the same for the foundation, making it higher from the ground and providing a slant to slide snow and water away from the shed.
Most firewood sheds are built with only three sides. Only three walls are provided and the fourth side left open. This is necessary as this allows airflow which in turn allows the firewood to dry properly. But because of this open side, it would also be easy for rain and snow to be blown inside by the wind. To avoid this or to minimize moisture, it is best that the open side should not face the direction of the wind.
To further prevent moisture from seeping into your firewood, when you build your firewood shed put a layer of plastic on the floor and to allow good airflow for drying, under your woodpile stack your firewood on off-cut lumbers. Most firewood shed are not really that big, they are easy to make and don’t require as much cost as most typical storage sheds. With just a couple of lumber and nails, you can be assured that you will have dry and effective firewood ready to build a roaring fire for a comfortable warmth.
Always remember when you build a firewood shed or start any project, having shed plans is the best way to ensure that you will have a worry-free time when you’re in the actual process of building the shed. So get your hands on a firewood shed plan first.