Store firewood - Ideas and tips for storing firewood

• Store firewood
  • Hard or softwood "> location
  • underground
  • canopies
  • storage time
  • capacity
• Columns and Stacking: Instructions

Firewood is still an important raw material for many homeowners so that they do not have to spend the winter in a cold living room. With firewood, the correct storage is crucial, so that the wood does not mold, rot or generate polluting gases when burned. Even for beginners in this field, this process is easier than expected and can be effectively implemented.

Firewood - a fuel that is still used today because of its properties and thanks to its sustainability is used particularly efficiently in single-family homes. So that the firewood can be stored dry without unwanted side effects, there are ideas and tips that make storage easier. In addition, they can really be done by anyone, because they work universally and depending on the amount and type of logs only need sufficient time and energy. Since wood is a natural material, the calorific value can be significantly reduced due to the wrong storage, which must be avoided, otherwise too little power is achieved.

Store firewood

Wood has been an important part of human life for millennia, be it as a basic raw material for a dwelling or a hunting bow. Despite the many types of energy available to man today, wood has become established as a renewable resource. In order to exploit the entire energy potential of the raw material, the correct storage is necessary, otherwise irreversible damage can occur, which has a negative effect on the burning performance. The following problems can occur:

• Mold
• rot
• Pests, including the housebuck, the brown sapwood beetle, mulch and others
• Moisture can accumulate in the wood and not escape

Since all of these conditions are not ideal and greatly reduce heating efficiency, it is important to follow these ideas and tips to optimize storage. This helps, above all, to pull the moisture out of the wood and in the end to obtain dry firewood, which can be lit and burned without problems. There are four different levels of moisture present in firewood:

• up to 15%: ideal value, can be used without hesitation as a fuel, smoke and odor low
• 16 to 20%: in the green range, good heat output, pollutant values ​​are still low
• 21 to 24%: pollutant values ​​increase, heating output steadily decreases
• over 25%: particularly poor heat output, stinks formally, forms strong dark smoke

Up to 20 percent is the use of firewood considered environmentally friendly and it can be used easily. In addition, the use of firewood is not recommended because the heating power is extremely low. In addition, the following problems may occur:

• Combustion chamber can be damaged
• Sooting of the exhaust pipe
• Residues of the wood can accumulate inside the pipe and combustion chamber

Another consequence of this is the frequent addition of logs, which gnaws your wallet long term. Therefore, it is advisable to use the tips and ideas below to keep your firewood dry and ready for the winter.
Please note: Wet wood with a moisture of over 25 percent should and should never be placed in the fireplace. The heat output is reduced by three times and due to the moisture it comes to the formation of high amounts of carbon monoxide, which is bad for your health and the environment.

Hard or softwood ">

Location

One of the classic ideas of storing firewood is the right location. This alone can save you a lot of work and effectively store the wood. The location should be such that excessive moisture does not enter the wood, does not tip over or is near any sources of fire. Furthermore, the following points should be noted:

1. Air circulation: Sufficient airflow is one of the most important issues the site should have. If the air can not move around the firewood, it begins to accumulate moisture, which in turn ends in mold or rot.

2. Sun: Sunlight has a drying effect on the wood, especially after heavy rainfall. The sun ensures that residual moisture evaporates from the firewood, making it easier to use for use in the in-house fireplace. The more sun, the better.

3. Protection against the weather: this is just as important as a sufficient air circulation. Too much rain, snow or damp wind, to which the wood is exposed, does not get the fuel at all. Therefore, the site should have protection against the weather.

These three points describe the essential needs of the site and help narrow it down. The following ideas are perfect for storing the firewood and not be surprised:

1. House wall: the house wall is a popular location for storing firewood. The best way to do this is to choose a wall that faces south or southwest, so that plenty of sunshine reaches the woodpile. Likewise, the wood stack must be about 15 inches from the house wall, so that the air can move freely.

2. Roofing: the rooftop is perfect for storing firewood. Due to the strong downward shape, the wood is well protected from the weather and only needs sufficient sun.

3. Wood rental: Wood rental is a traditional method of stacking wood, which is one of the best storage tips. Thanks to the shape rainwater can drain off and the sun dries the rent efficiently. Requires a little more work, but worth it. This variant is a freestanding pile of wood that does not need to be considered. It can be provided with a roof made of wood or tarpaulin in heavy rainfall.

4. Firewood rack : the shelf for firewood is perfectly suited for storage and usually made of a metal, for example stainless steel, or wood. These are available in different sizes and designs and facilitate the layers tremendously.
One of the most valuable tips ever concerns the basement in the house or the garden shed. Do not use the firewood there because the air circulation is low to none, which can lead to mold in a short time. Likewise, you should refrain from covering the wood pile with an air-impermeable tarpaulin for a long time, as this would have the same effect, even if it protects the wood from rain.

underground

Suitable ideas for the substrate protect the sensitive wood from moisture from the ground. If the wood pile is placed on a suitable surface or if it is specially laid out for the pile, the wood is also protected against a large number of pests. This is especially important, because from the soil a lot of moisture can penetrate into the firewood, which would then eat in from below. The following solutions are recommended for this:

• Stones or stone slabs
• euro pallets
• Squared timbers as a foundation
• Tarpaulin made of waterproof material or pond liner

The wood pile can then be placed on the selected surface.

canopies

Separate roofing provides additional protection of the wood. It is best to use corrugated iron, plastic and wooden roofs which are inclined so that the water can flow off to the side without moistening the firewood.

storage time

When it comes to storage time, it depends on how fast you want the wood available and what form of storage you have chosen. On average, you can store firewood for as long as you wish, but this should never be longer than four years. Even with good storage, the wood absorbs moisture over the years and biodegradation processes are initiated which noticeably reduce the heating capacity of the wood. The typical drying time is one to two years. If you want to have the wood available earlier, you should not choose the wood rental, as this requires the longest drying time.

capacity

The site should provide enough space for the fill to keep you supplied in the coming years. It is best to store 150 to 300 percent more wood than you would actually use. So you have enough firewood available even in cold winters.

Columns and Stacking: Instructions

Also among the tips and ideas for the storage of firewood is proper stacking. This allows a good supply of air and allows the logs to be stored for a long period of time. The instructions as follows:

Step 1: The wood is either quartered or halved. Halving is enough as soon as the log is not longer than 30 centimeters. If the logs are too long for your location, you should cut them in half and split them accordingly.

Step 2: Lay each log individually with the bark down. As a result, the logs take longer to rot.

Step 3: Place the firewood so that the thin end points to the weather side, reducing possible damage caused by the weather.

Step 4: Place the logs in the bottom row offset slightly apart to promote air circulation. Then stack all the logs one above the other according to their natural shape. You can vary and place several rows across.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 until all the wood has been layered and then dried as firewood.

Tip: Alternatively, you can purchase proposed firewood from specialist dealers in various qualities. Check this before buying but necessarily on a high moisture in the wood, mold or insects.