How to Build an Outdoor Firewood Holder
Stacking firewood outdoors keeps the mess from dirt and bark outside. Putting it on a rack or holder keeps the pile looking neat, and storing it off the ground keeps the wood from rotting. A rack also makes it more convenient to cover the pile with a tarp and keep it dry. A typical firewood quantity is a face cord, which is 8 feet long, 4 feet high and 16 inches deep. Building a firewood holder that holds a face cord of firewood provides easy access to a lot of wood. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 8 pieces of 8-foot-long, 2-by-4 lumber
- Tape measure
- Miter saw
- 3-inch deck screws
- Drill with screwdriver bits
- Square
Instructions
-
-
1
Measure 4 feet from the end of a 2-by-4 and make a mark. Cut the 2-by-4 in half on the mark, using the circular saw. Do the same to a second 2-by-4. These pieces are for the sides.
-
2
Measure 6 inches from the end of a 2-by-4 and mark it. Cut the 2-by-4 on the mark with the saw. Cut a three more pieces the same size to use for spacers. Make one additional spacer 9 inches long.
-
-
3
Lay two of the 4-foot-long, 2-by-4 side pieces on edge and parallel to each other. Place a 6-inch spacer between them at each end, also on edge and flush with the ends. Screw through the 2-by-4 side pieces into the spacers, using two deck screws into the end of each spacer, for a total of eight screws. Repeat for the remaining two side pieces and the two 6-inch spacers. This creates two end assemblies.
-
4
Lay two 8-foot 2-by-4s on edge and parallel to each other, 9 inches apart. These are the bottom pieces. Stand one end assembly up between the two bottom pieces and make it flush with the ends of the bottom pieces. Place the long leg of the square on the top edge of a bottom piece and the short leg on the end assembly to make the joint square.
-
5
Screw the bottom pieces to the end assemblies with four deck screws through each bottom piece. Repeat on the opposite end of the bottom pieces for the second end assembly.
-
6
Place the 9-inch spacer between the two bottom pieces in the center. Screw the bottom pieces to the spacer with two screws from each side.
-
7
Place one 8-foot long 2-by-4 parallel to the bottom pieces, between the tops of the two end assemblies, on the back side of the firewood holder, and screw it in place with four screws at each end. Attach a second 2-by-4 the same way to the front. These two top rails add strength to the sides.
-
8
Lay the firewood holder down so the front is face down. Measure along the rear top rail and make a mark at 4 feet. Place a 2-by-4 from the end of the bottom rail to cross the mark on the top rail. Draw a pencil line on both ends of the 2-by-4 to mark the angle and cut it on the marks. Screw this 2-by-4 brace to the assembly with two screws on the bottom piece, and two in the top rail. Make a second piece from the opposite corner the same way.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The finished assembly looks like a box 8 feet long and 4 feet high, with two braces on the rear that extend from the ends of the rear bottom rail to the center of the top middle rail.
Pressure-treated lumber will last much longer than untreated lumber.
Wear safety glasses when cutting wood and driving screws.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
