How to Use Pallets to Store Firewood

Prepare firewood for efficient burning during cold weather.

Fall is the time to focus on home heating; for many homeowners this season means stacking the wood pile and stoking fires. Stacking firewood while paying attention to its needs will decrease the amount of stoking needed and guarantee you get every BTU (British Thermal Unit) from your firewood.



Firewood needs to be dry to burn efficiently. Stacking firewood off the ground will help it season throughout the winter and keep it dry during inclement weather. Using wooden pallets to hold stacks of firewood maintains air flow and ensures the firewood is in premium burning condition.

Things You'll Need

• Pallets
• Hammer
• Clear plastic
• Bricks

Instructions

1. Lay the wooden pallet on a flat, level surface. Stack rows of firewood on the pallet from front to back. Make sure the rows are straight. Leave an air gap of 3 inches between rows.

2. Remove the individual boards from one pallet. Lay the lumber strips across the firewood rows to create an airspace between the layers of firewood.

3. Stack rows of firewood on top of the pallet lumber. Stack the firewood in this fashion until the remaining firewood is stacked on the pallet.

4. Create a cover for two sides of the wood pile with 4 mm clear plastic. The firewood should be covered to protect it against inclement weather, however the sides should still allow air infiltration. Drape the clear plastic away from the firewood creating a tent effect for water to shed away from wood pile. The makeshift greenhouse created by the plastic will keep the woodpile dry and season wood that could still have moisture.

5. Place something heavy on top of the wood pile to prevent the plastic from blowing away. You can use spare wood, a tire, or anything of substantial bulk to keep the plastic in place. Place bricks on top of the plastic to weigh it down.

Tips & Warnings

• Firewood stacked directly on the ground will absorb water.

• Remove the bark from green firewood to aid in the seasoning process.

• Firewood needs a moisture content below 20 percent for an efficient burn.

• Firewood may shrink causing a firewood pile to shift over time.

References

• End Times Report: Drying and Storing Firewood