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Firewood Safety for Your Wood Stove

Stacking firewood will become a regular part of your summer routine if you own a wood stove or fireplace and use it to heat your home. It may seem simple, but how and where you stack firewood is more important than you might think. Improperly stacking your firewood can lead to a variety of problems, including mice infestations, mold, fungus, termites, and wood that does not burn as well as it could. Firewood that has been stacked too close to your home can also pose a significant fire hazard as well.

No amount of proper stacking will guarantee that your firewood will never have problems. Still, careful planning can go a long way toward keeping your woodpile as dry, clean, and safe as possible.

 

Tips for Safely Storing and Stacking Firewood

  1. Choose a good location to stack the firewood
    You will want to find a place with good sun exposure so that the firewood will dry throughout the summer and burn well in the winter. The best place to store firewood is outside to prevent the wood from being a fire hazard. Pest control experts recommend that firewood stacks be at least 5 feet away from the house. However, you should stack the wood about 30 feet away if your home is located in a forest fire area. In all circumstances, firewood should be stacked away from areas where children or pets play to prevent accidents.

    To prevent problems, it is generally not recommended to stack your firewood inside the house. However, after the wood has been seasoned, you can bring a day’s worth of wood into the home for your wood stove or fireplace so that you don’t need to keep going outside in the snow. Some people like to store firewood in the garage, but make sure it is not infested with any insects.

  2. Keep your wood dry
    For wood to burn effectively, it needs to be kept dry. This means that the wood should not be kept on the ground since moisture from the ground can enter the wood. Firewood can be stacked while wet, but it needs to be done correctly so that air can flow freely, and the wood will dry quickly. Otherwise, the wood will take much longer to dry and be unusable.

    An excellent way to ensure your firewood stays dry is to invest in a wood rack or stack it in a woodshed. The wood will be off the ground, and air can circulate freely. This will also prevent the wood from getting infested with termites. You can also place your firewood on gravel, concrete, brick, or a paving stone pad if you do not have a rack.

  3. All logs need to be level, or you’ll risk the entire pile falling over
    Firewood should be loosely stacked rather than trying to pack it tightly so that air can circulate and the wood dries faster. The cut ends should be exposed because that is where most of the moisture is released. Most importantly, make sure the firewood is level so that it does not fall over.

  4. Cover the firewood
    If the firewood is outdoors, you will want to cover it to protect the wood from the elements and unnecessary moisture. Most people opt for a tarp; however, it is not advisable to completely cover the firewood with a tarp because it can trap moisture underneath and not allow the wood to dry properly.

  5. Wear closed-toed footwear, preferably with steel toe protection
    Your safety is paramount, so make sure you take precautions while stacking your firewood. Wear closed-toed footwear at the very least, with steel toe protection if that is an option. Work gloves will protect your hands from splinters and slivers.

 

While buying firewood by the bag is always an option, this can get costly quickly and is not as convenient as making up your own woodpile. Well-stacked firewood will dry quickly, burn efficiently, and the stack will even look nice in the process. If you effectively stack firewood and it has been seasoned well, you can store it for months and even years. Then you will always have wood ready for gatherings around your Napoleon wood stove or fireplace.

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