How to make a woodshed for storing firewood: how to build it yourself, video

For many, a vacation outside the city means a hot sauna, a delicious barbecue cooked over an open fire, or a quiet evening near a cozy fireplace. For all these pleasures you need well-dried firewood. If you store them haphazardly, the wood will become damp and unsuitable for kindling. The best solution is to build a firewood shed for your dacha, especially since a simple structure can be built in just a few hours from the most affordable materials.

Where to locate the firewood storage

Our ancestors built a warehouse for firewood next to the wall of the house, under a canopy, not far from the front door.
This was done not only because it was the fastest way to get to the woodpile. An important factor was the constant heating (and, accordingly, drying) of the wood with the heat of the wall of the heated house. The heat influx was very small, but stable, which made it possible to stack the firewood more densely without fear of molding. Naturally, the firewood was stored along the blank wall of the house. Firstly, it did not spoil the overall appearance of the site, and secondly, the storage did not block the light.

What’s interesting: firewood stacked along the wall additionally serves as a heat-insulating layer for the home.

In modern realities, when there are windows in almost all walls, firewood can also be laid around window openings. It looks peculiar, but there is a certain meaning in it. In this case, the roof overhang should be significantly increased, and large stones laid along the wall are used as a kind of “foundation” - firewood is piled on them.

If we’re not talking about a woodpile, but about building a full-fledged woodshed with our own hands, then they recommend placing it:

• near the back wall of the house or in a part of the site invisible from the street;
• at a distance of at least two meters from sources of open flame and sparks. For example, if there is a specially equipped place for cooking over a fire or coals, the woodcutter should be away from it. You cannot set up a welder’s or metal cutter’s workplace next to a woodpile;
• at some distance from beds, flower beds and other plantings. Since the woodshed, as a rule, is quite large, it also provides a lot of shade, which is not always beneficial. However, shade-loving plants can be planted in its shade;
• away from water sources and places where it is splashed.

In addition, it is not recommended to place the woodshed, even the most spectacular in appearance, in the center of the site - after all, it should not be the main decorative element.

Roof installation

A corrugated roof for a barn can be made using the following methods:

1. With the use of stingrays. To do this, it is necessary that the height of the walls be the same.
2. Using one ramp. This method involves creating one wall higher than the other, the angle of inclination must be at least 30°.

Note that, regardless of the chosen option, you first need to install the rafters onto which the sheathing of boards is fixed.

Beautiful examples in the interior

The design of the fireplace area can become an expression of the excellent taste of the owners if the combination of textures and shades of materials fits perfectly with each other. Stone, wood and metal are combined into a single impressive ensemble. The grand panel on the entire wall is lined with stone, the fireplace bench is entirely stone, and the firebox is made of metal. Two identical metal firewood boxes filled with fuel are located symmetrically on both sides of the firebox. The shade of wood emphasizes stone and metal, natural materials form a single composition.

For a living room in a classic elegant style, a good solution would be to decorate the fireplace with tiles and marble, and it is better to decorate the fireplace grate and additional accessories with decorative forged elements. The firewood rack, stand and fireplace maintenance kit, grate, are made in the same style. Guests will be delighted and enjoy relaxing by this beautiful and warm fireplace. The flame is visible through the grille and transparent screen, additionally reflecting from the back wall of the firebox, lined with fire-resistant tiles.

During the Christmas holidays, a country village house and the surrounding forest turn into a fairy-tale kingdom. Having played enough snowballs, children and adults sit down with hot tea by the fireplace and indulge in friendly communication and relaxation. The atmosphere of comfort and closeness to nature is created by wicker baskets filled with firewood, wood chips and pine cones. The baskets are specially aged and assembled into a picturesque still life in the fireplace corner. Wicker chairs are in harmony with the firewood, and decorative elements with a Christmas theme add completeness to the interior.

An absolutely cold and minimalist interior - with a full-length window and a feeling of open space, made in icy tones. The dark blue wall, finished with textured plaster, was conceived by the designer as an ideal backdrop for the fireplace, the flames of which look sunny and hot. A vertical niche filled with firewood creates a warm accent, enlivening the wall and giving it a lived-in look.

To learn how to make a firewood rack with your own hands, see the following video.

Varieties and characteristics

Woodsheds can be of different designs:

• open, made of wood in the form of a canopy;
• frame made of bars;
• from old barrels;
• from pallets;
• made of timber, metal, boards, plywood or PVC sheets.

In urgent cases, owners of personal plots cast a concrete platform or lay reinforced concrete slabs. This work is not cheap, but such wood burners are reliable and of good quality. The most common option is adding gravel; this is quite enough if you place a woodpile of firewood on sheets of roofing material. The site is also most often fenced with a border made of reinforced concrete blocks or timber impregnated with primer or antiseptic. The beginning of work begins with the development of a plan diagram of the future facility and calculation of the materials that will be required.

A wood shed usually has three walls and a roof. You can make a woodshed-shed in the form of a gazebo. The design has a claim to originality; it can be decorated by attaching decorative details. The roof is made at an angle of at least 20 degrees so that moisture flows freely onto the ground. This design will reliably protect the firewood. Good ventilation ensures that moisture in the form of condensation does not accumulate on the wood. Such a facility can be built next to the main house or erected behind the bathhouse.

The advantage of such small woodsheds is also that there is no need to cast a strip foundation; it is enough to install two pillars in the corners of the site. The material for such supports can be:

• corners "6";
• wooden logs;
• profile pipes 150 mm;
• timber

The walls can be made of boards 20 mm thick. Between the vertical fastenings from the inside, diagonal and transverse fastenings should be made. During the cold season, snow will accumulate on the roof, therefore, the load on the roof and vertical supports will increase. It will be necessary to strengthen them with spacers and fastenings. Also, a rigid frame from corners should be made under the roof. This element will also provide additional rigidity, connecting all elements into a single support unit. You can make such a structure in a couple of days, but the woodshed can last for decades. You only need to periodically carry out small preventive maintenance.

Among modern materials for building a woodshed, polycarbonate is popular. Its sheets are durable, do not corrode, do not deform due to changes in temperature and humidity, reliably protecting the material from precipitation. Sheathing the walls with polycarbonate is not a bad idea. The weight of such a structure will be minimal, the walls will be strong and the fuel will not rot due to changes in temperature and humidity. For better ventilation, gaps of 2-4 cm in size are often left between the sheets. Some homeowners decorate such woodsheds with forged fragments. The most important thing in creating such structures is to create a structure with high-quality natural ventilation.

Professional builders recommend building a woodshed on the north side of the house. The reasons for this are:

• no direct sunlight;
• the northern side is traditionally cold and the woodshed can be an additional “heat” zone.”

An important point when creating a roof is that it should protrude by 25 centimeters, no less, so that moisture, when drained, does not fall on the firewood. The roof is made using the following materials:

• slate;
• roofing felt;
• metallic profile;
• polycarbonate

Woodsheds are also built on a pile foundation, which is not inferior in strength to a strip foundation. Its advantages:

• making a pile foundation is much easier;
• no shrinkage time required;
• its cost is four times lower.

You can buy any piles in a store or make it yourself. Alloy tubes (piles are usually made from them) are easily screwed into the ground, their service life exceeds 50 years. Between the piles it is necessary to make a “cushion” of gravel, lay the gaps with timber or concrete blocks of 20x20 cm, make transverse fastenings, then sheathe the walls with sheets of polycarbonate or flat slate.

Before constructing a facility, the groundwater level should be studied. If the site is located in a lowland, then groundwater may approach the surface. In this case, you should make a “pillow” of gravel 20-25 cm high. The tools that will be needed in this case:

• Boer;
• Bulgarian;
• pliers;
• hammer;
• small sledgehammer;
• drill;
• screwdriver

Many people make various additional structures on the roof of the woodshed:

• terrace;
• flowerbed;
• a small greenhouse.

When creating a woodshed, it is important to correctly arrange the logs, which at the same time can become a decorative element. Forged cast iron products go well with wood

Foundation for woodshed

In some cases, when storing firewood, a foundation is made of blocks, beams or piles. This is done to ensure free air circulation and also reduce the likelihood of flooding during rain or melting snow.

Most often, the foundation is replaced with ventilated plank flooring. In order to withstand the weight of the wood located above, sometimes reaching several hundred kilograms, it must be strong enough.

Anchors, holders, corners, staples and brackets are used to attach the frame to the foundation. There are 2 installation methods possible:

• Embedded fasteners are installed during the concreting or masonry process, and then the posts are fixed to them.
• If the foundation is made of blocks or timber, the frame is secured in place using metal anchors or screws.

Beam support, galvanized, 140 x 76 x 100 x 2 mm, opened Metalist 1198462
Galvanized or stainless steel hardware is used. When connecting wood to concrete, a waterproofing gasket is required.

Types of firewood for private houses and cottages

A wood log for a fireplace or other heating unit can be made from a variety of materials, but most use metal or lumber. Also, some home craftsmen use barrels, concrete rings for building wells and other items available on a country plot to create firewood.

The choice of material and available items depends on the place where the device for storing logs is supposed to be placed - inside the building or outside.

Firewood racks can be divided into 4 categories:

• stationary;
• portable;
• for premises;
• for the street.

Regardless of the choice of manufacturing material, it must solve a number of problems, including:

• ensuring the circulation of air masses between logs;
• reliable protection of firewood from precipitation;
• ensuring convenient operation.

An outdoor firewood shed is similar in appearance to an ordinary shed. But its walls should not be tightly closed to ensure high-quality ventilation. The floor of the building must be raised above the ground so that the wood does not become damp. For the home, it is better to use designs that have graceful shapes.

You can build an openwork forged firewood rack for a fireplace - a stove that is small in size. It is usually assigned an aesthetic function and only a few stacks of firewood are placed in it. Depending on your desire, this stand can be made mobile or stationary. To make forged firewood, hot or cold forging is used.

Also, the indoor product must match the interior of the room, be stable, safe and easy to use. At the same time, a forged firewood logger for a fireplace can have an original, intricate design. If desired, it can be rearranged to any convenient place in the room.

An outdoor log storage facility should have a completely different appearance. When stocking up on firewood for the cold period of the year, it is necessary to ensure that the fuel is preserved until the onset of spring.

When constructing such a structure, you must adhere to certain rules:

1. There should be at least 10–15 centimeters of distance between the ground and the surface on which the firewood will lie. If this is not followed, the bottom layer of logs may become saturated with moisture.
2. When you plan to store a substantial supply of fuel, it is desirable that the structure have several floors, which will make it easier to maintain order in the building, ensure natural air circulation and thereby create an optimal level of humidity.
3. It is necessary to build a canopy at a slight slope and then precipitation will freely leave the roofing and condensation will not collect.
4. When constructing a structure for a significant supply of solid fuel, care must be taken to provide a strong foundation. Otherwise, under the weight of the firewood, the floor of the building may sag, and then the moisture coming from the soil will certainly spoil the lower layers of wood. To strengthen the firewood, strong beams are screwed into the soil.

You can weld a small firewood rack using corners and install it tightly to the wall of the house. Thanks to this, there is no need to close the back wall of the structure. The top of such a building is covered with a roof that protects it from precipitation.

A simple solution would be to build a frame with a roof made of wooden beams. But this option has a significant drawback, which is the absence of a back wall, as a result of which all the firewood can be flooded with water in rainy weather.

Therefore, it is advisable to use a metal shield made from a profile to protect the structure. Polycarbonate is considered a good solution for covering such a firewood box. Through such a coating material, sunlight will begin to freely penetrate into it, and the firewood will always be well dried.

To mount this structure, first of all, you need to determine its location and prepare a reliable foundation by filling the soil with gravel and compacting it. After this, the rings will not be able to budge. A multi-level design will look even more attractive.

A budget option for arranging a firewood shed is a structure made from ordinary barrels. To do this, take one barrel, lay it on its side and securely fix it with wooden slats. From several barrels you can make a multi-level structure for storing firewood.

Materials for woodshed

For production use:

• wood - boards, round timber, beams, slats;
• wood materials - plywood, OSB, chipboard;
• metal;
• brick;
• blocks;
• roofing materials;
• cellular polycarbonate.

Any available materials, construction pallets, obsolete utensils or furniture can be used. There are no restrictions on their use, but for outdoor conditions, moisture resistance is an important criterion.

Tree

This is the most affordable material for making a woodcutter with your own hands. It is easy to process, and with the help of mechanical fasteners you can assemble any spatial structures.

Wood combines perfectly with any other materials for country house construction. To be used outdoors, lumber must be treated to prevent rotting. They can be coated with waterproof impregnations, paints, and stains. For decoration, forged elements, decorative grilles, and clapboard cladding are used.

Metal

A durable, strong woodshed can be built from metal profiles, pipes, corrugated sheets, sheet metal, and fittings. The frame is assembled using welding, bolts or rivets. The outside is sheathed with boards, metal mesh or any other materials as desired. Metal parts are treated with a primer and metal paint.

In the wall-mounted version, the back part of the woodshed is already there. Racks or walls are installed on the sides, and the top is covered with roofing material sloping away from the wall.

Wall-mounted forged firewood

Brick

The brick woodshed is a solid, solid structure. Most often it is provided as part of a complex of an oven, barbecue and barbecue in summer kitchens or gazebos.

Brick is durable, not afraid of rotting, corrosion, and fire. But it is quite heavy, so it requires a solid foundation. It can be poured from concrete, laid out from blocks or bricks.

Polycarbonate

The woodshed made of cellular polycarbonate looks elegant and harmonizes with the surrounding country houses. The material protects well from precipitation, preventing the wood from getting wet. It can be transparent or colored and can be combined with any building materials.

For the installation of firewood, sheets with a thickness of 4-6 mm are used. They are attached to a frame made of wood or metal using roofing screws. The edges must be covered with protective profiles to prevent moisture from entering the cells and rapid flowering.

Non-standard solutions

The woodshed can be built from unusual materials:

• wooden barrels and other used containers;
• unsanded logs;
• sewer concrete rings.

The barrels are placed on their side on a non-rotting stand and firmly secured. After treatment with antiseptics, a simple but convenient woodshed is ready.

An interesting option is a woodpile for firewood made of a concrete ring, imitating the cutting of a huge round log. Manufacturing comes down to installing the structure in a recess and further decorative finishing. To imitate bark, textured plaster with a cement binder is used. The relief is created using a spatula, a roller attachment or fingers. After the solution has set, paint the surface with facade paint. To protect the ends of the rings from slanting rain and snow, you can install shields made of boards or moisture-resistant plywood.

Scandinavian woodcutter

The Norwegian-style firewood box looks very unusual and beautiful. This is a small house with plank walls and a squat, wide roof. The originality of the building lies in the fact that it is a frameless structure.

The boards are laid like crowns, that is, with a remainder. Cuts are made in the end parts of the boards. Each element rests on 2 neighboring ones and is rigidly clamped with a locking connection. There are gaps between the boards for ventilation, which creates a favorable conditions for drying even a large amount of firewood. The roof is made of lightweight material, such as flexible tiles.

In Scandinavian countries, not only utility blocks are built in a similar way. Not very nice objects are hidden in them, for example, transformer booths.

Tips for choosing

Before choosing a firewood box, you should find a convenient place for it and decide on the volume of firewood that will be in it.

Volume

For a summer cottage, you will need few logs, therefore, the woodshed will be small. A small amount of material will make the structure more expensive, with beautiful decor.

Location

The choice of woodcutter design depends on where it will have to be located. When looking for a suitable location, you need to consider the following important points.

Firewood will be delivered by vehicle, and after unloading it will be placed in the woodshed. If you do not want to drag logs manually across the entire site, the place for storing them should coincide with the unloading location. Large woodsheds cast a shadow; this should be taken into account and the structure should not be placed near the garden. On a small plot, the woodpile will have to be attached to the house. When starting construction, it is better to immediately find a flat area than to level it. A firewood shed built in a low-lying area will be subject to flooding during rainy seasons. Small woodpiles are installed in the recreation area at a fire-safe distance from the grill or stove. It is better to hide a firewood rack made from scrap materials from prying eyes behind the house, but beautiful products, forged or stone, can be installed in a visible place. Outdoor woodpiles, even small ones, are strikingly different from indoor ones. The second ones are installed indoors near the stove or fireplace

It is important for them to match the interior design.

Design

Knowing the volume and location, you can proceed to choosing a design. Any of them must have a roof and floor. The floor is raised from the ground a short distance. Walls can be erected from one to four (optional)

It is important that they are not blind, have gaps for air movement, but at the same time protect the structure from bad weather conditions. Sometimes woodpiles look like gazebos

For large quantities of firewood, long sectional structures are built.

What tools will you need?

To make a firewood box, you will need to stock up on a standard set of carpentry tools:

• A jigsaw is for small structures; for a frame firewood cutter you will need a circular saw. Most of the work can be done with a hand hacksaw, but the construction time at the dacha will drag on for several days;
• Measuring tools – tape measure, construction and hydraulic level. Despite the simple design, assembling a woodpile by eye is a risky task, since the mass of firewood inside reaches one and a half tons and can easily collapse the woodpile under unfavorable circumstances;
• A tool for cutting roofing, it can be metal scissors, a punching attachment on an electric drill, or a regular hacksaw.

The specific selection is determined by what material the walls and roof will be built from; in addition, it would be nice to make your own drawings with dimensions or at least a sensible sketch in advance. Much depends on whether the dacha has the opportunity to connect to electricity. For example, it will be quite difficult to make a metal frame without electricity; you will have to cut and weld the parts in a garage, after which the set of blanks can be transferred to the dacha and assembled.

Additional accessories

Let's consider useful additional things that will help when operating fireplaces and stoves.

Types of firewood

Depending on the original design of the fireplace, a firewood rack can be installed. Some products initially already have a technological niche for storing logs, but in its absence, you have to store the firewood either simply on the floor or near the fireplace. Freestanding firewood boxes can be of several types: stand, box or basket.

If you have the materials, time and desire, you can easily make such an element with your own hands, and use the main directions of the interior of the room where the fireplace is installed as decor. Forged accessories for the fireplace are in demand; they resemble products of past centuries, adding a special character to the design.

The firewood box is located in the immediate distance from an open fire and does not come into contact with the flame, so there are no special requirements regarding manufacturing materials for it.

Ignition accessories

Most specialty stores stock fireplace matches and lighters for biological analogues. The main difference between such matches and ordinary products is their length, and it reaches 20 centimeters, which will not allow you to burn your hands. Accessories can be packaged in boxes with interesting designs or original glasses.

Manufacturers offer kits consisting of special rolled paper for ignition and matches. To store paper, it is better to purchase a holder that will allow you to easily unwind the desired piece and ignite the flame.

Flame protection

If you have an open firebox, it is necessary to install protective equipment for fireplaces, represented by screens and grilles. These accessories are made exclusively from materials that are resistant to open flames and high temperatures. Most often, people prefer products made of tempered glass, with a metal frame, or without a frame at all.

Some interiors are more suitable for grilles, which also perform a protective function. They are made of durable steel and decorated with forged elements.

Depending on preferences and design, you can create a screen of any size and shape: flat, convex, round, square, oval, double-leaf, etc. Metal products can be installed as close as possible to an open fire, but glass screens are best moved away from the firebox by about 30 centimeters.

Cleaning accessories

An essential tool for the fireplace is a scoop or brush. These accessories are essential for cleaning up ash and coals after the fire has gone out. If you do not clean it, the firebox will soon clog.

It is best to choose a brush that has natural hard bristles or a fairly thin wire. When using accessories with artificial bristles, there is a possibility that incompletely extinguished coals will simply ruin the accessory.

To select the ideal proportion, you should start from the formula: the length of the handle is at least 20 centimeters greater than the depth of the firebox.

Vacuum cleaners

There are now many vacuum cleaners available in stores, the main task of which is to remove soot and ash. It works exactly like a typical household appliance, but is made from special, heat-resistant materials. The design is also significantly different.

The maximum temperature that vacuum cleaners can withstand is 50°C, which makes it possible to clean even before the coals have completely cooled. The devices have high suction power, and their containers reach volumes of 20 liters.

What accessories the fireplace needs is up to the owner to decide. Every detail plays an important role in the selection process: quality of materials, product design, manufacturing company, etc. Therefore, before going to the store, you should answer these questions for yourself, then the purchase will definitely bring joy, and the accessories themselves will be used constantly and for their intended purpose.

Peculiarities

Decorative firewood - can be indoors or outdoors. Be an additional functional and decorative element in the interior or be an element of landscape design.

firewood holder - installed indoors or in open and closed gazebos with a fireplace. They are made portable or stationary, organically fitting into the overall interior. They are made from wood, metal, thick fabric and other materials.

a1c868732e5ab1d446821f3b2562ae40.jpe dec248cf1340b1a21d0e3ad6f1ba4d91.jpe

26671895f34d6d618fc8b608f9cdf1f4.jpe

a229af02e2fa0ebfed46f387206d0da1.jpe

You cannot throw logs randomly into a woodpile. They should be folded correctly for better preservation.

Circular method

If you don’t have a stationary woodshed, then you can stack the logs in the form of a barrel tower. It is necessary to drive a stake. It will serve as the basis of the structure being built.

Tie a fishing line or rope and draw a circle of a given diameter, depending on the amount of raw material. To prevent them from becoming damp and rotting, place tree bark or thick plastic film on the ground as a base.

Place the firewood on it in a circle carefully and tightly so that the structure is stable and does not sag. By laying firewood about 0.5 m high, you can fill the middle by stacking them in any order, but quite tightly. Continue laying in this way until the barrel tower is about 1.5 m high.

"Stack"

Stacking of logs is often used. This type of installation requires support. The wall of a house, bathhouse or other building is suitable as a support; firewood grate for a summer residence. When laying, strictly control the slope towards the support. If you are laying two rows, then place thinner logs on the support and thicker ones on the outside. Due to the difference in size, there will be a slope towards the support.

If your structure stands separately from the wall, then use a wooden beam as a support. The height should be small, otherwise, under the pressure of the firewood, the support beams may break and the structure will fall apart.

With stakes

If it is not possible to lay it otherwise, you can use stakes as a support. The stakes must be those that will not bend from the logs. Drive them into the ground from several sides, forming a frame.

When stacking firewood, line each row with branches. They will play a reinforcing role. Place the logs in a checkerboard pattern. The top must be covered with any covering material that does not allow water to pass through.

How to strengthen the frame

When stacking firewood at a great height, the entire system may become unstable over time. This can happen arbitrarily due to drying of the wood and changes in its geometry. The woodpile can “play” both in the longitudinal and transverse directions. That is why the frame must be securely fastened.

Lateral loads can be significant. To perceive it, the racks are immersed in the ground at least 50-80 cm. If these are metal pipes, they are hammered with a sledgehammer to the required depth. To protect the metal from corrosion, the bottom of the profile must be coated with mastic and dried.

Wooden supports are buried in holes, having previously been treated to prevent rotting. The easiest way is to use a special antiseptic impregnation. But if there are no special equipment at your dacha, you can use the old fashioned way:

• burn the bottom of the pillar at the stake;
• dip in liquid clay;
• install in the hole, fix and fill with the same clay.

This frame will last 5-8 years.

Object design

To erect any building, you first need to make a design, or a drawing. This will make construction easier and create a more attractive structure. Of course, creating a project from scratch on your own is not an easy task. That is why you can use ready-made drawings that are available on the Internet.

Also, educational videos and photographs of the construction process can help in the construction and design of the structure.

Design

Once upon a time in the villages there was no philosophizing about the construction of woodpiles - the simplest and most convenient construction from boards suited everyone. Today, for many, the dacha is not so much a garden as a place of relaxation, and the attitude towards it has become accordingly. A beautiful facade of a building, outbuildings in the form of log houses or aesthetic stone structures, landscape design of the territory - all this suggests a woodpile made of stone or log wood, convenient and effective. Entire projects are being developed to create such beauties. The photographs show the best of them.

The owner combined the fence with the firewood shed into a single building. The result is a beautiful, practical, ergonomic and environmentally perfect structure.

Option three. Woodpile from old barrels

The firewood rack, which is made from an unnecessary old empty barrel, can be used both outside and inside a building.

To create it you need:

1. Use a grinder to prepare a circle 15 to 20 centimeters wide.
2. Take a sheet of metal and make a vertical partition - it needs to be fixed by welding.
3. On the left side of the round structure, you can arrange an additional shelf on which it will be convenient to store firewood or tools.
4. Fix the base of the firewood rack to the floor using two metal or wooden slats.

Adviсe

In order for the fireplace to delight you with warmth, and the firewood to always be dry and at hand, you must follow the recommendations of manufacturers and specialists: properly care for the fireplace and store fuel for it. Before firewood is brought into the room, it is usually stored outside.

It is recommended to make an outdoor woodshed from wood, on a wooden base, under which a drainage cushion of sand and crushed stone is poured. This way you can reduce humidity and eliminate contact with the soil so that the lower layers do not begin to rot. A canopy is required to protect the firewood from rain and snow, because wood absorbs moisture well. Before installation, all fuel material must be thoroughly dried to avoid the formation of unwanted condensation. To prevent the wood from becoming rotten and rotten, there must be sufficient ventilation in the woodshed.

It is better to stack firewood in the following order: place the largest and thickest logs at the bottom, gradually lay out smaller firewood, and place thin kindling on top for ignition. The wood chips can be placed on a separate shelf or in a specially designed sector of the woodpile. A canopy or terrace attached to the house will allow you to store fuel near the entrance for easy replenishment of the indoor firewood in bad weather.

Fire safety is a very important aspect of the operation of a fireplace, so a log burner with dry fuel should not be placed too close to an open flame or faulty wiring: the slightest spark can lead to a fire. But with knowledge and compliance with safety measures, these problems can be prevented. Under the fireplace and in front of the firebox there must be a platform made of non-combustible and fire-resistant material: metal, stone, concrete. A platform is also made under hanging and wall-mounted models. The wall behind the fireplace, located in the wall space, is also finished with heat-resistant, non-combustible materials. Special glass screens and doors, fireplace grates prevent sparks and embers from reaching the floor surface.

Another piece of advice on properly packing fuel for the winter: as you pull logs out of the woodshed, it is unacceptable for the woodpile to fall over or warp, and for the firewood to spill out of it. Large logs must first be chopped and wood chips prepared for ignition. Additional supports should be installed on the sides so that the rows of firewood do not subsequently fall apart and crumble. Stack stacking is possible, where logs are laid out row by row around a circumference. As a result, a stack of fuel is formed.

Special long-burning briquettes have been invented as fuel for the fireplace. They are sold in packaging and stored dry in a firewood rack.

How to use?

With miniature wood burners everything is clear - put the logs in one row and use them. To properly maintain firewood in a large building, you need to know how to store it and the intricacies of using a woodpile.

• A large firewood shed is divided into sections so that the firewood does not lie too tightly and is well ventilated.
• The logs should be laid out so that the damp ones do not block access to dry firewood.
• The square building should be delimited in the center by a passage that abuts the opposite wall. This will make it easier to access the firewood and improve air circulation.
• In rectangular and extended structures, it is necessary to provide access to the firewood from both sides - this way they will be blown with air more intensively. Up to eight cubes of firewood can be stored in such woodpiles.
• If you don’t live in your dacha permanently and the property doesn’t have a bathhouse, you will need a small firewood rack, for a couple of cubes, no more.
• A heated house with a bathhouse will require an impressive supply of firewood. The woodpile will have to be built long, sectional. To prevent it from being wide, the dimensions are increased due to the height of up to two meters. The logs must be ventilated, so they are not placed right up to the ceiling, and the firewood box is easy for a person of average height to use.

A good firewood rack is practical, convenient, effective and fits organically into the surrounding space. And a poorly planned structure in the wrong location can become a constant source of irritation as soon as you have to go get firewood.

To learn how to make a firewood rack with your own hands, see the following video.

Dimensions of woodsheds

If you need to install a woodshed for a seasonal dacha, then it is best to make it low. Since there is no point in building huge structures to store several cubes for heating a room in one season. But if there is a need to heat a bathhouse or house, then you can already think about building something more extensive. The approximate size of a woodshed for such purposes is 2 meters. The main thing when filling the woodshed is to leave space for ventilation.

How to make it yourself

If you wish and have minimal skills, you can make a beautiful and stylish woodpile with your own hands. The main thing is that it is functional and in harmony with the interior of the room and the style of the fireplace.

To independently make a simple firewood box from plywood, you will not need complex equipment; construction skills will also be of no use here - even a beginner can cope with it. You can take a finished product project as a basis and make a similar one.

You just need to study the technology and prepare the following tools and materials:

• ruler and pencil (construction marker);
• hacksaw, jigsaw, jigsaw;
• fastening material, screws;
• hot water, spacious basin;
• plywood;
• drill or screwdriver;
• wooden slats, wooden handle.

First, you need to take a sheet of plywood and draw an ellipse measuring approximately 90x40 cm on it with a pencil. Then use a hacksaw or jigsaw to cut out the figure along the drawn contour, carefully and accurately repeating the line.

Initially, plywood does not have plasticity, so it will not be possible to bend it without breaking. Hot water will help give it the desired properties. The cut ellipse must be placed in a container with hot water for 1 hour. After this time, the plywood will swell and become more flexible. Then it can be smoothly bent. If after 1 hour of soaking the plywood does not become flexible, you can keep it in warm water for another 30 minutes.

Now you can slowly bend the sheet until you get the desired spherical shape. After this, you need to insert the wooden handle into the previously drilled holes. For immobility, it is fixed with a dowel. Next, two slats are used to make runners for the firewood so that it stands firmly on the floor. They are fastened with a screwdriver and self-tapping screws. All is ready! Now you can store firewood in a beautiful portable stand made by yourself.

A sheet of metal can be bent into a rectangular or semicircular shape and painted in the desired color. This is a very simple way to create a simple and stylish firewood stand.

Tin buckets used as carriers for logs are very popular. They can be decorated in various ways: aged or painted, depending on the effect you want to achieve.

A simple and elegant solution, easy to implement:

• take old shelves or put together new ones;
• cover them with varnish or paint;
• place on the wall - on both sides of the fireplace - symmetrically or randomly.

A classic interior or Empire style is characterized by the use of natural or artificial stone for facing fireplaces. The woodpile can be decorated in the same style.

To do this you need:

• make a mold for filling;
• mix concrete mortar with reinforcing fiber for strength;
• pour into mold;
• wait for it to dry;
• cover it with artificial stone or mosaic tiles, glue plaster bas-reliefs (it is better to use the same shades and elements as in the decoration of the stove).

Option two. Portable mini firewood basket

Typically, firewood is stored for the entire cold period of the year. But no matter how many logs are in the woodshed, you will still have to go outside from time to time for the next portion of solid fuel. To make it convenient to move, every craftsman can easily make a firewood basket with his own hands.

It will also not be difficult to make a mini firewood burner of a simple design. Even a beginner can build it, but it looks quite stylish.

Prepare the following materials and tools:

• metal rod with a diameter of 5 millimeters - 2 pieces;
• metal rod 15 centimeters long - 4 pieces;
• welding equipment.

The sequence of work when creating a firewood rack for a fireplace with your own hands is as follows:

1. 2 blanks are made from metal rods. To do this, they need to be bent so that the diameter of each circle is 50 centimeters. The ends of the rods are connected by welding.
2. The circles are placed side by side and intertwined with wire at the highest point. After the junction is fixed, the two circles are moved from below to the sides at a distance of 10–12 centimeters from each other. The resulting structure is fixed on the table using a clamp.
3. Using welding, two points are fixed on top. At this point they then make a handle for carrying the mini firewood rack.
4. Next, the structure must be given rigidity so that it can withstand the weight of the wood when carried. The future firewood shed is additionally reinforced with 4 metal rods. Their size depends on the distance at which the two circles were separated. Weld the rods parallel to each other.
5. When the frame is ready, it should be given stability relative to a horizontal surface. To do this, you can use 4 metal loops - they are welded to the base.
6. To protect the firewood rack from corrosive processes and give it an attractive appearance, this original firewood stand must be painted.