Keep Your Firewood Neat And Dry With This Genius DIY Storage Rack Idea

Anyone who regularly uses firewood knows the importance of keeping it dry. Firewood needs to be seasoned for a minimum of six months before it can be used, and even after that, it is highly important to keep it dry. Wet wood burns less efficiently, produces more smoke, and can contribute to creosote buildup in a stove. Storage plays a huge role here, and there is a great DIY firewood storage rack idea that will help keep your logs neat and dry.

TikToker @varnishedadvantage built a compact firewood storage rack using purchased lumber, a circular saw, a jigsaw, corrugated metal, and screws. The depth of the constructed frame was measured based on the length of the firewood she had on hand. Wider, rough-sawn boards were used as the elevated base of the frame and as siding. There is spacing between the boards to allow airflow inside the rack. 

She also added a small top shelf for skinnier kindling pieces, before adding a pitched roof made out of the corrugated metal. The pitched roof is an essential component because it keeps snow and rain off the firewood, and the channels in the corrugated metal will also shed water away from the wood, preventing any of it from accidentally dribbling inside. The size of @varnishedadvantage's storage rack is small, moveable, and perfect for outdoor fire pits. 

The great thing about @varnishedadvantage's design is that it can easily be scaled up to store larger quantities of firewood. This is important because those who use firewood as their primary heat source need between two to three cords to get them through the winter season.  

The TikTok design has the two chief essentials that all DIY storage racks need: An elevated base and a cover. The cover is obviously going to be what keeps falling rain and snow from collecting on your firewood, but the elevated base is equally essential. Moisture can rise from the ground, especially when the rack sits on grass or bare soil. By elevating the base by just a few inches, you help maintain airflow and keep additional moisture from accumulating.

If you don't have the tools, time, or confidence to make your own storage rack, there are some simpler options you could use. Some treated 2x4s, landscaping timbers, and cinder blocks can be assembled into a storage rack without requiring any hand tools. The cinder blocks act as both a lift for the landscape timbers to sit on and as a way to insert the 2x4 side supports. Covers for this can be a simple tarp or a sheet of plywood. Building any kind of elevated, covered rack is going to keep your firewood tidy and help it dry a lot quicker.