Finding a place to store firewood can be tricky, especially a place where it will not be exposed to the weather. If you do not have a covered area outside it can be hard to find ways to keep the wood dry and therefore, many people consider storing firewood in their garage. There are, however, ways to create ideal conditions for storing firewood outside even without a covered area away from the house.
Firewood should not be stored in your garage for several reasons – one of the main reasons being the likelihood that pests or rodents will be on or in the wood. According to a Terminix pest control expert, storing firewood so close to the interior doors invites unwanted pests into your home. Once in the garage, pests have easy access to your home and that is something we all want to avoid.
I spoke with a Terminix pest control expert and here are the answers to the questions that I had about storing firewood in the garage:
- Is it okay to store firewood in my garage?
It is not recommended that you store firewood in your garage because it is a harbor for insects and rodents. Remember, they are also looking for a way to stay warm and firewood stored in a garage is the perfect place for them to cozy up and hide. - Can you spray the firewood with any sort of bug repellent?
No, do not spray your firewood with any bug repellent or other chemicals. This would likely be effective in keeping the bugs away, but once you bring the wood inside to burn – those toxic fumes will be released into the air and this can be very dangerous for you and your family to breathe in. - How should you store firewood?
Store your firewood away from the house and exterior doors so that you don’t create an easy way for pests to get inside. It is also best to store your firewood off the ground in a rack or DIY method to avoid contact with the ground. You should also cover the firewood in some way to protect it from the rain and taking in excess moisture. When conditions are dry, it’s best to leave it uncovered to give it plenty of airflow. Just remember to cover it back up again!
Pests are not the only thing to consider when deciding where to store your firewood. Read on for more tips on where and how to store your firewood properly for the best burning results.
Seasoning your firewood
It is important to season your wood before burning it. This can take approximately 6 months and requires good airflow and dry conditions. Seasoning firewood simply means that you let it dry out as much as possible before burning the wood. Unfortunately, the garage does not give the wood enough airflow to properly dry out and age.
Keep firewood off the ground
Choose a breezy place away from your home and stack firewood neatly off the ground. Keepings the firewood off the ground will help to prevent pests and rodents from wandering into the wood. If the weather allows, keep the firewood uncovered to allow maximum airflow and drying out of the wood.
Store firewood in a rack
A great way to store firewood off the ground is to use a storage rack specifically for this purpose. Firewood racks make stacking easy and keeps everything orderly, promoting ideal conditions. You can, of course, also use a DIY method to keep the wood from touching the ground as well and keeping it stacked in an orderly way. Some easy options may be using a form of foundation under the firewood such as bricks, paver stones or concrete blocks as they do not hold moisture the way that soil does.
Are there any exceptions?
Although it’s not a great idea to store firewood in your garage as a long term solution, there are times that you may consider doing so for the short term. Oftentimes, if I know we are going to have a snowstorm or even lots of rain, I will bring the amount of firewood that I think we will need into the garage for easy access and to avoid going out into the weather each time we need to replenish.
It is important to follow the same store rules and use a rack to keep the wood stacked nicely and off the ground. Make sure you are using seasoned firewood so that there is less risk you are bringing in wood that has pests or still has too much moisture to burn well.
I have found that no matter where I choose to store firewood, a rack is very useful and makes stacking so simple. Luckily you can find firewood racks relatively inexpensive and I’m sharing a few great options all under $100:
- 4ft Firewood Storage Rack – this one also has an 8ft option and is a simple yet sturdy design.
- 4ft Heavy Duty Wood Stacker – This option is made of heavy duty tubular steel and comes with a cover.
- 8ft Firewood Storage Rack – This larger option allows for twice the storage and also comes with a cover.
- Indoor Firewood Rack – This is a smaller option for the times when you want to store firewood closer to the house or in the garage for the short term and also comes with a hand kindling rack
While it may be convenient to store firewood in your garage, there are plenty of good options for storing it outside that will keep the bugs away and give you better quality wood to burn. You may choose the convenience of the garage for very short term convenience in the event of a snowstorm or major rainstorm and then move the wood back outside as soon as the weather clears.