Many people are turning to wood burning stoves and fireplaces in an attempt to stop relying heavily on fossil fuels. The concept sounds good but if you have never been familiar with burning wood, there are many lessons that you will learn during your first winter.
One area that escapes first time wood burners is having a suitable place to store their firewood. In the fall when the grass is green and the wood is being collected, building a large pile of firewood along the side of the garage may seem the perfect spot. However, when the snow flies, you wonder what you were thinking.
In order to be able to use your wood when the time comes, it must be easy to access and dry. There are outdoor firewood storage racks that are plain, fancy, wooden or metal. Placing your storage rack inside your garage or a storage shed would be ideal but if you don't have that luxury, consider a heavy duty free-standing metal rack that stands above the ground. Bugs and rodents will not be able to nest in your stacked wood while it cures and many are available with vinyl zipper covers to protect from the elements.
A wooden model will suffice just as well but may not last as long as a metal unit. Moisture is not kind to wood that you intend to use for countless seasons. But if you have some extra wood and want to make your own firewood storage rack, there are heavy metal brackets that will hold your rack securely in place and keep your wood up off of the ground.
Storage racks for firewood come in a variety of sizes. One of the most popular is the 48" by 48" and 14" deep. This is a nice size that will hold ¼ face cord but small enough to move around. Longer models are available, up to 144" long that will hold 1 whole face cord of wood.
Different models of metal racks may have a design on one or both ends for a bit of novelty. A really solid model will have a baked on powder coated finish and offer a lifetime guarantee. If you decide on a metal type storage rack, check that the metal is heavy gauge and able to withstand the weight of a lot of wood. Nothing can be worse than to find your entire rack collapsed and your wood buried in a snow pile.
The extra money that you spend now can save much grief when you are least prepared for it. If you are not sure that wood burning will always be in your future, purchase some brackets for under $50 and build your own storage rack out of wood. Whichever way you choose to go, make sure that you have a solid structure that will hold your wood throughout the tough winter months. Look for vinyl or canvas covers that zip or have Velcro strips to keep your investment protected and ready when you need it.