Selecting an Outdoor Firewood Storage Rack

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.

Choosing the Best Indoor Firewood Rack

If you have a fireplace or wood burning stove, you know the importance of having wood on hand to toss into the fire.  Selecting a wood basket for decorative purposes is fine if you never need over a few pieces but can get tiresome in carrying more wood in when it is needed.  A rack is your best bet for keeping an ample amount of wood on hand and there are many unique styles that fit into your home's decor.

One of the most important features to look for in shopping for an indoor firewood rack is durability.  A popular design is wrought iron with curved or straight lines, depending on your taste but make sure that it is actual wrought iron and not a flimsy look a like that could break within a matter of months.  You will know wrought iron just by lifting the piece.  It will be heavy and sturdy.  Check the joints for solid solders.

Almost all firewood racks sit 3-4 inches off of the floor so that your wood is able to breathe and cure.  This also protects your floor's surface from mold and moisture that naturally occurs in wood.  Make sure that this feature is present along with the durability factor.  The shapes of firewood racks have also changed over time, with a wide variety of choices now available.  Depending on where you choose to place your rack, there are models that sit flush against a wall, oblong, round or square to fit into that perfect spot.

Not all firewood racks are wrought iron.  If you have a modern style décor, you may want a more upbeat rack to match the outline of your fireplace.  Stainless steel is an excellent option that is also sturdy and dependable.  There are also choices of pewter, bronze and copper that provide style as well as function. Sleek lines and artistic designs prove that firewood can be beautiful!

Some models offer a side pocket for kindling wood as a fire starter or a bottom tray for newspapers. Depending on how often you use your fireplace or stove, different sizes are available and can hold anywhere from eight piece of wood and up.  There are also firewood rack covers that can be used to keep your wood dry and secure when not in use depending on where your rack is placed.

Keeping your wood available and ready when that fire is needed does not mean that you have to sacrifice style.  Visit different fireplace stores or specialty stores and see the difference in the options now available.  But remember that quality should be your number one concern.  Always choose a reputable dealer and one that has a guarantee on their products.  Their craftsmanship will be better and if you happen to purchase a piece with a defect, they will not hesitate to replace.

Firewood Racks

Firewood is something that has been collected for generations. Ever since it was first discovered that rubbing two sticks together would make fire, people have been collecting wood and storing it either in their homes, sheds, or garages. There have been some problems with wood storage however, which have been solved by firewood racks.

These racks are essentially like bookends, to make a more literal description, and the idea is to keep the wood in one position, and of course to keep it stable. Whether or not this actually works is a matter of opinion, but for the most part these are quite stable. You have quite a choice to make when it comes to acquiring one of these however. By this we mean you can build one yourself or you can buy one.

If you choose to build one on your own, then you are of course going to need materials. You can build one from either wood, steel, rot iron, or essentially whatever you desire. To build your wood storage unit you will either need a basic understanding of woodworking, or an advanced understanding of metal working. It depends on the material, and you should know that the price of the materials might shoot far above the price of a standard store bought model.

For this reason, especially in these harsh economic times it might be a wise idea to actually purchase one and there are a few different models. One model is made for outdoor storage, and one is made for indoor usage. The biggest difference is the covers on the outdoor models that protects the wood from the elements.

If your wood rack is indoors, then you will most likely not have a cover on it. Typically the rack will sit either near the fireplace or in a storage room. The best place to keep it is somewhere dry unless it absolutely cannot be helped. Wet firewood does not burn, and it takes a lot to get moist firewood to burn.

Typically you would pay anywhere from fifty to one hundred dollars for a firewood rack, depending the quality and how ornate it actually is. If you choose to buy one however you will want to make sure you buy the one you like as this will probably be in your house for a very long time. Honestly, most people never replace their firewood rack.

Whatever type of wood rack you choose to go with, you will more than likely be quite satisfied. They all perform the same function so long as they are of decent quality. If you choose to build one on your own, then make sure that you choose decent tools. Some of the best tools are made by Woodhaven and others, and by using the right tools and right materials you will build a satisfactory firewood rack.

A Place for Wood

A fireplace is an important part of any home, regardless of who you are. It keeps your house warm, and even provides a great place for you and your family to sit around and talk. It only poses one single problem, and that is the problem of where to keep the wood. There are some that will keep it either in their house or perhaps in the garage. Perhaps at some point you have gone into a house and seen a stack of firewood standing freely. Let's clear something up, this is not an appropriate way to store firewood. Why exactly? Because at some point something will happen, and that something will probably one log being displaced and the entire stack falling. In the best case scenario this is incredibly inconvenient. In the worst case scenario someone will get hurt.

The solution to this is to come up with some sort of storage for your firewood. A firewood rack is a great solution, and the price is not incredibly high. This type of rack will keep your wood in one place, allowing you to select the pieces you want without the danger of them falling all over the floor. The question now is what type of rack you should get.

The first and most obvious type is an outdoor rack. These types of racks will have covers so that you won't end up with wet wood in the winter, or even on a rainy day. The cover material will probably be made of an awning material, allowing light into the rack, but you can alternatively have one that is made of a more opaque wood. In any case, the aesthetics do not really matter.

If an outdoor firewood rack doesn't sound like a good idea to you, then you can choose to have an indoor firewood rack. These racks can be made of either wood, steel or iron, but most people will choose to purchase one that is made of steel. The biggest question is whether you should buy one or build one yourself.

It all really comes down to the price. Yes, you could build one, and you could build it very easily, but the truth is that it would cost you more money for the materials than it would to just go to the store and buy one. So while it is your choice, you might wish to make the more economical choice and go for a store-bought model.

There are many different types. Some are black, some are brown, and some will have complicated designs either carved into them or shaped from the metal they are made from. They will all complete the same basic job, and you will find that it is a great way to keep your wood in order. So look for one today either online or in the store. Either way you will certainly be happy with the result!