Outdoor Storage: Why Should I Buy a Log Store?

A log store isn’t just a nicety for anyone who burns wood in an open fire or wood burning stove, it’s an absolute necessity. This is because a log store keeps firewood dry.

The Benefits of Wood Dried Properly in A Log Store

More Heat

Up to 50% of a fire’s heat can be lost due to poorly-dried logs, so firewood dried in a log shed creates a stronger fire to keep you warm and comfortable.

Quicker Heat

When you return home after a cold winter evening, you don’t want to wait an unnecessarily long time to warm up. Firewood from a log store is kept properly dry, so generates heat more quickly than other firewood.

A Log Store Saves You Money

As logs from a log store burn more efficiently, fewer of them are needed in the fire. Therefore, in the long run, buying a woodstore saves you money.

A Better Fire with Less Smoke

As properly dried logs burn better, they create less smoke. This makes for a far more inviting living room, as well as fresher smelling clothes and cleaner furniture.

A Log Storage Shed Means a Safer Home

Poorly dried firewood is prone to clogging up the chimney flue, which is a potential fire hazard. Buying a log store ensures drier wood and a safer home.

So, now we’ve established that log stores are essential for anyone who burns wood, how exactly do they work?

How Do Log Stores Keep Wood Dry?

Protection from Rain

A log store shields your firewood from the rain. The best woodstores are designed with gently sloping roofs, resulting in more efficient rainwater runoff.

Protection from Ground Moisture

A log store’s bearers and floor keep your firewood off the ground, protecting it from ground moisture. This doesn’t just save the logs at the bottom of the pile, either, because rot and mould can spread to those higher up too.

Log Stores Promote Good Aeration

The way logs are piled in a log shed promotes good aeration. As air flows between the logs, this speeds up the drying process. Of course, log stores with slatted sides allow even more air to circulate between the logs, ensuring the best possible aeration.

Further Advice on Using Log Stores

Orientation of a Wood Store

Log Stores are at their most effective when facing south because the logs are exposed to more sunshine and so dry quicker.

When to Put Logs in A Log Store

Freshly Harvested Wood

Freshly harvested logs consist of about 60% water. To become effective firewood, they should be stored to dry in a log store by December at the latest, for use the following winter. In other words, they take about a year to season (dry out).

Kiln Dried Wood

Ready-to-use firewood also needs keeping in a log shed if it is to remain dry and retain its effectiveness. It might be delivered dry but still needs looking after.

How Many Log Stores Should I Buy?

For moderate use of your wood burner, one should be enough. However, if you burn a lot of firewood, it makes sense to purchase two: a small wood store to position near your back door and a large log store for the top of the garden. That way, you will have logs handy for immediate use, as well as a larger supply to keep you going throughout the winter months and into the following year.

Log Stores for Fire Pits and Chimineas

You don’t need to have a wood burner in your home to benefit from a log store. If you enjoy the charms of a fire pit or chiminea in your garden, it’s equally important to keep your firewood dry. A small woodstore is perfect for this.

Log Stores for Sale

B&M stocks a great range of fantastic log stores, all of which offer you great value for money, are perfectly designed to keep your firewood dry and can be purchased online. View our latest log stores amongst our great range of garden storage now at B&M Garden Buildings.

(Please note that there are delivery surcharges for a few remote postcodes. T&Cs apply.)

Have you purchased a B&M log store recently? We’d love to see how it looks in your garden or outdoor space! Share your photos with the B&M Community on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.