Wood burning stoves are a great investment, providing an affordable way to heat your home without relying too much on gas or electricity. Even just subsidising your current heating system with a wood-burning stove can save a lot of money in yearly energy bills, while also reducing your carbon footprint, making it a great option for most.
However, one of the few drawbacks of using this is the need to properly store the logs that are fuel for the fire. While finding inexpensive logs is easy enough, whether buying them in bulk or chopping your own, the wood needs to be correctly stored to ensure it is usable over the long-term.
It is vital to keep logs dry before you burn them, so you need suitable outdoor storage for the logs. This needs to be large enough to hold enough logs while keeping them dry, so sheltered storage with good ventilation is a must.
Arbor Garden Solutions Wooden Log Store
- 1m3 capacity
- Heavy-duty pressure treated timber
- Slatted floor
- Slanted roof
This storage option is a good choice for anyone tight on space or with lower storage requirements. Offering a 1m3 capacity, the storage size is on the smaller side but this is okay for many people that aren’t burning stacks of logs each day in their burner.
Moreover, the compact design means you can easily install outdoors even when you are short on space. It is also a raised designed, with a slatted floor at the base allowing for optimal airflow, while the open front means that is ample air for drying logs.
The slanted roof overhangs slightly at the front, ensuring that rainwater falls away from the logs, while the three sides have no slats to ensure everything remains dry. While the lack of slats at the side can often impair airflow, the open front design means that this is less of an issue.
Charles Bentley Double Log Store
- 15m3 capacity
- Treated Norse spruce timber
- Slanted roof
- Slatted floors and side
- Extra shelf
This double storage design ensures optimal space for logs, with an impressive 1.15m3 capacity and additional kindling shelf you can install for additional storage. Made from treated Norse spruce, the timber is high quality and likely to last for many years with minimal maintenance.
The timber is spaced out to ensure lots of slats for optimised airflow, with all three sides of the shelter having several slats to avoid too much moisture building up. An open front design further helps with this, while the slanted roof helps drain water away from the front opening to the back of the shelter.
It is also raised a few centimetres from the ground, with the floor also being a slatted design to further improve airflow. Just be mindful of where you place it, as the slatted and open front design may cause the logs to get wet if not placed in a suitable position.
Rowlinson Natural Timber Narrow Log Store
- Treated natural timber
- Slatted sides and floor
- Slanted roof
- Upper storage shelf
Another great choice for anyone with small storage requirements, this product offers enough space for plenty of logs without taking up a huge amount of space, measuring a compact 56 x 117 x 156cm.
You still have plenty of space for log storage, with enough room to stack several dozen logs at least. There is also an upper shelf section that you can attach, which is handy for keeping a separate storage space for things like smaller wood, kindling, tools etc.
It boasts a slatted design throughout, with slats of timber at the side and base of the unit. This offers great airflow, ensuring logs have the right conditions to properly dry for burning. The roof slants towards the back, helping keep rainfall away from the open front to ensure logs remain dry. It is also raised a few centimetres from the ground, preventing the cold and damp from ruining logs stored at the bottom.
Amagabeli Heavy Duty Outdoor Log Storage Rack
- Tubular metal storage rack
- H122 x W112 x 35cm
- Rust resistant
This metal storage rack has a unique design that many will find appealing, offering a nice alternative to the traditional timber style of storage. Made from robust tubular metal, the frame is incredibly strong so can stack a high volume of logs, with the raised design keeping it several inches above the ground.
It has virtually no cover at the side due to the tubular metal design, so there is certainly no need to worry about a lack of airflow with this product. However, there is also no roof and barely any sides, so it will be exposed to the elements without proper protection.
This means you need to buy the compatible cover (which is sold separately) or use a makeshift cover from a weatherproof material such as tarpaulin. While this may be inconvenient for some, it does mean that the storage has a low profile, which many find preferable to installing a large wooden storage unit in their garden.
Wooden Log Store With Door
- 49m3 capacity
- Double door design
- Slatted floor
- Slanted roof
A great mid-size storage unit for your fire logs, this product has an attractive design and sturdy construction that makes it a solid option for keeping logs dry. Providing 1.49m3 of storage space, this a good size capacity and should offer enough room for anyone that uses a lot of logs on their fire.
Made from treated timber, you can buy the storage in a standard brown or green, making it easy to match your garden aesthetic. It is one of the more stylish options available, with an attractive double door design and sturdy sides and roof.
Only the base has slats for airflow, with the side being solid construction to help keep the logs dry. While airflow may be an issue due to the lack of ventilation at the sides, you can simply leave the double doors open when it is dry and get ample air into the unit.
Wooden Log Store With Door and Kindling Shelf
- Heavy-duty pressure treated timber
- 2m3 capacity
- Raised base
- Hinged door
- Kindling shelf
This robust storage unit is a good fit for wetter climates where logs need a bit of extra protection to remain dry. While there are not slatted walls to allow lots of air in, the hinged door allows you to open the storage when needed to allow air inside, while you can easily shut it over when the weather is wet and windy.
A raised design ensures that that the storage is several inches above the damp ground, further helping to out moisture that can ruin the logs. Inside the unit offers plenty of storage space at 1.2m3, with an upper shelf also included for storing kindling and other smaller material.
The roof slants forwards to help drain rain away from the front of the storage, although you will probably want to keep the door shut for those excessively rainy days.
Arbor Garden Solutions Wooden Tool and Log Store
- Heavy-duty pressure treated timber
- 7m3 capacity
- Dual storage space
- Raised design
- Lower rear panel for improved airflow
Anyone that requires lots of storage space for their logs may want to consider this product, which offers a whopping 2.7m3 storage capacity. This is one of the largest capacities available, so whether you are storing lots of logs or want to use some of the space for tools, this is a great investment to make.
Made from heavy-duty pressure treated timber, the storage unit has two equal-sized compartments, one with an open front and the other with a hinged door with a padlock. This offers an incredible amount of space for logs, with the open area good for logs that a ready to use and the enclosed space perfect for drying out newer wood.
The back of each section has a lower rear panel, helping to improve airflow, while the raised floor also keeps the damp ground away from the logs, especially on the right compartment which has slatted floors for improved ventilation.
Log Store Buying Guide
Looking for the best way to store your logs for a wood-burning stove? Then a dedicated log store is a must-have investment, giving the perfect environment for storing longs over the long-term. This keeps them in top condition for burning, ensuring they radiate more heat than smoke!
Here are some things to consider before you buy:
Size
Given how much space they take up, it is important to consider what size you need, and there are a lot of size options available so be sure to think about this. There are a few things that influence how large a storage space you need for logs, mainly how large a log burner you have and how often you use it.
Those heating a large space with a burner will likely go through a high volume of logs, so will need a larger sized storage container for it. If you are only burning a few logs each night then you may not need the largest storage, helping to keep your costs down while saving space.
Always check the size measurements (e.g. height, width, and depth) before you buy anything and make sure it is suitable for your needs.
Capacity
Following on from the previous point, consider how many logs on average you have on hand, using this to help choose storage with a suitable capacity. As mentioned above, the size of storage containers varies greatly, so it is important to choose one that stores enough logs for your needs.
Measured in cubic metres, most products list their capacity to give a clear idea of how many logs it stores. The higher the cubic metre, the more logs you will store, with around 1m3 being a good starting point for most and anything above 2m3 recommended for anyone with a lot of logs to store.
Being able to store a high volume of logs is always convenient. You need to replace logs less often and will always have a steady supply of dried logs perfect for burning. Many people divide their storage into separate compartments, one for dried logs and another for wetter logs still to dry, with a higher capacity making this much easier.
Placement
Once you establish the size and capacity, it helps to consider where the storage is being placed in your outdoor space. If you have plenty of room in your garden then you don’t need to worry about size restrictions, although anyone short on space will want to consider the size of log store they buy – you don’t want to pay for something that won’t fit in your garden.
Also, consider how exposed the store is wherever you are placing it. If it is going to face wind and rainfall, then a store with a door is recommended to help keep it dry, otherwise, you may want a waterproof material like a tarpaulin to cover the opening and keep logs at the front drier.
Design
While designs vary from each product, there are certain features you always want to look out for to ensure the logs are optimally stored. For example, always choose storage that has a robust roof, preferably one that overlaps to help drain rainfall away from the logs.
It should be raised to keep it from the damp ground, and if possible, choose one with a slatted floor to improve airflow. Similarly, slatted walls are recommended for optimal airflow, keeping logs dry as possible, although a large opening at the front can achieve the same results.
Some come with a door while others simply have an open front, and either design has its benefits, with the option to close the door being useful for those extra rainy days.
Material
Most of the best log stores are made from timber, although the quality of wood will impact its durability. For instance, given the less than spectacular weather here in the UK, you may want to choose a treated timber that can withstand all the poor weather we face throughout the year.
If not, there is a good chance the storage becomes damaged to the point of disrepair in just a few years. Constant rain will do that to most timber, so always make sure to choose something that is treated!
Also, make sure the timber comes from a sustainable source. Not only is this better for the environment but usually an indicator that the timber is a reliable quality.
Products made from metal are available, often corrugated metal materials that are lightweight while offering good airflow. They can often be better at diverting rainfall due to the style of corrugated metal, although many people prefer the aesthetic of timber, which tends to better match most gardens.
Furthermore, while metal is durable it is likely to rust and corrode over time. A pressure treated timber simply lasts much longer over the long-term and is often cheaper too.
Assembly
Remember that most products come flat packed, meaning you are going to need to build it yourself once it arrives. Make sure you have suitable tools for the job, with most just needing a hammer, screwdriver, nails, and screws. You might also need someone to help build the storage, especially if it is on the larger side!
Last update on 2024-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
