Morning all.

I’m after some advice on log stores for seasoning logs.

I’ve got a pile of trees, a mix of scots pine / sycamore / ash / some other sort of pine, that were felled and stacked a couple of years ago by the previous owner of our house. Over the past year or so I have been steadily sawing them up and then splitting them into logs, stacking them outside and waiting for the wind, rain and sun to season batches of them before stacking them in the barn to then burn in our solid fuel Rayburn which heats our house.

This has worked reasonably well but I have been at the mercy of the Aberdeenshire weather when it comes to getting them inside after a longish spell of dry weather. To work well in the Rayburn the logs need to be absolutely bone dry.

I’ve got a whole load of planks, pallets, a large piece of wriggly tin which I could use for roof that I want to use to construct an external store for the logs so that they can season without being subjected to periodic soakings from the rain. Once dry they can go in the barn ready for the next batch to be loaded into the store.

All the pictures I have seen online of such stores show them as being open fronted. This could be a problem for our location as it is often windy when it rains so the rain would blow in and soak the logs despite them having a roof. I’m thinking for our situation the store would need to be slatted on all sides (with an entrance on one side for access) to allow the wind through but to stop the majority of the rain. I’ve also got a load of large just-about-liftable stones to place on the roof to stop it blowing off in the wind.

So, STW loggists, your advice on log stores and seasoning said logs if you please.

Ta.

Calling McMoonter….

I have both of mine tucked in at two corners at the back of the house, as the prevailing wind comes from the front. Slatted sides, but no back as its tight against the house wall.

They are both approx 4m3 in size, and when packed correctly, one of them will last me all winter – I generally fire it up mid September and run until start of April, but it wasn’t until into October this winter as it was very mild. Sometimes we’ll get a northerly and rain, which will wet logs at the front, but they dry within a few hours tbh.

My cheap log store design (made 3 so far) is just four 2″ x 2″ stakes (treated) from the a garden centre, bashed into the ground at the corners of a rectangle. Suitable branches bolted at the top of the stakes to join them together and make a ridge down the middle. Then just a cheap tarpaulin for a roof.
If you get the dimensions right the tarpaulin can extend down the sides to give more protection. Use old pallets for the floor.

I’m in a windy location but opted for open fronted as I park my van up tight in front of the logs. The only real downside is I have to move the van when I want to restock the log chest behind the sofa once a week!

They used to be under a tarp, and trying to retrieve logs from under it in the cold, dark, wet weather was always a ball ache.

This store is made from Indian pallets that a neighbour had limestone delivered in, broke off the heavy reinforced bases and used pallet wood to make a showerproof roof. I don’t know what the pallets are made from but they are very strong and the timbers under them appear to be hardwood and kept the stove going for a few weeks!

I’ve built two seasoning stores in the last few months. The second hasn’t even got a roof on yet! When I finally get a dry enough day I’ll plank the roof and cover with a bit of DPM.

I’ll also be screwing a few planks on the front (with plenty air flow gaps) to keep the worst of the weather off while they season over the summer, then just unscrew them when I want to move the logs to the wood shed. Refill with the next batch and re plank the front.

The first store I built is in a much more sheltered spot, has a tin roof and no front.

Wind and sun are your friends.
Rain isn’t so bad unless you don’t raise the logs off the floor.
All the stores I’ve built have been open fronted and paletted sides.
Read the log chopping book by Lars Mytting. Is a lovely read and very informative.

Thanks for the picture and description Spooky.

I’ve got some long sections of fencing that I could cut into sections to construct something similar.

Thanks for the inspiration.

One for a customer I did last year. All fencing material so it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Read the log chopping book by Lars Mytting. Is a lovely read and very informative.

Got that book for Christmas. Just moved it to the top of my reading list.

Ours is similar to Timbur’s, above. The roof isn’t even sealed to the wall and it’s made from an old plastic conservatory roof cut up and covered in felt. It’s in a windy gap at the side of our house, south-facing so even if the logs get wet from rain they soon dry out in the breeze and the warmth.

Airflow is your friend…

Our old work log stores on Loch Tay (6no. 6’x6’x6′ size) had free flow air back, sides, top and bottom – all made from fencing and old pallets. They also had a drop down tarp front, that allowed air flow as they were 6″ off the front of the logs. They had a big fence round – and so two of us would just roll up the tarp with them and tie it off for the store that was being used at the time. They were all dark colour, in an spot that did get some sun so they would warm up well on the few days we did get sun…

Made my hovel (next to the shed so that was one side done already) using palettes as the sides, gives some weather protection but allows airflow. For the roof I used the floor of an old shed and covered it with old floor vinyl. The fact it looks such an eyesore and therefore annoys my grumpy neighbour is a bonus

The one we had when I was young was a built against a south facing wall and open each end to the prevailing wind. One end nearer the house for collecting (my job) the other had a processing area and track to reverse the trailer straight up to it. Dad put a clear plastic corrugated roof on when the old tin rusted out, used to get quite warm in there come the summer. He had some system which seemed to work as wood was our source of heating/hot water.

I built mine using pallets – two for the floor, then broke a few up to use the wood for sides. Ended up buying two lengths of 3×2 just to give it structural rigidity for the roof, and then had a couple of leftover roofing battens so added left-over waterproof membrane, roofing battens and then surplus double roman tiles. Does the job, not the prettiest though. Not sure the location’s up to much, mind, as it’s quite sheltered. I worry that if I relocated it to a more open spot the local scrotes would be away with my wood!

I wouldn’t worry about rain catching the logs too much, there’s usually more wind than you might think that follows it.

I built my store using ten foot – four x four fence posts and some four x twos. I used recycled tin. It ended up a little bigger than I planned.

https://picasaweb.google.com/113038090087066024057/20120126NewWoodShed#

Aberdeenshire you say…

I built the wood store on up against eh side of my house in a similar style to timbur’s but with the pitch in the opposite direction.

This winter i have put a tarp tied to some eyelet bolts on the front to stop the rain battering in so much, plan being to roll it up in summer but it has bee invaluable of late with the ridiculous amount of rain we have had down deeside recently.

McMoonter – that is quite a structure. I have log store envy.