How to stack firewood so it stays dry and does not fall over
A good stack dries wood, keeps it dry, and does not fall on the dog. Here is where to put it, what to put under it, how to build the ends, and how to cover it without trapping the water you are trying to get rid of.
I have stacked more cords of wood than I can count, starting at eleven years old on our farm in Upperville, and I have also watched a lot of customer stacks fall over, rot from the bottom, or sweat under a tarp all winter. The rules are simple. Here they are, in the order you will do them.
Short answer
Off the ground, ends supported, splits loose enough for air, bark up, covered on top only, with the open sides facing the sun and wind. A steel rack does the first two for you and makes the rest easy.
Step 1: pick the spot
You want sun, wind, and a short walk. A south- or west-facing wall, the edge of a deck, or an open side yard all work. Avoid the north side of the house, a spot under a dripping gutter, and anywhere the ground stays wet after rain. For wood you plan to burn this week, a second small stack by the door or in the garage saves a lot of cold trips.
One note on the house: air-dried wood should sit a few feet off the siding, because it carries insects and moisture. Kiln-dried wood has been through heat that kills both, so it can go right against the house, in a garage, or on a rack inside. That is one of the quiet reasons people switch.
Step 2: get it off the ground
Wood on dirt wicks moisture up and the bottom row rots inside a season. Put the stack on something: a rack, two pallets, a pair of pressure-treated 4x4 runners, or a row of concrete blocks. Four inches of air underneath is enough.
Step 3: build the ends
A stack is a wall, and a wall needs ends or it slumps. The easy answer is a rack with steel uprights: the ends are built in, and you just fill it. Without a rack, build a crib at each end: lay three splits parallel, then three across them, and repeat to the height of the stack. The cribs lock the ends and let you stack the middle normally.
Step 4: stack loose, bark up
Lay splits side by side with the bark facing up if the stack is uncovered, so the bark sheds rain. Do not jam them tight; a finger of space between pieces lets air move through, and air is what dries wood. Mix the sizes so the rows stay roughly level, and lean the whole stack slightly in toward the wall or the center so it settles into itself instead of away.
Keep the stack to about four feet tall. Taller than that and it gets unstable, and reaching the top row in January is no fun.
Step 5: cover the top, not the sides
This is the mistake I see most. A tarp wrapped all the way around a stack traps moisture inside, and the wood sweats and molds. Cover only the top: a strip of tarp, a sheet of roofing tin, or a rack cover that hangs a foot down the sides and no further. Rain stays off, air still moves through, and the wood keeps drying.
The rack that makes all of this easy
Our 8 ft steel firewood rack is 4 ft tall by 8 ft long, holds a full 4x8 stack of 16 inch splits (one third of a cord, about 80 fires), keeps the wood off the ground, gives it ends, and takes a cover. The rack combo brings the rack and the wood together, and the driver stacks it for you if you add stacking at checkout.
How much to stack
A household that burns on weekends through the winter uses about a 4x8 stack. A few fires a week is a 4x16, two racks' worth. Daily stove use is more. The how much firewood do I need guide has the full table, and cords, racks, and stacks explains the units.
Stack it right once, and the only thing you touch all winter is the top row.
Frequently asked questions
Should firewood be stacked bark up or bark down?
Outdoors and uncovered, bark up: it sheds rain. Under a cover or on a rack, it does not matter much. What matters more is that the stack is off the ground and open on the sides so air moves through it.
How do I keep a firewood stack from falling over?
Give it ends. A rack with steel uprights is the easiest answer. Without one, build a crib at each end by laying three splits one way, then three across, and repeating up to the height of the stack. Lean the whole stack slightly inward toward the wall or the center.
How far from the house should I stack firewood?
For wood that was air-dried, keep it off the house and a few feet away so insects and moisture do not migrate into the siding. Kiln-dried wood has no insects in it and can be stacked against the house, in a garage, or indoors.
Can I stack firewood on the ground?
You can, but the bottom row will rot and the whole stack will wick moisture up from the soil. Put it on a rack, pallets, pressure-treated runners, or a row of concrete blocks. Even four inches of air underneath makes a real difference.
How much wood fits on an 8 foot rack?
A 4 ft tall by 8 ft long rack holds a 4x8 stack of 16 inch splits, which is one third of a cord, about 80 fires. Two racks hold two thirds of a cord, which is what a household that burns a few times a week uses in a season.
Clark started splitting and selling firewood on his family farm in Upperville, Virginia at age 11. Today Clark's Firewood delivers premium kiln-dried hardwood to homes across Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, and North Carolina, and Clark personally guarantees every order.
