With prices upwards of $100 to $200 for a full cord (depending on where you live), firewood isn’t cheap. If you burn it on a regular basis — for warmth, fire pits, campfires, cooking, etc — you can spend quite a fortune. But even cutting and harvesting your own firewood is no easy task, which is why it’s important to protect your firewood from rotting.
Whether you buy it or harvest it yourself, it’s frustrating when you discover a pile of rotten firewood. It doesn’t burn as well (if at all), and it’s likely harboring colonies of insects and pests.
The 4 Elements Needed for Rot
In order for wood to rot, it needs four things: moisture, wood, oxygen and warmth. Being that moisture, oxygen and warmth are all around us, it’s easy to see why rot is such a problem. There’s practically no way to prevent natural, unprocessed wood from the rotting. Thankfully, though, there are a few steps you can take to slow down the process and prolong the life of your firewood.
Store it Off the Ground
One of the most common mistakes made when storing firewood is placing it directly on the ground. Why is this a problem? Well, there’s lots of moisture sitting in the soil. And when you place firewood directly on the ground, some of that moisture seeps up and into the wood. Furthermore, storing firewood directly on the ground increases the risk of termites, which can be equally as destructive.
How do you keep firewood off the ground? There are several solutions, one of which is to build a square-shaped perimeter using some pressure-treated 4×4 lumber. Another idea is to place a wooden pallet underneath your firewood stack. As long as it’s not sitting directly on the ground, it shouldn’t absorb moisture from the soil.
Increase Airflow
You can also prolong the life of your firewood and discourage rotting by storing it in a well-ventilated area. If you have a shed, for instance, crack a window so air doesn’t become stagnant. The increased airflow helps to dry firewood, protecting it from rot.
Cover it with a Tarp
In addition to storing it off the ground and in a ventilated area, cover your firewood with a tarp. Something as simple as a cheap fiberglass tarp can make a world of difference in prolonging the life of your firewood.
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