What should I consider when storing fire wood for the winter outdoors?

Question

Columbus, OH
Near house or away from house?
elevated or on ground?
covered?

Answer 1

Store it elevated with room for air to pass underneath so the wood does not rot or get moldy. You can stack it right along the house, but you will also want to cover the top. I use plywood to cover the top and place large bricks on it so that the plywood doesn't blow away. You need to place moth balls underneath the platform you sit the wood on to keep mice away from building nests in your wood. And don't worry about it, I live where there's lots of snow and we stack our wood like this. Just make sure to keep a good enough sized pile in the house so you have some nice dry and not damp wood.

Answer 2

Away from house - animals like to live in the wood. (sorry about that)
Elevated - as the lower wood will begin to decay when it comes in contact with the warm/moist ground (it is warm under there).
you can elevate it on 2x4's or most anything that keeps it off the ground.
Covered very loosely with a tarp on the top, but just to keep the moisture(rain/snow) from making the wood too moist to burn well and fully.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

1) away from house as it is a fire hazard
2) elevated will reduce moisture seep
3) covered unless you think snow pile up is fun to play in when you try and get wood

Answer 4

away from the house and off the ground covered

Answer 5

Elevated so it doesn't rot
Covered, if it snows and the snow stays
Leave some breathing space around it to deter critters from making it their home

Answer 6

away from house, in case there's termites. also, becomes convenient home for spiders. throw a pallet under it, to keep the bottom ones from staying wet and rotting.

Answer 7

Get a firewood rack
http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/product416_0.htm

What is a firewood rack?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-firewood-rack.htm

Firewood Handling and Storage
http://www.plowhearth.com/magazine/firewood.asp