Purpose
Firewood racks are used for storing and drying wood used for heating. After live wood is cut, it often takes at least one year to “season” (dry) naturally. If the firewood is not stored properly it will never dry and may rot. Boiling the water out of wet wood during burning not only wastes energy it can cause deposits to form on the chimney. Nobody wants to go through the effort of cutting firewood just to have it rot. So it is beneficial to have a firewood drying rack.
Since firewood attracts insects and other pests it is best to keep it away from structures.
Requirements
The goal for a firewood rack is to provide easy and efficient drying and storage of wood. Ideally it would be very inexpensive to fabricate and be very effective at drying and storing the wood.
Most firewood is cut into “stove size” meaning approximately 14-18″ long and no larger than 6″ in diameter. For loading/stacking wood of this size it is convenient to keep it 1 log deep and no taller than 4′ so it is less likely to tip over.
Ideally each firewood rack would have a long life and be fairly modular. Meaning it can be moved around easily and be configured to hold different amounts of wood.
Since the first 12″ from the ground is where most moisture is and to avoid splashing from rain, it is imperative to get firewood at least 12″, preferably 16″ or more, off the ground.
Lastly, there needs to be a way to keep precipitation off the firewood so it can dry and stay that way. At the same time you do not want to seal moisture in so you must provide a way for the firewood to “breathe”. Tarps are a great option.
The plan
The best size we have found is firewood racks that hold approximately one face cord and can be covered by a 9’x9′ tarp. If 9’x9′ tarps are not affordable then it may be worth investigating a size that is and adjusting the firewood rack size. Ideally the size of firewood rack should be convenient to work with, uses the least amount of materials to manufacture, and is easy to handle.
Normal 8″x8″x16″ concrete blocks are convenient to set the fire wood rack on. It doesn’t rot, is strong, and is inexpensive.
The runners (pieces between the posts) can be 2×4 if you make them short enough or support them in the middle (every 4′ or so). 2×6 wood eliminates the necessity for the center support as compared to 2×4. We have tried both, and even if you laminate two 2×4 together they still need a center support.
If you choose to tie the uprights together at the top then it does two things. It makes it stronger and the uprights are less likely to spread. Also, when covering with a tarp it will assist in shedding precipitation and reduce likelihood of the tarp being punctured. However, this piece is not necessary.
We are going to target an approximate height of 4′. We are going to spread the runners 14″ to the outside. Uprights will then be 14″ apart on the inside. The end pieces will be 22″ long. The next critical measurement is the length of the runners. If you use 92 5/8″ precut studs instead of normal 96″ lumber it will be shorter then you can use a tarp with an 8′ long edge.
Materials needed to make a 96″ long firewood rack:
- 2 – 8x8x16 concrete block
- 3 – 2x6x8′ pine
- 4 – 2x4x8′ pine
- 44 – 3″ deck screws
Tools needed to manufacture the firewood rack:
- Drill (preferably cordless drill/driver), two is nice if you want to drill pilot holes
- Bit of the correct type to drive the purchased screws
- Crosscut saw, preferably electric type Skil saw or a table saw
- Square, a small framing square is sufficient
- Scribe, pencil, or some kind of marking implement
- Tape measure
Cutting the wood
Cuts to be made:
- Cut two of the 2x4x8′ in half so you end up with four 2″x4″x48″
- Cut one 2x4x8′ so you end up with two pieces 14″ long and one piece approximately 68″ long (this piece is either waste or can be used for the next firewood rack)
- Cut one 2x6x8′ so you end up with two pieces 14″ long, two pieces 22″ long, and one piece approximately 24″ long (this piece is either waste or can be used for the next firewood rack)
You will need these pieces of wood:
- 2 – 2″x6″x96″ – runners
- 1 – 2″x4″x96″ – top plate tie
- 4 – 2″x4″x48″ – uprights
- 2 – 2″x4″x14″ – upright top ties
- 2 – 2″x6″x14″ – upright bottom ties
- 2 – 2″x6″x22″ – end plates
Assembly
First step is to assemble the runners to their end plates. The layout has been written on the wood in the pictures as sometimes showing is better than telling.
Next, you attach the uprights to the runners and the end plate.
You then attach the upright top ties and the upright bottom ties. The bottom ties are connected to both runners, both uprights, and the end plate so as to reduce any chance of spreading.
