Preparing Your Log Store for Winter

As the nights draw in and the evening and early morning temperatures drop, my thoughts turn to topping up my supply of logs, ready for the winter fires and I find myself looking forward once again to the sound of crackling logs and toasty toes.

That said, last year I experienced wasps in the house in December and was horrified to find the incident was repeated a few days later. My discovery was linked to the sleepy creatures hiding out in the log shed. I had neglected to clear it completely the previous year and the dry, split, well seasoned logs were obviously a luxury hibernation location.

Whilst all our log stores are made of Swedish Redwood treated against fungal and insect attack by the Tanalith-E® process (pressure treatment), insects will always make a winter home in a lovely dry environment. Even with a love of insects, I could easily have been stung while sorting and carrying the logs, so this year I will not be making that mistake again!

Okeford Log Store with a Tiled Roof

Using the late summer sunshine, now is the perfect time to clear out your log store before the winter delivery of logs arrives. If possible, it's best to empty the store completely and give all the surfaces a brush to remove any cobwebs, leaves and sleeping insects before stocking up.

The main advantage of clearing the log store and re-stacking the logs is to free up the ventilation again so that air can once again circulate. Wet timber won't burn well in your fireplace, the energy produced will boil off the water from the logs rather than heat your home and more importantly unseasoned logs can clog up your chimney with  soot and could lead to chimney fires. To aid the drying process Dorset Log Stores have a ¾ inch gap between each board to ensure an adequate airflow to remove the moisture from your logs in the shortest possible period. 

Other basic tips to ensure the wood is dry while preparing your logs for storage:

1. Use the summer sun and warm days to your advantage, get your log delivery or chopping logs on a dry day.
2. Chop or split your logs into smaller pieces to increase the surface area - see our 'How to Chop a Log' guide.
3. Use a purpose built log store with good circulation to keep your logs off the ground and to dry them quicker.
4. Position the log store away from walls to avoid damp and in a sunny aspect if possible.
5. Cover exposed logs in case of driving rain or snow.

For more information about the construction of our log stores and visit Dorset Log Stores or give us a call on 01300 345916 to speak to a member of our team. 

Thanks for Reading
James