Do you stack firewood against your cottage? If so, you’re making a big mistake, especially if your home has wood siding, says Matt Gladwin, a certified arborist and the owner of Sequoia TreeScape in Newmarket, Ont.
“This can not only cause pests to make their way into the structure, but it can also trap moisture in the wood, which can eventually lead to rot,” says Gladwin. Choose an elevated, flat area on the property for your woodpile. Higher areas “will catch more wind than lower areas,” he says; this minimizes moisture in the bottom of the stack. But wind won’t help much if the wood is directly touching the ground. It’s better to keep the wood on a platform.
When you build your log stacks, there’s no need to leave gaps for air circulation, says Gladwin. “Logs come in different shapes, so they naturally create their own gaps.” The most important part is stability; you want the logs to fit together as tight as they can. If not, you’ll get shifting. “Your stack could collapse,” he says.
For straight, stable, efficient rows, stack wood between two end posts (such as trees) positioned at least five feet from each other—15 feet apart is ideal—and when stacking, think Jenga, says Gladwin. “Lay three fairly uniform pieces beside each other one way and the next three on top in the opposite direction.”
This article was originally published in the Winter 2024 issue of Cottage Life.
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