For wood to burn it needs to be dry. The drying of wood requires enough air to circulate around your woodpile to dry it out before burning.
If you chop logs yourself or get a delivery of pre-cut logs, they should be stored in a place where air is allowed to move freely to help the drying or ‘seasoning’ process.
The best place for keeping wood aired and ready for the fire is a well-ventilated but sheltered area that keeps the rain off but also provides the means for air to circulate. You need a woodshed that preserves your wood!
But there’s really no need to spend a whole lot of money buying a shed to store your firewood.
It doesn’t take a great deal of skill to make a simple woodshed or wood rack for your home and with a little bit of planning, your own wood store can be tailor made to suit you, at a fraction of the price of a finished product purchased online.
I know, it’s just easy to buy something ready made but lets be honest, you’ll pay hundreds of dollars for a wooden structure that would’ve cost a fraction of the price if you bought the materials yourself.
DEAL OF THE DAY!!!: Ryan’s Shed Plans
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Is it cheaper to build your own wood shed?
If you purchase a ready made woodshed, you’re not only paying for the materials but also the time and labor involved in building the finished product – plus a hefty markup applied by the manufacturer to maximise profit.
It’s a hell of a lot cheaper buying the materials, and building it yourself… IF you already have the necessary tools and basic skills required.
It’s so common for people trying to save a buck to purchase the materials then to go out and buy all the tools like drills, saws, screws, workbenches, fixings etc. and before you know it, you would’ve been cheaper buying the damn thing in the first place! I’ve done it myself a few times.
Time is also a factor. Do you have the time to spend measuring, cutting, leveling and sawing? The good news is, building a wood store is not that technical and a few basic tools are all you need to achieve your goal!
I’ve got 7 firewood storage ideas for you that are relatively simple to build and only require some basic tools and fixings.
DIY Wood Storage Tutorials
1. DIY firewood rack – No tools required!
How to build a shed for wood storage: This ingenious firewood rack can be assembled from a few basic materials and requires absolutely no tools to build. For the simplest solution to store your split wood against a house or barn wall, this is the best.
This firewood rack will provide storage for up to half a cord of wood if stacked optimally. It really is the easiest possible solution for storing your firewood – and not a single tool required!
Everything you need:
- Cinder Blocks
- 4 x 4 studs
- 2 x 4 uprights
2. Easy pallet wood log store – Build in 1 day
How to build a shed for wood storage: Have any wooden pallets lying around? This simple build will give your old pallets a new life and provide the perfect place to store your cut wood. Sizes can be adjusted to suit a larger store if desired.
Everything you need:
- A few new or used pallets
- 1 x piece of hardboard
- Drill driver or screwdriver
- Jigsaw or hand saw
- Hammer and nails
- Roofing felt
- Knife
- Screws
3. DIY firewood shed – Super limited tools
How to build a shed for wood storage: This one is a little bit more challenging but only requires a simple set of tools that most people have to hand. There is also a complete list of materials to make this exact structure.
I love that is it made entirely of wood – no special roofing boards, moisture barriers or tiles required and the finished product looks really professional.
Everything you need:
- 4 of 2x4x12 (All wood listed is pressure treated to prevent rot)
- 5 of 2x6x10
- 1 of 2x6x8
- 17 of 5/4x6x8 deck boards
- 9 of 1x6x5 fence boards
- 1 box of 2″ screws
- 1 box of 2.5″ screws
- 1 box of 3″ screws
- Outdoor rated glue (optional)
- Drill driver
- Circular saw (or whatever saw you prefer)
- Square
- Pencil
- Tape Measure
- 1 of 4x4x8 or 4 deck blocks (optional)
- 1 can of end grain preservative
4. Firewood rack – 1 or 2 face cord
How to build a shed for wood storage: This simple firewood shed can be constructed from any type of treated lumber you have to hand, so there is no precise sizing per se – just go with it and adjust sizes to suit.
Chris provides all the instruction you need to put together a really solid solution for firewood storage.
The shelf was added as an afterthought but is a nice addition for keeping your kindling and smaller pieces from falling into your bigger logs. Nice work.
Everything you need:
- 4 x 4 lumber for the skid (pressure treated to prevent rot)
- 2 x 6 lumber for the base
- 2 x 4 cedar for uprights
- Cedar planks for siding
- 1/2 inch OSB for roof
- Barrier material
- Asphalt shingles
- 2.5″ screws or nails
- Table saw (or whatever saw you prefer)
- Clamps
- Square and level
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Oil-based deck finish of your choice
- Scraps of cedar for shelf and decoration
5. Firewood rack – 1 full cord
How to build a shed for wood storage: This design is similar to the previous one but can hold up to 3 or 4 face cords (1 full cord) and is built on concrete footings instead of a skid frame.
Again the materials don’t need to be exact – just use whatever wood you can get at a good price in your area.
Everything you need:
- 8 concrete footings (6 would be fine)
- One 4 x 4 post (cut to make a levelled post for each footing)
- 2 x 6 pressure treated lumber for the base
- Pine decking for floorboards
- 2 x 6 corner uprights
- 2 x 4 for horizontal framing and diagonal supports
- Standard fence pickets for the roof and siding
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Aluminum drip edge
- Roofing felt
- Asphalt shingles
- Deck screws
- Roofing nails
- Circular saw (or whatever saw you prefer)
6. How to build a 3.5 cord wood shed
How to build a shed for wood storage: Now this is a wood shed! For storing a large amount of split wood this woodshed is the perfect solution.
Although it IS a bigger project than the previous ones the construction is pretty simple and utilises reclaimed cedar wood for the siding that really finishes this off in style.
Everything you need:
- 9 concrete footings
- One 4 x 4 post (cut to make a levelled post for each footing)
- 2 x 6 pressure treated lumber for the base
- Pine decking for floorboards
- 2 x 6 corner uprights
- 2 x 4 for horizontal framing and diagonal supports
- Standard fence pickets for the roof and siding
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Aluminum drip edge
- Roofing felt
- Asphalt shingles
- Deck screws
- Roofing nails
- Circular saw (or whatever saw you prefer)
7. Huge 4 cord woodshed – Single person build
How to build a shed for wood storage: This hand-made woodshed was built by a one man team using a cinder block foundation, treated lumber and some basic tools. Finished with some relatively cheap metal roofing material to provide full protection from rain and snow.
If you need a place to store up to 4 whole cords of wood, and you’re considering your next woodworking project, this awesome looking woodshed could be the answer!
Everything you need:
- Cinder blocks
- 2 x 4 pressure treated lumber
- 2 x 6 pressure treated lumber
- 2 x 10 pressure treated lumber
- Box of 3″ screws
- Level
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Mallet
- Joist hangers
- Decking boards
- Lag bolts
- 2 x 6 header beams
- Rafter ties
- 4 x 8′ Lattice boards and trim
- Circular saw (or whatever saw you prefer)
- Hand drill
- Metal roofing material
- Drip edge
DEAL OF THE DAY!!!: Ryan’s Shed Plans
Conclusion
Hopefully one of these tips on how to build a shed for wood storage has sparked some inspiration for your next woodworking project.
These instructional videos show that with just some basic tools and a little planning and hard work, you could have the perfect wood rack or shed that suits your own needs and budget.
All of these projects can be modified for your own personal tastes, and sizes and materials can be adjusted to suit depending on what materials you have to hand or are available in your area.
Happy building!
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