Furnace heating of the house, solid fuel boilers, saunas suggest a supply of high-quality, dry wood, compactly stacked near the house in a woodpile. Orderly stacked firewood does not spoil, always at hand, do not spoil the appearance of the site. It is better to choose a place for storage in advance before the firewood is delivered. Unloaded nearby, they do not have to be far carried. In the chosen place there should be good drainage, chopped wood is poorly stored in the mud. If firewood is used quickly, it is better to store it near the wall of the house, if long-term storage is provided, insects and rodents, often wintering among firewood, can find a loophole in the home.
Drovena with stakes - a simple solution
It is convenient to arrange a woodpile adjacent to the wall of the house, a fence, an outbuilding. A layer of stones or bricks is laid as an insulating layer between the wood and the ground. It is convenient to stack fuel on a wooden pallet or a specially made grate of stakes and fittings. A support for the stacked firewood is stakes driven into the ground, forming a quadrangle. One of the ends of the stacked logs abuts against a wall or fence, the other is facing out. The stakes, which are the support, should be of sufficient thickness so as not to bend under the weight of the firewood.
A similarity of reinforcing reinforcement for the firewood is arranged with the help of wood branches with a fork: the forks cover the stakes, and the branches are pressed by the next layer of firewood. Stability of the woodpile gives and stacking is not in a row, but in turn - a cell. The rows are extended to the height of the wall or fence, on top of the firewood they cover with waterproof material - oilcloth, roofing material, tin.
When a woodpile forms along the fence, a few centimeters must be left between the wood and the fence sheet for ventilation. This secret will keep the firewood dry.
If long strong stakes could not be prepared, the method of stacking firewood can maintain the stability of the store. At the corners of a rectangular firewood, the logs are laid in a cage, forming columns. Between them, firewood is stacked in a simple manner.
How to fold a round woodpile?
If the supply of firewood is very large or the storage device is not possible near the wall, you can put the firewood in a compact round woodpile in an open place. Folded correctly, it resembles a lush haystack. The beveled stack of logs provides a drain of rainwater. The round shape of wood storages has long been used in wood-rich regions of Russia that use stove heating.
A similar method of stacking firewood is also common in the USA; it is called Holz Hausen - a “wooden house” from German. It is compact, convenient, compact. The latter quality is the main advantage of this type of woodpiles - a lot of firewood can be stacked in a small area, they dry faster than in traditional storage facilities, the laying is strong, the structure will not fall even under extreme wind load. The shape of the “hive” is considered by many to be more attractive than the traditional rectangle, and it's fun to build.
Beginners are better off not making the first round woodpile too large in diameter. Place for her you need to choose a sunny and well-ventilated. Under the first row of firewood, a base-drainage of gravel or a layer of wood bark is arranged. The correct radius will provide a cross of long stakes.
We build the base
First, lay out the ring in a circle, empty in the center. It turns out a closed chain of chocks in contact with the ends. The next layer, laid across the first, is obtained with an inclination in the middle: adjacent chocks or logs touch the side surface, the ends remain free.
The center is also empty, gradually it forms a pipe, which contributes to good air exchange, drying of firewood. If the rows lose their internal slope due to the uneven thickness of the chocks, lateral supports are laid along the edge, like a ring supporting the edges of the first row. This will give the building stability and stability.
Build height
Stakes arranged crosswise between rows at the same height form the "floors" of the woodpile and support it. When the woodpile reaches a height of about a meter, chocks can be randomly thrown into the empty middle. Gravel will protect them from moisture, and free installation will not impede air circulation. This inner layer makes the structure more stable and saves space.
The advantages of a cylindrical shape:
- firewood dries quickly and evenly even in areas with a short summer;
- the resulting circles are very stable; the pressure in the circle is uniform at each point, neighboring chocks support each other, when properly laid, the drying wood “seizes” even more strongly;
- cylinders look beautiful and use space efficiently; a large amount of firewood dries in a limited area.
Holz hausen ends with the apex of the flattest chocks forming the roof. From above they can be covered with a layer of waterproof wood bark.
Another way to form a round woodpile is to use a tall pole dug in the center of the future circle instead of a cross. It is so convenient to observe the correct form, the pole creates additional support for the central part of the structure.
The device of the woodcutter formulates the rules for storing firewood: drainage under the lower layer, good ventilation and warming with sunshine, canopy or roof.
Drovyanik - storage under the roof
If the open storage of firewood does not suit you, then it is worth considering the construction of a woodcutter in a summer cottage - a structure with a roof. With the help of your imagination and improvised materials you can get a real masterpiece. You can see some of them in the photo:
The stove heating has a special winter magic. If the firewood is folded and dried correctly, then it will be a pleasure to use them!