How to Stack Firewood: Tips from Fireplace Professionals

There’s a common sense strategy to stacking firewood and you should know about it.

Learn How to Stack Firewood the Right Way

It’s May, and appending your wood pile is probably the farthest thing from your mind - but it shouldn’t be. Stacking wood in the spring allows for maximum drying time, so your wood is seasoned and ready to burn when the weather turns cold again. Also, depending on where you live, the heat of summer and biting insects haven’t yet set in, making the whole process more enjoyable.

Wood that has been piled in a heap just doesn’t burn well. Stacking it correctly enables drying and also makes it easier to pull wood off the pile as you need it.

How to Stack Firewood
To burn well, wood needs to be split and dried. The drier it is, the better it burns. So, when stacking wood, the key is to create spaces for air circulation so it can dry naturally.

Start by stacking logs up off the ground. Prevent the bottom layer of firewood from touching the dirt or grass by stacking it on a base, like on cinder blocks or pallets.

To burn well, wood needs to be split and dried. The drier it is, the better it burns. So, when stacking wood, the key is to create spaces for air circulation so it can dry naturally.

Crisscrossing the layers of wood as you stack them will create spaces for air between the wood and promote drying.

Crisscrossing the layers of wood as you stack them will create spaces for air between the wood and promote drying.

A tarp can be draped over stacked wood during wet weather, but remove it when it’s sunny to avoid moisture build-up, so it can continue to dry.

A tarp can be draped over stacked wood during wet weather, but remove it when it’s sunny to avoid moisture build-up, so it can continue to dry.

Getting the Most Out of Your Firewood
Burning firewood in an inefficient stove, insert or fireplace defeats the purpose of heating with wood. Get the most out of your wood by burning it in an EPA-certified model outfitted with the latest technologies.

It’s best to choose wood-burning hearth products from an established brand that stands behind its products like Quadra-Fire. One load of wood will burn strong and produce heat for many hours, making your well-stacked wood pile last longer. And because Quadra-Fire stoves, inserts and fireplaces burn so efficiently, they produce low outside air emissions and very little ash to clean up. They are an investment that will bring you warmth, ambiance and comfort for many years to come.

Now that you’re a wood stacking expert, learn more about what wood species are best for burning.