# Anyone else store their wood in a garage?



## PA. Woodsman (Feb 20, 2008)

I've been keeping my firewood in my garage every year since 1990 and it gets so hot and dry in the Summer that it's like a kiln and sucks the moisture out of any species of wood that is in there while keeping everything bone-dry. Who else does this-just curious? :greenchainsaw:


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## mga (Feb 20, 2008)

i've always been concerned about ants, bugs etc getting into the house or even moving into the garage walls and making nests there...especially termites.

so, i opt for an outside place.


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## jags (Feb 20, 2008)

I don't store in a garage, but I have two other buildings that I use for storage. For the current year burning, I have an old fashion "wash house" that is about 8 ft from the main house. Its 18 x 20, so I have plenty of storage for the 5+ cords I burn a year.

The real work horse is an old chicken coop. It is a pretty large one as far as chicken coops go, but its real advantage is two LARGE, south facing windows. That sucker IS a kiln in the summer. It is also designed with ventilation in mind, so it really cooks off the humidity, and it will hold upwards of 20 cords. Both have full cement floors, so its easy to clean up (occasionally) and it is a pretty effective barrier for bad bugs like termites.


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## beerman6 (Feb 20, 2008)

I store mine in a 24x24 "garage"

There are more holes in the walls and roof than I have in my shorts.


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## JBinKC (Feb 20, 2008)

I only use my garage as a short term storage medium. I usually move wood in cycles from areas with the least weather protection before a storm to guarantee a supply of dry wood and convenience. As for long term storage as long as you feel confident the wood was originally free of potentially damaging bugs-go for it.


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## flewism (Feb 20, 2008)

I don't season wood in the garage, but I store wood in the attached garage for that weeks burn. I use a homemade 4' by 4' with 16" walls atv trailer to move and store wood in the attached garage. It holds 1/2 a facecord about a weeks worth, then I get one of the 4-wheelers out of the barn, hook the trailer back up and, go fill it up and park it back in the garage. most of the time the wood goes straight from the trailer into the stove.


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## wood4heat (Feb 20, 2008)

I have a 8 X 16 woodshed attached to the back of my shop. Makes it a convenient ten foot trip from the man door off the garage but I wonder about bugs getting into the shop. The shed has been there for at least ten years and I don't see any bug damage in the untreated wood inside of it so I don't think I have to worry about the painted exterior wall of the shop. Should I? 

On to the point of the thread I only bring as much wood into the garage as I need for that day. 

My plan this summer is to build a new shed about 150yds from the house to season wood in. Bring it up to the house each spring and spend the summer refilling the lower shed.


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## Zodiac45 (Feb 20, 2008)

PA. Woodsman said:


> I've been keeping my firewood in my garage every year since 1990 and it gets so hot and dry in the Summer that it's like a kiln and sucks the moisture out of any species of wood that is in there while keeping everything bone-dry. Who else does this-just curious? :greenchainsaw:



I try to keep two years worth outside under a tarp (just the top of the stacks) in quarters (big stuff) or rounds. In spring I'll split what I'm gonna need for the year and let it finish outside all summer. It goes into the barn in September usually. My house is a typical Maine 200+ yr old house with attached barn and garage. It's a large L shaped structure. I can get too the barn through my summer kitchen. Remember that it's more the wind, than sun or heat that seasons your wood. Also you don't want it "too dry" or it burns too fast. I keep the rotation going and as soon as I've split for the year, I replensh the back of the outdoor stacks with the wood for two years out. I always finish off with a pickup load of cedar that gets split into kindling for my cookstove. 

The old timers around here aways say that end of March you should have your wood for the year split and seasoning.


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## Deadman (Feb 20, 2008)

:hmm3grin2orange: My dad keeps his wood in his basement and its also in the same room as his HUGE Quadrafire wood burner. Its usually 90+ degrees in that room all winter, so his wood IS Kiln Dried! You can hear the wood cracking if you bring slightely damp wood into the basement when hes got a fire going.


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## iCreek (Feb 20, 2008)

*hanko is the man !!*



PA. Woodsman said:


> Who else does this-just curious?



hanko does, real nice setup... just don't ask him to post the one with his wife feeding the stove :censored: 

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63362&d=1200972080


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## wdchuck (Feb 21, 2008)

iCreek said:


> hanko does, real nice setup... just don't ask him to post the one with his wife feeding the stove :censored:
> 
> http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63362&d=1200972080



:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: 

Keyboard covered in beer, thanks alot iCreek. funny bastard
.

We live out from town, so we can store it under roof, but wind/sun accessible, then it hits the basement about mid november


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## Darkhorse (Feb 21, 2008)

mga said:


> i've always been concerned about ants, bugs etc getting into the house or even moving into the garage walls and making nests there...especially termites.
> 
> so, i opt for an outside place.



not to mention cochroaches.


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## City Slicker (Feb 21, 2008)

*Garage storage?*

I store my firewood inside may attached garage. I only bring in solid wood, with no rot or bugs - that is stored outside. I carefully inspect it before bringing it in the garage. Already have some nice clean hickory in there for next season. The hickory takes top shelf in my garage! I make it a point to keep garage door closed as much as possible to keep out mice. Have'nt had one in there for a couple years.


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## Rleonard (Feb 24, 2008)

I did that once then a few years later I had to deal with termite damage and an infestation.

Now wood is stored away and only small loads are brought up to the house at a time. It stays cold in the garage until I bring it in to burn.







Bob


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## Locoweed (Feb 24, 2008)

I keep a small supply of wood in the garage to have in case the monsoon season runs late and my main source of firewood is wet. With a little dry wood, you can get the wet stuff dried out and burning. :greenchainsaw:


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## gtstang462002 (Feb 24, 2008)

I store mine on my screened in front porch. When I stack floor to ceiling I can get 4 cords in there. If it is all hardwood it will last me most of the winter. The screen keeps all of the snow off of it and keeps any sideways rain to a mist on the wood while allowing a nice breeze to pull through the wood when there is no moisture comming out of the sky...


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## PA. Woodsman (Feb 24, 2008)

Thanks for the input! My garage is about 40 feet away from the house so there's no problem with insects except for the ones that "come to life" when the heat hits 'em inside the house (usually around March). It's a double car (actually one car and one truck) garage and it gets so hot in the Summer that it is just like a kiln and sucks the moisture out of anything in there including me-it's sometimes downright brutal to stand in there on some of those hot days with no airflow-but it sure seasons wood! :greenchainsaw:


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## njtuna (Mar 14, 2008)

i am considering storing/seasoning wood in my garage. it's also a detached garage, about 50ft from my house, and it's 20' x20' on the outside. garage has one small window that is never open, and a black shingle roof. it gets intensely hot in there through the summer. pa. woodsman, how much do you store in your garage? i think i can fit 2 cords leaving room for my lawn mower and other stuff... do you think it will season by fall? red oak, black cherry, sugar maple, black locust. i am not so worried about insects- we have our house and garage sprayed 4 times a year, which will probably help. thanks


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## PA. Woodsman (Mar 14, 2008)

njtuna said:


> i am considering storing/seasoning wood in my garage. it's also a detached garage, about 50ft from my house, and it's 20' x20' on the outside. garage has one small window that is never open, and a black shingle roof. it gets intensely hot in there through the summer. pa. woodsman, how much do you store in your garage? i think i can fit 2 cords leaving room for my lawn mower and other stuff... do you think it will season by fall? red oak, black cherry, sugar maple, black locust. i am not so worried about insects- we have our house and garage sprayed 4 times a year, which will probably help. thanks




I have mine along the one wall because the rest of the garage "walls" are taken up with other stuff; but I also keep my kindling and small quarter-splits in there, too. It really makes it easy and convienient to get dry wood. If your garage gets hot like you say you should be fine with it drying by Fall; the Red Oak would be the only one that might not be quite ready. You might want to keep the Oak seperate from the other stuff in case it isn't ready; but split it soon and let that "kiln" dry it out over the Summer and you'll probably be fine. Good luck!


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## njtuna (Mar 14, 2008)

thanks. the red oak has been seasoning outside for 2 months already, doubt it will be ready by the fall where it is right now. am hoping it will be ready by january-feb. going to give it a try with a couple of cords!


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## CLEARVIEW TREE (Mar 15, 2008)

Guys i keep a very small supply in the basement in case of a heavy rain. However, i ve found that uncovered in the weather is my preferred method of wood drying. Changing temps and more airflow outside works best for me. Each to his own ya know. That old sun beatin down on it 365 really makes her burn. My friend is about the same.


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## PA. Woodsman (Mar 15, 2008)

*Go for it!*



njtuna said:


> thanks. the red oak has been seasoning outside for 2 months already, doubt it will be ready by the fall where it is right now. am hoping it will be ready by january-feb. going to give it a try with a couple of cords!



I also want to mention that since it is inside the wood will be seasoned but it won't be "dark" on the split ends because it's not getting any sun or wind on it. It'll be clean looking but very dry! Go for it you won't be sorry; if it gets hot in there like mine you'll be in very good shape come Fall!


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## JPhilip (Mar 16, 2008)

I have an attached garage. Just to hedge my bet with ants or other bugs, I keep about half a cord on a metal rack inside the garage and the rest is stacked on the edge of the driveway next to the garage. I think that if you keep the wood elevated then you shouldn't have a problem, but, like anything else, trial and error helps find the best means to an end.


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## stihl sawing (Mar 16, 2008)

I try to keep all of it under some type of covering, It will last longer and termites won't be as bad when it stays in the dry. Couple of pics where mine is.


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## spike60 (Mar 16, 2008)

I built my woodshed about 40ft from the house. I ran electric out there and just flip on the light and grab some wood. The sides are 1x8 boards that I spaced 1 1/2" apart, using a piece of 2x4, so the shed "breaths". The wood seasons nice in there. 

I freakin hate bugs, so I just bring in a days worth of wood at a time. (My stove is in the living room). Even with well seasoned wood you still get spiders. When I had my knee scoped a few years ago, I stacked a few days worth in the laundry room and gave the pile a quick shot of bug spray. But in a garage you are going to have some bugs anyway. I'd say it's probably OK to store seasoned wood in an attached garage, but I wouldn't think it would be a good idea for seasoning.


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