About Log Stores

How the log store is designed

The base, sides and back of each log store is made in solid, 25mm (1 inch) thick timber to create a secure structure that could be supporting several tonnes of logs.

Our Classic A1 log store and Classic A2 log store are each made of Western red cedar on a Douglas fir frame.

Every Custom log store is made of Douglas fir with a Noble fir or Spruce roof.

The base, sides and back are all ventilated to provide good air circulation around the stacked logs. The roof is made of overlapping boards, which slope at 30 degrees. This angle has been chosen to best enable the roof to shed water after a rainstorm.

The roof is shower-proof. Being made of timber, as a natural material, the gaps between the boards are not sealed and there may be the occasional minor ingress of water during a severe storm. This will have no significant affect on the dryness of the stored logs.

No log store from us is treated

The timber is not treated because we consider it is unnecessary. Our experience so far is bearing this out.

Timber is liable to degrade if it gets wet and stays damp. Typically problems occur when timber is in ground contact or built into damp walls. Your log store has been designed to shed water when it rains and to dry out after the shower has passed. Log stores should always be sited in well-ventilated areas so that the logs themselves can dry out if they are fresh or stay dry if they arrive seasoned. Please see “Locating you log store” below for recommended practice to keep the feet dry.

Further, as timber preservatives themselves create environmental hazards, the disposal of any treated timber has to be through landfill rather than through recycling.

Locating your log store

You are buying a log store either to season wet logs prior to burning them or to keep logs dry that have already been seasoned. So it is important to choose a site that is well ventilated and not in a cul-de-sac with little air movement. Facing into the sun is not important as the sun’s rays will only catch the outward facing edges of the logs whereas moving air gets through the whole stack.

There are substantial gaps between the boards on the back to help the air flow around the logs. So we advise you to leave a gap of around 5cm (2 inches) between the back of the log store and any wall or fence that is behind it.

The runners should be protected from harbouring water. An ideal surface is well-drained gravel, concrete slabs or a wooden deck (if it is sufficiently strong to support the weight of the fully loaded store). You should avoid sitting the log store on grass or soil. Pads of slate under the runners would be useful.

The area you prepare to receive your log store will need to support the runners that go from front to back. The Classic A log store and One-bay Custom log stores all have four runners, equally spaced across the width. Two-bay Custom log stores have seven runners equally spaced across the width.

Fitting doors

Wood for burning needs to be as dry as possible: this means that it should be stored in a well-ventilated environment to dry and to maintain a low moisture content. Conventional doors prevent the free circulation of air, which is why we have not offered doors until now.

We have developed a ventilated door with wooden hinges and catches that match the style of our log stores. We would still advise wood stores to be open fronted, but suitable doors are available where required.

Siting your log store is a passage way

If you are planning to locate your log store in a passage way, please let us know as we will manufacture the log store in a slightly different way so that it can be assemled in a confined space. If the passage way is gated or closed off at one end, it is possible that the air circulation will not be sufficient to keep the logs and log store dry. An alternative location might be preferable. If you wish to discuss this with us, please give us a call and we will be happy to help.

Staining you log store

Some of our customers have chosen to colour their log stores to match the house or garden décor. That is fine but we recommend that you only use a stain that allows the timber to breathe. Paints should be avoided as the sawn surfaces cannot be fully sealed and there is a danger of trapping water to the detriment of the log store.

Long term care is not necessary

The body of our log stores is made of Western Red Cedar, Larch or Douglas fir, all of which are classed as red woods – which gives the wood a glorious tint when the timber is freshly sawn. Like all species of timbers when exposed to sunlight, the colour will gradually change to grey. This is only a surface effect and does not affect the strength of the timber.