A Question About Wood Storage

[Draznnl]

This is for those of you who live in urban/suburban settings, especially if you live in a community with an HOA. Where do you keep your wood? Before I suggest to my wife that we a stick burner, I need to be able to answer the question of where will the wood go that won't attract termites and other undesirables. BTW, there is no room in the garage to keep wood in there.

[rlozinak]

I have the same question if I get a stick burner

[Panhead John]

I found something that might work for you, it’s pre made and comes in different sizes. Pretty reasonably priced too.

https://www.woodlanddirect.com/woodh...YaAncXEALw_wcB

[Steve B]

I have one of these going on 6 years now. The rack is still sturdy. But the cover has faded and gotten pretty stiff. Pretty much like any grill cover would. Otherwise, it's a good product.

[Panhead John]

Yeah, any outdoor cover lasting 6 years is pretty good.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

I have the 5 footer and very happy with it

[radshop]

To be clear, I'm failing on all of the best practices. But if you do these, you should be fine.

• Keep the wood elevated off the ground with a low platform of metal, concrete, etc.
• Keep it dry
• Only have a few months supply on hand
• Rotate judiciously - always burn the oldest first

[CandySueQ]

I am a stick burner, charcoal-burning, pellet princess! Here's where my stick wood comes from:

https://www.atbbq.com/fuels/cooking-woods/cattleman-grill-split-smoking-wood-three-pack.html

I do buy B&B from Academy on occasion.

I use 2 ATBBQ bundles per contest, pecan and cherry.

[glitchy]

Owning a KBQ in a suburban neighborhood, you’d think I might know the answer to this, but I’ve got nothing. Right now I’m using the kiln dried bagged stuff because I haven’t figured it out. To make matters worse, most of our back yard is a hill, so it’s hard to find somewhere to put a rack. I’ll be following this for ideas.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

glitchy sounds like a perfect excuse to buy some cinder blocks and build up a level wood storage area WITH a garden beside it. Then build a slightly raised edging up the remainder of the hill and plant ground cover plants (maybe European ginger) in line with it. Now there's less to mow

[glitchy]

ofelles You confusing Iowa with Nebraska or Kansas. If you don’t believe me, there’s a 9 day bike ride across the state every summer you should come try.

[Chiller Phil]

You are missing out on the full potential of that cooker using Kiln Dried Wood, as it will only produce pellet cooker flavor profiles.

[Sid P]

You know your garage better than me, but I’ll share anyway. I too assumed there wasn’t any room in my garage, but found that a 1/4 cord takes up almost no room at the back of my garage. The pieces are about 16” deep, and stack very nicely. I was shocked that my stack takes up less room than a bike.

[Spinaker]

Well, I have built a few wood bunks. They are really fun to make and even more satisfying when they are all filled up.

You do not need to go this far. Any simple system you come up with that keep the wood up off the ground and allows for air movement is best. I keep mine open to air so the humidity does not get trapped under a tarp. The roof keeps the rain and snow off but allows the steak the breathe. The Bunk on the bottom is much smaller and used right by my patio so I have easy access to the wood while smoking.

I also run my leaf blower across the stack from time to time to blow any critters and their nests out of the stack.

If you do not want to build a rack, stack the wood on old pallets also works well. It allows for great airflow and a solid base. Below is a picture of the stacked river maple I use for heating our sauna. I stack this stuff on pallets, up off the ground. It works just fine. I do not have a roof over this stack because the wood is used up so fast.

[Panhead John]

I think the pallet idea would be good for a temporary solution, but I wouldn’t think it’s viable long term. The wood pallet is gonna rot after a few years out in the weather. Then you’ll have to start over again. Great job on your wood bunks!

[Spinaker]

Eh, they last a long time. These pallets have been outside at the farm for years. That being said, this wood is burned up quick, through out the sauna season, so it is no big deal to swap out pallets. If they are rotting, your wood is most certainly rotting as well. Panhead John

[Draznnl]

Thanks Spinaker. If I didn't have to deal with the HOA from Hell, a smaller version of your bunk would probably work. Odds of my getting approval to install something like that are worse than the Cubs chances of winning the World Series this year.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Not sure what the termite situation is in your area, but I wouldn't store wood in or near the house if they are even a possibility (plus all the spiders and other critters). Can you have something like one of these with your HOA? Firewood Storage Shed - The Best Way To Store Firewood (firewood-for-life.com)

[Draznnl]

Panhead John I was on the committee to rewrite the rules and by-laws after we took control of the community from the developer. Every time we suggested making something a little looser, it was rejected by the HOA board. BTW, no backyard fences allowed here. They would "interfere with the view of the nature preserves and lakes" according to the bylaws. Yep, I should have read them before I signed the contract.

I'm thinking a rack with wheels maybe so it can't be called a permanent structure.

[Panhead John]

I’d go ahead and get one I suggested, deal with em later. Tell them you’re "enhancing" the views, by adding pieces of trees…..🥸

[Panhead John]

Seriously though, I don’t see how they could call a storage device like I recommended a "permanent structure" It’s not, as it can easily be moved, with or without wheels.

[efincoop]

Not sure how much wood you are looking to store but I have seen plenty of folks using cinder blocks with treated 2x4's similar to this. You can go as small or as large as you like. I'm sure you can paint the blocks or otherwise comoflague them with plants and if a cover is rerequired you can surely find one on amazon.

[jfmorris]

This is how my firewood is currently stored, in a out of the way spot between a shed and a privacy fence. Cinderblocks, a couple of treated 2x4's as runners, then stacked, with a tarp on top. Then again, no HOA and behind a privacy fence.

[Murdy]

That's a pretty neat set up, probably will do something like that next year for kindling and starter wood. It did make me scratch my head when they recommended a hack saw for cutting the 2x4s.

[jfmorris]

This is the reason I could never live anywhere with an HOA, especially if they don't allow a privacy fence around your own back yard... Good luck! I think I would wait until the next house to get a stick burner. They will probably come after you for having too many grills on your patio...

[RonB]

I can't help, but it seems to me the first step should be asking the HOA what is acceptable.

If you are the fightin' kind, get a copy of all the HOA documents and look for a loophole. That might cost a bundle in legal fees though.

[Santamarina]

I’ve got my wood stacked up on the side of the house. According to the CC&Rs of my HOA I’m not supposed to have a stickburner, or even a charcoal grill for that matter, but in almost 5 years I’ve had no complaints!

When it comes to HOAs I’ve always operated under the concept that "it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

[Rob whatever]

No home owner association to deal with but I do live in an urban area. Here is what I use plus some more in my garage.

[Smoke em if you got em]

Metal racks are reasonable and lots of choices and prices on line. I went that route, and put them on 1/2 size cement blocks with flat cap blocks above and below the cement blocks so they are sealed off from critters. That gets the wood at least a foot off the ground so no critters live under the pile, and it's easy to keep clean underneath.