Build Your Own Log Store (DIY Log Store)

If you own a wood burning stove, you'll need somewhere to keep your logs dry. Dry wood is the key to maximum heat output from your wood burner - dry wood burns efficiently. Maintaining dryness therefore relies on effective firewood storage.

Why not build a log store of your own? It's pretty straight-forward as diy projects go and doesn't cost a fortune either. In this guide, we'll consider log store design, size requirements based on how much wood you use in a year and potential planning permission considerations. Spoiler - you probably don't need permission. So read on to learn how to build your own DIY log store to keep your logs dry and burning efficiently all winter.

Step 1: How Much Wood Storage do You Actually Need?

The first job of your log store design is to figure out how large it needs to be. How much wood do you use in a year? The log store needs to be able to store logs in enough quantity to see you through winter unless you have multiple deliveries a year. Most of our customers choose to save money and buy in bulk once or twice a year.

To find out how much firewood you are likely to use over winter, try our firewood calculator - it will tell you exactly how much wood you're likely to need based on the size of your home, how many stoves you have and how frequently you light the fire. The calculator outputs the result in cubic metres which handily makes figuring out how big to make the log store pretty easy.

If the calculator returns 2.75 cubic metres, we'll round that up to 3 metres. When you're storing logs, to keep them perfectly dry, we need to allow air to flow around the logs freely. This just means when you are stacking logs, they are not packed in too tight. If I'm buying 2 cubic metres of logs, I would allow 2.5 cubic metres of storage so I can stack loosely to allow good airflow.

To end up with 2.5 cubic metres of storage space, you would make the log store 2.5 metres wide, 1 metre deep and around 1.25 metres tall at the front (this would allow for a sloped roof). You can adjust the measurements to suit the available space, make it shorter (2m) and narrower (0.75 metres deep) but taller at 1.85 metres. Both stores would store 2.75 cubic meters of logs.

The calculation for cubic metres is really easy, it's just Length (m) × Width (m) × Height (m) = Volume in Cubic Meters (m³).

Step 2: Locating the Log Store in Your Garden

The location of your new log store is critical. You want it near the house and orientated away from the prevailing wind so that the wind does not allow heavy driving rain into the front of the store. Placing the log store against an existing wall or fence might be a practical choice but the main aim is to ensure air can flow freely in and around the log store to prevent moisture building up in the logs.

We also want to make sure direct sunlight reaches the store so some drying effect is achieved through the year (particularly in summer). Shady, damp places are not ideal at all.

The obvious choice is against a fence or wall that catches the sun at least for some of the day, if not all of it, in the lee of the prevailing wind. Ensure easy access so you can retrieve logs easily on cold nights or throw a splash-proof cover over the log store in particularly bad storms. Caution: never leave materials such as tarpaulins over the log store for longer than the duration of a storm because they prevent airflow and channel condensation into your logs making them damp.

Step 3: Wood Store Design

Now we know roughly how big the log store needs to be and where we are going to put it, we can begin to design it. Key design features include:

• raised (off the ground) floor

• slatted sides (to allow airflow)

• an open front for easy access and stacking logs

• sloped roof with roofing felt

The Floor Frame

Your logs must be kept off the ground. If your dry logs come into contact with the mud, grass or concrete they will draw moisture from the ground into the logs. Use timbers to build a frame for the base of the log store and leave gaps for air to circulate. The timbers should also be kept off the ground, supported by posts in post holes. This will give you a nice stable base.

Slatted Sides

Build side frames from timer too that have slatted sides to allow air to flow. This simply means instead of using sheet material to box in the log store, you use thin strips of wood to create a piece-gap-piece-gap frame. This will shelter the logs from weather but allow air to flow keeping the wood dry.

Open Front

The front of the log store should be open for easy access. During very wet weather (a storm), have a sheet handy to close the front of the store to prevent moisture getting in but once the sun comes back out, leave the front of the log store open.

Sloped Roof

Finally the roof should be sloping so that rain runs away towards the back panel of the log store and away from your logs. Use sheet material to build the roof and cover it with roofing felt.

Materials

Your log store, if built well, will last many years. Use pressure treated timber and always treat freshly cut wood with preservative too. Treat the whole structure once a year with wood preserver but be careful not to get any chemicals onto your logs. Pay particular attention to the floor and check to see if any of the construction timber has started to rot.

Speak to your local timber merchant for advice on good construction materials available locally.

Planning Permission

Planning Permission for Log Stores

In most cases, you will not need planning permission to build a log store in your garden. Log stores typically fall under "permitted development" rights in the UK, meaning they are considered minor structures that do not require formal approval. However, there are some conditions to keep in mind:

• The log store should not exceed certain height restrictions, usually no taller than 2.5 metres.

• It should not be placed too close to property boundaries, especially within 2 metres of a neighbour’s boundary.

• The store should not be located in a conservation area, national park, or on listed property without checking local regulations.

If your log store meets these criteria, you can usually build it without needing to apply for planning permission. It’s always a good idea to check with your local council if you have any doubts or if your property has specific restrictions.

This means you can focus on building your garden log store quickly and easily, saving time and avoiding unnecessary paperwork.