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Firewood: toting and storing?

coffeehaus
14 years ago

After 20+ years of living in our current house with a woodstove in the basement, we will soon be moving to a new house with a woodstove in the living room. I've seen the dirt that can accompany the wood, and I'm trying to devise a way to store the firewood so as to minimize the mess. Also, if anyone has a nifty way of moving the wood from outdoors to indoors, I'd be interested in that, too. TIA!

Comments (6)

  • claire_de_luna
    14 years ago

    We used to have a wood stove in our living room (years ago) and I don't know if there is any way to minimize the mess. Burning wood is messy! We have a log cart that has two wheels on the back which makes moving it easier, but I got so tired of it when we moved, we changed our fireplace from wood burning to gas logs. Do you have a tile floor and a niche for the wood? And a permanent place for a broom and gloves? Will you have an ash cleanout that might go somewhere else, like a basement perhaps?

    I'll be curious to see if you get any hits. I'm pretty good at organizing, but this is one area I couldn't change the basic nature of. If you figure something out, I hope you come back and tell us all how to manage, please!

  • coffeehaus
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Claire...thanks for the reply. The set-up is this: small deck outside french doors where we will stage some wood, then tile floor inside french doors, transitioning to oak hardwood floor about half-way to the woodstove. Woodstove is about 12 feet from french doors and sits on a tile surround. No niche for the wood. I have something more encompassing in mind for storage of the wood indoors, so as to corral all of the bits and pieces and flora and fauna that inevitably comes off the logs. Fireplace/hearth is a large area, so we will have room for the accessories. In fact, I have this "coal hopper" that my mother gave me and it will hold the gloves, pokers, shovels, etc.
    {{!gwi}}From Stonework

    The ash cleanout is on the bottom of the woodstove proper, and it's rather small so that will require frequent attention.
    Your 2 wheeled cart...about how big? Thanks.

  • birdsong_z10_sf_ca
    14 years ago

    For toting the wood, I found the large canvas tote sold at Plow and Hearth very good to cut down on mess made from the woodpile into the living room. There are a couple choices in the link. The one we bought (not shown in the link) has a metal frame we set the canvas bag on when filling it. P&H also has some other nice fireplace items. We store the wood next to the fireplace in a large basket that has a homemade aluminum liner. Then two smaller matching baskets; one for the kindling and newspaper and the other for gloves and the (folded up) canvas tote.

    Here is a link that might be useful: P&H Fireplace accessories

  • claire_de_luna
    14 years ago

    We used a canvas tote as well for moving small loads of wood. Birdsong's link is good and they show a firewood cart/dolly on that page which is very similar to mine. (We use it outside now to store firewood next to the fire pit.)

    Your set-up sounds fine, and your coal bin is darling. I'd bet you already have it figured out, you're just being modest! Please come back and post pictures when you get there; I'd love to see it all put together.

  • coffeehaus
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Birdsong, thanks for the link to Plow and Hearth. I like that folding rack/sling option, and the size would probably work well in our space. In fact, I live pretty close to the Madison, VA outlet store and I see they are having a tent sale next month...what luck!!
    Claire, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I really have not figured it ALL out, yet. The basic concept of how to get the wood to the woodstove was worked out from the beginning of our house plans (at one point, the architect even included a dumb-waiter to bring wood up from the basement!). Our dilemma is the physical storage of the wood in the living space.
    I think I'll be making a road trip to Madison in the near future!

  • ronbre
    14 years ago

    i have lived with the mess for too many years..we put an outside wood boiler in this year to keep the mess outside..

    thre is no easy way to store wood inside..it will effect allergies and bring in bugs..dirt..chips..smell..etc.

    after 38 years of it i was done