Log Store
A ventilated, roofed timber store for seasoning and dry storage of firewood. Slatted sides for airflow, a sloped roof, and a raised floor — the three details that turn green wood into burnable seasoned logs.
What you'll need
Materials
- Frame timber, slatted cladding for sides and back, marine ply or timber roof deck, roofing felt or corrugated bitumen sheet, treated bearers for the raised floor, stainless screws.
Tools
- Drill/driver, saw, spirit level, square, tape measure, clamps. Roofing felt nails or stainless screws if using a felt roof.
Material complexity: Low
Allow 10% on cladding battens. Roof felt is sold by the metre — get an extra metre.
Main risk: No airflow under or through the stack — green wood stays green, and the bearers rot.
Cut list
Single-bay 1200×600×1500mm. Confirm on site.
- Front posts ×275×75mm × 1500mm
- Rear posts ×275×75mm × 1700mm (gives about a 10° fall across 600mm)
- Long rails ×447×75mm × 1200mm (front and back, two heights)
- Short rails ×447×75mm × 450mm (600 minus two 75mm posts)
- Bearers ×275×75mm × 1200mm, UC4 if they sit on soil — or put them on paving slabs and use UC3
- Floor slats ×5–6: 20×95mm × 1200mm, with gaps, on the bearers — at least 100mm off the ground
- Side and back slats ×24–28: 20×95mm × lengths to suit, 10–15mm gaps
- Roof deck: 18mm exterior ply 1400×800mm (100–150mm front overhang) or matching slats
- Roofing felt or corrugated bitumen, plus roofing nails or screws with washers
- Stainless or coated screws: 5.0×80mm frame, 4.5×50mm slats
Step-by-step
Sit the bearers on something dry
Lay two 75×75mm bearers on paving slabs, 1200mm apart to match the width. If they must sit on soil, they need UC4 timber (timber that sits in soil or stays wet). Check they are level side-to-side.
Watch out: Bearers on wet soil are where log stores die. Slabs are cheaper than rebuilding.
Build a frame that is taller at the back
Cut two front posts at 1500mm and two rear posts at about 1700mm. Join them with 47×75mm rails. The extra rear height gives a 10° roof fall across 600mm. Check diagonals before you slat anything.
Slat the sides and back — leave the front open
Fix 20×95mm slats with 10–15mm gaps so wind can move through the pile. One screw per slat per rail. Do not close the back tight against a fence — leave the slats as an air face.
Tip: A spacer block is faster and straighter than eyeballing every gap.
Raise the floor at least 100mm
Screw floor slats across the bearers with gaps. Logs must sit off the ground so air can get under the stack. This is the difference between firewood and a mushroom farm.
Roof it with a fall and a front overhang
Fit a ply or slatted deck 1400×800mm so you have 100–150mm of overhang at the front. Cover with felt or corrugated bitumen using roofing nails or screws with washers. Sweep the floor each summer when stock is low.
Tip: Re-felt before the old felt cracks — typically every 5–7 years. Check the bearers each spring.
Tips & traps
- Floor on the soil — logs stay wet and the bearers rot.
- Solid sides — no airflow, so the stack never seasons.
- Roof with no fall, or no front overhang — driving rain soaks the top of the pile.
- Open front facing the prevailing wind.
Planning & timber detail
Why build this?
A log store does one thing — keep wood dry and ventilated — and does it for decades if built right. It is the single biggest factor in whether a wood burner runs efficiently.
Where it works best
Against a south or west-facing wall is ideal for drying. Avoid deep shade. Needs prevailing wind to blow through it, not at it — orient so the open front faces away from the wind.
Planning notes
Site so the open front faces away from prevailing wind and rain. Allow airflow on all sides — do not push it against a fence or wall on the back face. If it sits on grass, put paving slabs under the bearers.
Typical sizes
Default single-bay: 1200mm wide × 600mm deep × 1500mm to the front. Rear posts a little taller so the roof falls at least 10°.
1m³ of cut logs is roughly a 1×1×1m cube. This store holds a little more than 1m³ once you allow air gaps between the logs.
Default dimensions
Default single-bay: 1200 × 600 × 1500mm at the front.
Roof fall: at least 10° front to back.
Front overhang: 100–150mm.
Floor: at least 100mm off the ground.
Design variants
Single-bay (this page) — about 1m³. Weekend build.
Double-bay — 2400×600×1500mm, about 2m³. Add a centre post and a second set of rails.
Against a wall — still leave an air gap behind the back slats. Do not push the store tight to a fence.
Suitable timber options
Treated redwood is the practical default. Larch is harder and longer-lived if you don't mind the upfront cost. Cedar for kerb appeal in a visible spot.
Fixing and finishing
Stainless or coated structural screws. For the roof, use proper roofing nails or screws with washers — not generic woodscrews. Frame 5.0×80mm; slats 4.5×50mm, one per rail, 25mm from ends.
Slope the roof at least 10° front to back so rain runs off cleanly. Overhang the roof 100–150mm beyond the front to protect the logs from driving rain. Pitched is even better but more work.
Maintenance
Sweep out the floor each summer when stock is low. Check the roof felt every 2 years — replace before it cracks. Re-coat any finish every 2–4 years.
Re-felt every 5–7 years. Check the bearers for rot every spring — that's where ground-contact failure starts.
Timber behaviour
Durability
UC4 for any timber touching the ground (the bearers) — UC4 means timber that sits in soil or stays wet. UC3 for the frame and cladding — UC3 means timber kept off the soil. Raise the floor at least 100mm so air can move underneath. Better: sit the bearers on paving slabs so nothing is in the soil.
Movement
Standard slatted-cladding movement applies. Roof deck should be allowed to move slightly relative to the frame to prevent felt cracking.
Go deeper
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