Firewood Storage for Cooking & Warmth
Firewood is an excellent fuel source that can be used for cooking and keeping your family warm. The most common type of firewood for home use is hardwood which includes oak, ash, and birch. It is used in nearly all indoor and outdoor fireplaces and for wood heating use. Hardwood is dense, burns hotter and longer and emits far less smoke than softwood which is not ideal for indoor fires.
If you purchase wood from a supplier, then it already has been seasoned, a process of drying out the wood which can take approximately 6 months to 2 years, though actual times may vary depending on the type of wood, climate, and storage conditions. If you are cutting your own, then you will need to season the wood yourself.
When using it inside your home, proper ventilation is required.
Warming your home
You can use firewood in your fireplace if your installation meets current safety codes (for example, a properly rated chimney flue system, sometimes referred to as a “Class A” flue in certain guidelines). See other safety regulations listed below.
A typical home will need about 5 to 8 cords of wood to adequately be heated during the winter months (1 cord = 128 cubic feet that is four feet high, four feet wide, and eight feet long); however, this estimate can vary based on factors such as home size, insulation, the heating appliance used (fireplace or wood stove), and wood quality. The better seasoned the wood is, the more heat it will produce.
If you plan on using wood as an alternative heating fuel, you will need a wood splitting maul (a type of ax) and wedge.
Cooking
This includes indoor wood-burning stoves, and outdoor open pits, and the many available types of wood burning portable camping stoves. These camping stoves are a good option for those who don't have an indoor wood-burning fireplace or an outdoor open pit.
Cooking with a wood-burning camping stove
Some of the more popular portable camping stoves are the Solo Stove and Rocket Stove. They come in different sizes, are extremely efficient, and take only a small amount of firewood or other approved biomass fuels (ensure you use fuels recommended by the manufacturer) to operate effectively.
Cooking with your indoor fireplace
If you are already fortunate enough to have a wood-burning fireplace then much of what is written here, you already know. But did you know you can use your fireplace to cook with? Cooking in a well-maintained wood-burning fireplace is perfectly safe as long as you follow the safety and usage requirements (see below).
Skewer method - Using a skewer, simply pierce your food and hold it over the fire below, rotating until your food is cooked to your liking. Two bonus tips for this method: avoid high-fat foods, which can cause flare-ups and produce excessive smoke, and always use a drip tray to catch any drippings.
Dutch oven method - Cast iron Dutch ovens can easily cook great recipes like soups and stews in your fireplace. Before the pot goes in, the embers need to be extremely hot. At that point, you can simply place the pot on top of the embers. An occasional rotation of your Dutch oven will distribute the heat more evenly. It is recommended to use heat-proof gloves and, if needed, a small shovel to safely manage hot embers.
Other considerations
If you are serious about using firewood as a primary fuel source, consider having additional supplies on hand besides a wood-splitting maul and wedge. These may include a fireplace tool set (ash shovel, poker, etc.), fireplace bellows, an ash bucket, a hearth wood rack, a firewood carrier, an outdoor wood rack, a wood saw, a chainsaw, and any recommended accessories for optimizing heat recovery (verify product names and recommendations with current sources).
Use Requirements
Proper ventilation must be available when burning firewood inside.
Storage Requirements
Firewood should be:
- Seasoned (dried and cured) for at least 6-12 months before use; however, seasoning time will depend on the type of wood, initial moisture content, climate, and storage conditions.
- Stored at a safe distance from your house (for example, following local guidelines, which may recommend around 30 feet, or using a dedicated, fire-resistant storage shed).
- Placed on a rack to keep it off the ground.
- Covered and kept dry.
Use Limitations
Remember, wood can also be painted, stained, or finished with substances that, when burned, release hazardous fumes and gases. Use only bare, unfinished, or unprocessed wood in your fires.
