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If you have a fireplace or are a wood burning stove owner, saving yourself a little money by finding a couple of trees on your own property that could be used for firewood can be a real boon. Not that you should be felling trees left, right and center simply to fill your firewood rack (that is not very environmentally responsible) but there any many occasions when a tree has to go anyway, for instance if you are having construction or landscaping work done.

The problem is of course that freshly felled – or green – firewood simply does not burn very well. If you try to light a roaring fire with logs that were a tree just a few weeks ago all you are likely to end up with is a smoldering heap of firelighters and a whole lot of frustration. To burn properly, firewood has to be seasoned. This isn’t a quick procedure but it is a relatively simple one.

The most efficient way to season wood yourself is to cross stack it in an outdoor firewood rack. These racks are quite readily available and can be found in a wide range of sizes. Cross stacking the wood inside the firewood rack allows for better ventilation which helps the firewood dry out faster. Cross-stacking simply means alternating the direction of each row of logs in the log holder.

Once the logs are neatly stacked and the firewood holder has its cover on (important to keep the rain and the bugs off it) all that is left for you to do is wait. To season well, firewood may need up to twelve months in storage. That’s why if you plan to do a lot of burning it pays to have two firewood racks; one for wood that is already seasoned and can be tossed onto the fire whenever you need it and another for green wood that still needs time to fully dry.