Advantages of Amish Firewood Sheds

Perhaps you use a fireplace or wood stove to heat your home, or parts of your home, during cold months. It’s imperative to keep firewood in good, burning condition. Maybe you need a little extra storage space without taking up a lot of room or money. Amish firewood sheds are attractive, sturdy little buildings that have several advantages.

Coverage

Moist wood makes for a low heat, overly smoky, short burning fire. These fires are difficult to start, keep going, and create a fast build-up of dangerous creosote. Keeping wood covered without smothering it ensures it will remain dry and mold free. Firewood sheds protect wood from rain and snow. This means dry wood is always at the ready and your fires are as efficient as possible. You don’t have to worry about shaking off snow from the top layer of wood, or sifting through soaked pieces to find the dry ones.

Airflow

Airflow is important in a stack of firewood in order to prevent mold and rot, keep wood dry, and continue the drying process for wood that’s not quite seasoned. When firewood sits directly on the ground, the moisture has the potential to rot and mold the bottom rows. Firewood sheds keep stacks of wood off the ground. Additionally, the open front, along with proper stacking, allows air to flow around and through the firewood, adding extra protection against moisture.

Diverse Uses

It’s a good idea to fill your firewood shed in the spring so that the wood is all ready for those cold autumn and winter days. However, there are many alternative uses for firewood sheds other than storing wood. A firewood shed can also serve as a work space for activities such as gardening. It’s good for not only storing garden supplies, but also creating a planting area that is shielded from the sun or harsh breezes. Additionally, a firewood shed, meant for storing wood, houses almost anything else. You can use it for riding lawnmowers, landscaping tools, sports equipment, bicycles, patio furniture cushions and umbrellas, and so much more.

With a firewood shed, you can protect your wood from the elements year round, so that when you need a cozy fire, you’ll have one. Without taking up a lot of space, a firewood shed will serve your storage needs, be it for wood, tools, or anything else.

For more information about Amish firewood sheds, or to discuss if they’re right for your needs, pleasecontact us.

The Dangers of Burning Wet Wood and Why You Need A Firewood Shed

Burning wood can be a cheap and efficient way to heat your home if done correctly, but burning wood that has not been properly dried and stored can be dangerous to your home, your family's health, and you wallet. There are numerous dangers involved in burning wet wood, listed below are a few of the top issues.

Burning Wet Wood Contributes to Chimney Fires

When wood is burned it releases hydrocarbon gases. Once heated to around 1100 degrees F, the gases mix with air and catch fire. When the fire in your fireplace smolders, unburned gases condense and deposit in the flue where they harden and turn to creosote. A cold flue and wet wood encourage this condensation. If this creosote catches fire, it can burn with so much intensity that the mortar will crumble and balls of flaming creosote will shoot out of the top of the chimney. In severe cases, the masonry in the chimney can expand with such force that sections of the chimney will blow out and explode into the home. 

Burning Wet Wood Can Create Health Problems

Burning wet wood creates far more smoke than burning wood that has been properly dried. Fine particles in the smoke enter your lungs and can cause heart and breathing problems. Children and older adults are most at risk. In fact, studies have shown that people who heat their homes with wood have more breathing problems than people who do not. Children in wood burning homes are also more likely to exhibit lung and breathing problems. 

Burning Wet Wood Actually Costs More Than Properly Dried Wood

When you add a wet piece of wood to your fire, the water in the wood turns to steam as it heats up. This steam mixes with the exhaust gas and extinguishes the secondary burn. This effect will actually cut your heat output by up to 50%. The result is you are forced to use more wood in an attempt to heat your home comfortably.

Burning wet wood is dangerous to your health and home. Wood should be stored for at least six months or ideally a year to be dry enough to burn properly. Dry wood creates a hotter fire with less work and less wood. The best way to properly dry wood is to use a firewood shed. A shed allows you to keep your wood dry and allows a large enough place to store cut firewood for at least six months. 

To find a firewood shed that is both useful and attractive, contact us. Our friendly staff will help you choose a shed that will keep your firewood dry and allow for maximum fireplace efficiency.