How to build a wood shed where the wood will dry out

Logs in the basement or garage look practical, but without air circulation, the wood suffocates rather than dries out. The moisture from it penetrates the masonry and mold easily appears in a closed space. How mold forms and what to do about it is described in the article How Mold Forms on Walls: 3 Causes and a Permanent Solution . In addition, you can bring the insects that live in it into the house with the wood. Therefore, keep a supply at home for a maximum of a few days, everything else belongs outside.

Damp wood is particularly harmful to the chimney. When burned, the smoke has a low temperature and condenses in the cooler upper part of the chimney. Sticky tar and soot settle on the walls. These reduce the cross-section of the chimney, damage the chimney liner and, in the worst case, can ignite. This is a chimney fire, which usually ends with the intervention of firefighters.

Another reason is the calorific value. Wood with a moisture content of around 50% gives off approximately half the heat compared to wood dried below 20%. So when drying firewood, it is not only about comfort, but also about how many prm (cubic meters, i.e. 1 m³ of stacked wood including gaps) you will burn during the winter.

The time of purchase matters more than the shed itself. Softwood dries faster, hardwood takes up to two years. The following table will help you plan your purchase based on the type of wood.

The table shows a simple rule: anyone who heats with hardwood should always have two supplies in the shed. One is for drying, the other is for heating. Chop the wood as soon as possible after purchase, because whole logs and cuts dry much more slowly. Check the moisture content with an inexpensive moisture meter directly on the freshly chopped surface.

How much does firewood cost?

Imagine that you need 10 m2 of beech wood for the winter. If you buy logs instead of split wood, you will save approximately €270 (if we consider that hardwood in lengths of 4 m costs €65 per m2 including VAT and split logs of 33 cm in length cost €92 per m2, source: price list of the Municipal Forests of Nová Baňa for 2026 ). Then you rent a petrol chainsaw and a splitter for the weekend. Renting both machines for two days will cost you approximately €160 including VAT, according to the current price list of Ramirent , and you will keep most of the savings. In addition, you will prepare the wood to exactly the length that your stove needs.

Before you start drawing, find out how many cubic meters of wood you will burn per season. A family house heated only with wood normally uses 5–10 cubic meters, a fireplace for additional heating 3–5 cubic meters. It depends on the insulation of the building, climatic conditions and heating method. Then calculate the length of the shelter using the formula: length = volume in cubic meters ÷ (stack height × stack depth) .

The calculation assumes a stack height of 1.6 m and a depth of 1 m.

If you end up with a building that is too long with two supplies on the plot, you don't need to extend it. It is better to build two separate sections or one deeper shed with a dividing wall. Dividing also has a practical advantage, because you know exactly which part of the wood is already dry.

For most gardens, a simple structure with 4 to 6 wooden posts (for example 10 × 10 cm beams), a counter-top roof and ventilated walls is sufficient. The procedure for such a construction is always the same.

Choosing the right place

The first step is to choose a suitable location. The shelter should be located on a dry and slightly elevated spot. This will prevent rainwater from accumulating under the structure.

Also, think about easy access in winter. It is not practical to carry wood dozens of meters across snowy terrain.

1. Column footers

A lever is a concrete block in the ground on which a post stands. To prevent frost from pushing it out, it should extend to a depth beyond the frost zone, usually 80 cm in Slovakia. A pit with a diameter of 25 cm and a depth of 80 cm will be filled with about 40 liters of concrete, so you will need about a quarter of a cubic meter for six feet. Before drilling, check where the water, electrical or gas pipes run. When doing earthworks in the garden, these are the most common damaged networks.

2. Anchoring the posts

Do not cast the wooden post directly into the concrete, as the bottom will rot quickly. Place a U- or H-shaped steel anchor foot into the fresh foundation footing, which will raise the post 5–10 cm above the ground. If you are adding the structure to an existing concrete surface or wall, fasten the anchors into the drilled holes with a chemical or mechanical anchor.

3. Roof

A pitched roof with a slope of at least 10 to 15° works best, oriented so that water runs to the rear and not onto the pile of wood. The roof overhang is more important than it seems. With 30–50 cm at the front and sides, slanting rain will hardly reach the wood. Trapezoidal sheet metal or OSB board with asphalt shingles will suffice as a covering.

4. Ventilation and flooring

Wood needs wind, not walls. Cover the walls with battens with 2-3 cm gaps and leave the front side open, ideally facing south or southwest. Make the floor as a grid of beams or pallets 10-15 cm above the ground, preferably on a gravel bed. This way the wood will not absorb water from below.

You don't have to drill dozens of holes for a shed like you do for a fence, but each hole needs to be deep and wide enough for the concrete. How a ground auger saves time and how to choose between a one-man or two-man model is described in detail in the article Are you building a fence? Hand digging is a thing of the past - this is how a ground auger saves you 2 days of work . For a small shed, a one-man auger is usually enough. You can drill six holes in the morning and concrete them in the afternoon.

It is worth using a concrete mixer for a quarter of a cubic meter of concrete. When mixing by hand, it is difficult to maintain the same consistency in all foundations. You can find the correct ratio of ingredients and care for fresh concrete in the manual Concreting without errors: Instructions for foundations, terraces and sidewalks . To drill holes for anchors in concrete, use a hammer drill from the Drills and hammer drills category. You can cut prisms and battens with a circular saw from the range of circular, straight and angle saws .

Once the shed is finished, it's time to cut the wood itself. A gasoline chainsaw is used to cut the logs. When working with it, wear ear protection, goggles, gloves, sturdy shoes and protective clothing. Always operate the wood splitter with both hands on the control levers and the second person should not stand next to the log while working.

Even a good shelter won't help if you don't store wood properly. How to store wood properly? Stack logs with the bark facing up so that any water can drain off, and leave a 10-15 cm gap between the stack and the back wall for air flow. Keep the same distance when stacking logs against the wall of your house. This will prevent moisture from building up on the facade.

A safe pile height is 1.5 to 1.8 m. If the pile is higher, the logs will easily fall apart when being removed, especially when the wood is already dry and lighter. Strengthen the ends of the pile by cross-stacking, i.e. alternating layers lengthwise and crosswise. This will create stable pillars. If you store the wood outside without a shelter, cover only the top. A tarpaulin that covers the entire pile will trap moisture and the wood underneath will start to mold.

If you are thinking about how to store wood from two seasons, you should separate dry and fresh wood. Store dry wood closer to the entrance and freshly chopped wood at the back or in the other part of the shed. This way, you won't accidentally take wood that hasn't been dry for a year in the winter.

For building a shed and processing firewood, you will find equipment in three categories. In the Garden Equipment category, you will find earth augers, chainsaws and a wood splitter. The Small Machinery category offers concrete mixers, and the Hand Tools category offers hammer drills, screwdrivers and circular saws for wooden structures.

When it comes to shelter and wood for one winter, buying your own machines is usually not worth it. Renting for a day or weekend is cheaper for a one-time job. Heavier machines, such as a splitter weighing almost 300 kg, can be delivered to you by Ramirent through theEquipment Transport service. We present other machines for autumn garden work in the article Autumn garden cleaning: 5 machines that save time .

A woodshed with ventilated walls, an overhanging roof and floor above the ground will save fuel and a chimney. You can drill the bases with an earth auger in the morning and process the logs with a saw and splitter in one weekend.

Check out earth drills, saws and splitters for rent in the Garden Equipment category . For concreting foundations, you can find mixers in the Small Machinery category .