# Storing Firewood near stove



## bobforsaken (Nov 22, 2010)

I think I may already know the answer to this question regrettably.. but I'd figure I'd ask in hopes of contradiction.

Is storing your soon-to-be-used firewood within the combustable clearence range a no-no.     I'm currently a bit within the range..> I think I'm supposed to have 21" side clearance and I'm probably at 16-18".   (interestingly the floor protection requirement is only 8 inches on that side.... so there is carpet closer than the wood)    

The reason the wood is so close is because as a first year burner my wood isn't optimally seasoned.. I find sitting by the stove for a few hours to a day really helps the wood burn better, but due ot the layout of the room I can't have the wood just outside the combustable range.

My thought is that if the wood is being burned within 24 hours, its not going to get so dry or hot, that it would combust... and as it stands now the wood isn't even getting hot.. a larger concern may be a piece of plywood that the wood is sitting on that would be there 24/7

Am I an idiot for putting my wood that close or am I silly for worrying about it.

Thanks,


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## SteveKG (Nov 22, 2010)

If the wood isn't getting hot, and if sparks or embers aren't falling out into it when you open the stove to add wood, I don't see how it could be a problem. 

I would not be comfortable leaving the home with the stove going unless I moved the wood farther away, nor would I be going to bed and leaving the stove going and the wood nearby. 

Otherwise, sounds ok to me.


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## Slow1 (Nov 22, 2010)

Personally I wouldn't worry about it at that distance.  As you have said - it doesn't seem at all possible that it will catch at that distance.  The clearance distances are assuming long term exposure - years really.   Your 'less than ideal' wood isn't going to dry out enough to burst into flames at the temps it can reach from that distance just after a few days exposure.


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## bobforsaken (Nov 22, 2010)

Thanks...  I feel a bit better about it now.   at least if the act is debatable in its lunacy, its not obviouly idiotic to do.    I'll just be careful in making sure I rotate out the wood every day or two and maybe get rid of the plywood.   Oh.. and I do have a fan blowing on the wood to help dry and keep it from getting too hot.


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## par0thead151 (Nov 22, 2010)

i would not worry about the wood as a fire hazard.
what i would worry about is all the bugs you will be bringing into your home.
i used to keep some wood inside for my wife to easily load the stove when im not home, but after finding a carpenter ant i quit doing that immediately.


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## CarbonNeutral (Nov 22, 2010)

par0thead151 said:
			
		

> i would not worry about the wood as a fire hazard.
> what i would worry about is all the bugs you will be bringing into your home.
> i used to keep some wood inside for my wife to easily load the stove when im not home, but after finding a carpenter ant i quit doing that immediately.



While I share your dislike for bugs in the house - I think that carpenters are much more likely to find their way into your house by other means should they choose to....


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## bobforsaken (Nov 22, 2010)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> par0thead151 said:
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Besides.. they make fun popping noises when you throw them in the fire..


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## par0thead151 (Nov 22, 2010)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> par0thead151 said:
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not once it is cold outside.
bugs become dormant when it is below freezing. by the time they wake up, they will be in the stove and on their way to 500-600F
i do not store much wood near my house until it gets cold out.


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## ellipup (Nov 22, 2010)

I was told by someone that it was better to store wood near the stove so the wood would be warm before you put it in the stove.  He said the warm wood burns better.  I have mine in a big metal can next to my insert.


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## tommybro (Nov 22, 2010)

A long time ago when I was really young we used to do this all the time till one time we were woken up in the middle of the night by smoke alarms going off, one piece started to smolder.

I am not saying don't do it but make sure you have good working smoke alarms, not that you shouldn't anyhow. Anyhow I am not trying to sound like fire marshall Bob just wanted to relate my parents experiences.

My Dad after that would put the wood down in the basement with the dehumidifier going if we needed a little extra seasoning.


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## par0thead151 (Nov 22, 2010)

ellipup said:
			
		

> I was told by someone that it was better to store wood near the stove so the wood would be warm before you put it in the stove.  He said the warm wood burns better.  I have mine in a big metal can next to my insert.




iirc, someone did a test on this theory, and found no substantial difference.
if some heat is lost up the chimney, taking heat from inside the stove would be preferred compared to taking heat from inside the home to heat the wood.


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## par0thead151 (Nov 22, 2010)

tommybro said:
			
		

> A long time ago when I was really young we used to do this all the time till one time we were woken up in the middle of the night by smoke alarms going off, one piece started to smolder.
> 
> I am not saying don't do it but make sure you have good working smoke alarms, not that you shouldn't anyhow. Anyhow I am not trying to sound like fire marshall Bob just wanted to relate my parents experiences.
> 
> My Dad after that would put the wood down in the basement with the dehumidifier going if we needed a little extra seasoning.



just how close did you stack the wood to your stove?

2' in front of mine, the temps dont break 140-150 and thats when i have the stove at near over fire temps
you must have had a piece stacked against the stove for it to smoke like that


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## bobforsaken (Nov 22, 2010)

Yes.. I'm curious how close it was....     I do have good Fire Alarms but I'd be curious how close it has to get to smolder


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## ControlFreak (Nov 22, 2010)

If the wood starts to get dark in color, you're too close.  The first few seasons when I didn't have good dry wood, I would stand the wood on end in front of the glass, about 6" away.  Doing this dries it out pretty quickly, but it's a lot of hassle and you don't want to leave the house with it like this.  

It comes down to just using common sense.  Experiment, and keep an eye on things, and make sure that you're not doing this when you're gone or in bed.

I find that bringing the wood inside and letting it sit in the basement a week before I burn it makes a world of difference, but if your wood is green, you'll have to bake it in front of the stove if you want to burn it this year.  

If you don't have your wood for next season, you need to get it asap.


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## bobforsaken (Nov 22, 2010)

ControlFreak said:
			
		

> If the wood starts to get dark in color, you're too close.  The first few seasons when I didn't have good dry wood, I would stand the wood on end in front of the glass, about 6" away.  Doing this dries it out pretty quickly, but it's a lot of hassle and you don't want to leave the house with it like this.
> 
> It comes down to just using common sense.  Experiment, and keep an eye on things, and make sure that you're not doing this when you're gone or in bed.
> 
> ...




Thanks...   The wood I'm having the most problem with is Poplar and its about 28%-30% when measured freshly split... so its not terribly green. most other areas of the wood are 24% or lower.  I'm just finding that it takes a long time for the Poplar to get the stove hot enough to flip the cat and it does marginally better when the wood has been inside by the stove all day.     The oak, beech, and birch I have seems to be fine but I'm avoiding burning it now except for a split or two overnight.   I'm mostly burning semi-green poplar and pine... but down for several years and even a little punky.. but not split until this summer.   Oh.. and for safety I'm cleaning the chimney every month until I start getting well seasoned wood...  So far the creosote build-up hasn't been too bad.     

For next year, I have another 3 cords to be split this winter that will be on hand for next year.. but most of it is pine and poplar..> I'll need to buy some good winter cut ash or beech next spring I think


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## ControlFreak (Nov 22, 2010)

Bob,

30% -- that's pretty green.  You need to get that 3 cords split asap.  You really can't count your drying time until the wood is split.  It does dry from the ends a little, but not enough to consider it very significant.  

Dan


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## bobforsaken (Nov 22, 2010)

ControlFreak said:
			
		

> Bob,
> 
> 30% -- that's pretty green.  You need to get that 3 cords split asap.  You really can't count your drying time until the wood is split.  It does dry from the ends a little, but not enough to consider it very significant.
> 
> Dan



Thanks for the advice... I'll get it done this winter for sure... I'm just not able to dedicate the time except for a couple of hours a week on the weekends (while my son is napping)


As for the Moisture content.. I know i'm in the green area.. but if I were to consider a 8" split of my Poplar... its 15% on all surfaces.....   If I freshly re-split its as low as 24% or as high as 30%..  (but under the bark is 50%)   Most of this was split in June and stacked with jus the top covered.  When I first split the wood form its original logs its was 50% everywhere.


Is this stuff that Maybe I should save for Spring because its too green now and burn some of my birch or oak that is dryer in this shoulder season, or is it on the edge enough to get by for now as long as I'm adding in some good stuff here and there and stacking near the stove before burning?


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## tommybro (Nov 22, 2010)

it was one of those old cast iron stoves the ones with double doors in the front like the kind that you do not want to touch anywhere when it's crankin, maybe a franklin wood was like maybe 2 feet stored behind the stove

Keep in mind now I am 40 this happened when I was 7 or 8


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## Slow1 (Nov 22, 2010)

It sucks to have marginal wood (worse to have green wood).  But as they say - the first step is to recognize the problem.

I can fully relate to the "only able to dedicate time when kids are napping" - my best splitting time came last summer when kids were in bed and there was still light.  Now of course it is dark when I get off work, nevermind when kids are in bed.

Getting ahead on the wood stack is NOT easy - see my laments in other threads.  If it were not so darn expensive and aggravating (due to knowing I won't likely get a true measure) I'd consider buying my way ahead.  Oh well...

Bottom line is you do what you have to do.  It sounds like you are doing your best to get it done and be safe.  Keeping your chimney inspected and swept is certainly a good move.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 23, 2010)

Bobforsaken said:
			
		

> I think I may already know the answer to this question regrettably.. but I'd figure I'd ask in hopes of contradiction.
> 
> Is storing your soon-to-be-used firewood within the combustable clearence range a no-no.     I'm currently a bit within the range..> I think I'm supposed to have 21" side clearance and I'm probably at 16-18".   (interestingly the floor protection requirement is only 8 inches on that side.... so there is carpet closer than the wood)
> 
> ...



The Fire Inspector answer would be . . . yes . . . the wood is within the combustible range and should not be there.

Fortunately I am not a real Fire Inspector . . . I just play one on TV, so FirefighterJake would concur with other folks here who realize that the engineers most likely built a little bit of a "fudge" factor here and more than likely were more concerned with combustibles being placed long-term too close to a woodstove I would say if we're looking at 3-5 inches, you don't have a great amount of wood, the wood isn't soaked in gasoline and there really, truly isn't any other place to put it then you are probably OK . . . of course I can't say that out loud.

Final thought here . . . you are not an idiot or silly for worrying . . . just learn from the mistake and make sure next year's wood is truly seasoned . . . personally the folks who really worry me are the folks who do things without asking guidance or opinions.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 23, 2010)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> par0thead151 said:
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I concur . . . while bugs typically hibernate I never see any bugs when I bring the wood into the house and store a day or so worth of wood in the woodbox . . . even though some of the wood had bugs -- even carpenter ants -- when I bucked it up and split it up . . . of course if someone came along with a giant saw and cut my house in half and then starting whacking what was left of my house into even smaller bits with a giant ax . . . and then unceremoniously tossed my house along with me and what was left of my family to the side and left me there in the heat and cold for several months I might give some serious thought to not sticking around . . . and might give some serious thought to finding some other nice place to live.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 23, 2010)

ellipup said:
			
		

> I was told by someone that it was better to store wood near the stove so the wood would be warm before you put it in the stove.  He said the warm wood burns better.  I have mine in a big metal can next to my insert.



I like to put my wood into the woodbox beside the fire and then wrap them in Snuggies to make them even warmer.  

On a serious side . . . I don't quite buy this . . . with all things being equal in terms of wood density and moisture I don't think warmer wood vs. colder wood would make a large difference in how quick the wood catches or burns . . . I mean I'm just a dumb firefighter, but I've fought some pretty big fires on pretty cold days and nights and the wood that was on fire burned pretty well . . . and caught on fire pretty easily.


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## Renovation (Nov 23, 2010)

> ...as long as the wood is not soaked in gasoline



lol, good one FFJ.

A nice thread folks, thanks for the info.

I wondered about this too, since I'm designing an install with wood storage to the sides.  The wood is outside the combustibles clearance, but it's good to know I have a little wiggle room.  Stay toasty!


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