# Fireplace wood rack big enough?



## Bster13 (Sep 11, 2013)

My wife bought me this for my Bday:
http://www.cb2.com/industrial-wood-storage/s605380

It is 17"Wx8"Dx24.75"H.

Here is a pic of it on my hearth next to my BK Princess Insert with extra large surround:






Question... any idea how many days worth of wood this will hold in Southeast Connecticut heating a 1957, 1 story ranch of 1994sq ft?  I expect to burn 3-4 cords per year (first year, dunno for sure).  I'd fill my BK's firebox, then take the wood out and put it in the rack for a point of reference, but I may return this and I didn't want to mark it up.

The goal is to take wood from my stacks and fill a large deck box (http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/...BoxesPatioBenches&Prod_ID=RP091373&Redirect=1) with wood to keep it dry, and then every day or two bring in dry wood from the deck box and place it in the rack on the hearth.

Any educated guesses?


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## Beer Belly (Sep 11, 2013)

depending on wood type, burning practices (my Wife like flames all the time)....maybe a day....uneducated guess


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## Bigfoot (Sep 12, 2013)

What kind of wood are you burning, Pine, oak ect??? Do you burn 24/7?  That will hold about one evenings worth of Pine in an open fire place, your nice stove burning oak or something of quality??? I dont know. It looks nice though. Maybe if you had one more to add to that one? Just a thought, good luck.......


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## Bster13 (Sep 12, 2013)

Good questions.  Heating 24/7 and using Oak and lesser hardwoods.  I think I'd be fine with carrying in a load after I come home from work everyday.  Having to do it twice a day, especially in the cold morning might get old.


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## Shari (Sep 12, 2013)

I have three of these: 






Two sit, covered, on the front porch.  One is inside next to my hearth.  As I empty one, I bring another one in, refill the empty one and park the filled one back on the porch.  I probably could get away with only have two but if the weather (snow) is bad I know I have a few days wood right at my door.

A rack like this, filled almost up to the upper handle will last me +/- 2 days.


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## paul bunion (Sep 12, 2013)

1.5 days, you say you will stuff the stove at the same time so you will be 8 hrs ahead every time you fill it.

You might want to reconsider that deck box.   You'll be double handling your wood and bending over to get the pieces in and out of it might get a bit old.  I'd go direct from the stacks to the fireplace.  (Although a stash on the deck before a big storm does have its merit.)


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## Bster13 (Sep 12, 2013)

I like the utility of those but they would overpower my hearth and the wife is particular about looks. 





Shari said:


> I have three of these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Bster13 (Sep 12, 2013)

YEah, I'm all about not having to move my wood any more than I had to.  My stacks are very close to the house and I can easily go straight from the stacks to the stove, but I worry about bringing in ice-encrusted wood and cold-shocking my stove.

Now that I think about it, even if I go from my stacks to the deck box, I may be bringing in bits of ice and snow into the rack on my hearth, right?  That rack would not contain the ice as it melts and drips all over the place.

For those that have burned more than I have (everyone) how do you manage ice/snow melting in your house?



paul bunion said:


> 1.5 days, you say you will stuff the stove at the same time so you will be 8 hrs ahead every time you fill it.
> 
> You might want to reconsider that deck box.   You'll be double handling your wood and bending over to get the pieces in and out of it might get a bit old.  I'd go direct from the stacks to the fireplace.  (Although a stash on the deck before a big storm does have its merit.)


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## Shari (Sep 12, 2013)

Bster13 said:


> how do you manage ice/snow melting in your house



Cover your stacks.


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## paul bunion (Sep 12, 2013)

Bster13 said:


> For those that have burned more than I have (everyone) how do you manage ice/snow melting in your house?


 
Definitely get them covered before the snow falls.   Wood is really good at soaking up moisture out of wet snow ifit remains in contact.  Don't invite it in the first place.


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## HDRock (Sep 12, 2013)

Bster13 said:


> how do you manage ice/snow melting in your house?


 Here ya go   To cover, or not to cover, THAT is the quesion


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## firefighterjake (Sep 12, 2013)

Bster13 said:


> YEah, I'm all about not having to move my wood any more than I had to.  My stacks are very close to the house and I can easily go straight from the stacks to the stove, but I worry about bringing in ice-encrusted wood and cold-shocking my stove.
> 
> Now that I think about it, even if I go from my stacks to the deck box, I may be bringing in bits of ice and snow into the rack on my hearth, right?  That rack would not contain the ice as it melts and drips all over the place.
> 
> For those that have burned more than I have (everyone) how do you manage ice/snow melting in your house?


 
Now . . . I have a woodshed which means little to no snow or ice.

Before . . . Tarped stacks . . . so I built a woodbox out of scrap tongue and groove boards and some 2 x 4s I had kicking around the house and then put a large Rubbermaid plastic bin inside to contain the melted snow, ice and wood mess. I still use the woodbox since it does a nice job of containing most of the bark, dirt, etc.


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## Jon1270 (Sep 12, 2013)

Bster13 said:


> The goal is to take wood from my stacks and fill a large deck box



Keep in mind that a plastic box like that will only keep the wood dry if it's starting out dry.  If the wood is damp from rain or snow when you load it, the box will keep it damp.

If you keep some wood on the porch for when the weather won't let you use wood directly from the stacks, I'd keep it in a covered rack with open sides, not a sealed container.



Bster13 said:


> For those that have burned more than I have (everyone) how do you manage ice/snow melting in your house?



Not really an issue.  I did however find that a fair bit of dirt (chainsaw sawdust, crumbled leaves, etc) clung to the wood and ended up on the floor along the path between the door and the fireplace.  Plan on frequent tidying.  

My wood stacks are just outside my basement door.  I built a divided 1/4 cord rack just inside the door. Through the winter, I brought up small amounts of wood (just one stove-full at a time, typically) a couple of times a day.  When one section of the basement rack was emptied, I reloaded it from the outdoor stacks and started burning out of the other section, so that the wood I was burning had always been indoors for at least a few days before it hit the stove.

I think your tools and workflow might depend on things like whether your wood stacks are on grass, soil or concrete, and what kind of flooring you have between the door and stove.  Burning directly from the stacks means you'll be walking from the stacks to the stove.  If you have carpeting and your shoes are dirty, you'll have to them off at the door before proceeding but you won't want to put down an armload of wood, take off your dirty boots, pick the wood up again and carry it in.  Even with having to handle the wood an extra time, it might be better to burn out of a rack on the porch.  Keep the porch swept clean and you can go out for fuel  in your socks or slippers in most weather.  

As far as whether to keep this wood rack... I think racks like this are best for people who don't burn continuously,  but rather want to keep a small store of clean, good-looking wood near the open fireplace for the occasional ambiance fire.  For heating purposes, I don't see a utilitarian reason for the extra handling it would take to move wood through a rack of that size.  The only hearthside wood storage I have is a little rack/container with a handle that I use to carry the wood up from the basement.  I fill it in the basement, carry it up, set it down next to the stove, load the stove, and move the carrier with its leftover wood to a safe distance away where it waits for several hours until I need to repeat the process.  Even if I were burning directly from my stacks, I'd use something similar -- a carrying device small enough to be manageable, that I can put down and pick up easily.  



Bster13 said:


> I think I'd be fine with carrying in a load after I come home from work everyday. Having to do it twice a day, especially in the cold morning might get old.



You might find this is six of one, and a half-dozen of the other.  A single stove-loading's worth of wood is fairly heavy, so you can only carry so much per trip unless you get into wheeled dollies like the one Shari posted.


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## BillLion (Sep 12, 2013)

I have one of these outside under cover of my deck; very helpful!



Shari said:


> I have three of these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## BillLion (Sep 12, 2013)

My guess is a day to a day & 1/2.

If you really get desperate you can get one of these for wood transport:
http://amzn.com/B005MZ4YZ0






My advice though would be to never let anyone see you in it...EVER! 




Bster13 said:


> My wife bought me this for my Bday:
> http://www.cb2.com/industrial-wood-storage/s605380
> 
> It is 17"Wx8"Dx24.75"H.
> ...


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## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Sep 12, 2013)

I would not store wood in the house, lots of hidden insects, I prefer it outside the door and covered. The ambiance comes from the fire, not the wood ready to be burned..... Just a thought and my opinion....


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## BillLion (Sep 12, 2013)

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:


> I would not store wood in the house, lots of hidden insects, I prefer it outside the door and covered. The ambiance comes from the fire, not the wood ready to be burned..... Just a thought and my opinion....



Many suggest keeping a day or 2 supply inside because it burns better. Do you do that or just bring in a bundle at a time?


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## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Sep 12, 2013)

Last spring,  my first burning season,  I bought clean looking wood, I kept it under deck stairs that kept it dry and then I would put 2-3 days worth in my garage, now that I have been scrounging and seeing what's inside and around this wood, i will not use that same technique, now, I have 1 cord ready to go right outside my garage which will be covered soon. I am also able to keep up to a weeks worth on my deck that will be covered. But I will refrain from storing any of it in the house or garage.  I read somewhere that keeping it in the house keeps its temperature of the wood up as opposed being outside, true, but when you open the door and throw it into a blazing fire, under a 60 degree difference isn't much to me.. I'm still learning but this is my plan....gl


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## Jon1270 (Sep 12, 2013)

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:


> but when you open the door and throw it into a blazing fire



But how often are you throwing more wood on a blazing fire?  I typically reloaded onto a fading coal bed.  Adding wood to an already-blazing fire seems likely to hurt efficiency. 

Another way to go would be to keep a large store of clean kindling inside -- no bark or dirt, maybe even scraps of scrap KD construction lumber and the like -- and keep all the heavier fuel outside.  I do think that dryness (both interior and surface) is much more important than wood temperature.


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## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Sep 12, 2013)

Well ok not a blazing fire, I mis- spoke, but even if you lay it on a bed of hot coals, it may take 1 minute longer for the colder piece of wood to light up, but I know with my unit, if I let it cool down too much, I lose heat in the entire room, I have an older uninsulated house with many windows and the wind blowing in that direction. (When really cold that is)
Clean kindling in the garage is always ready to go, I hand cut select pieces with the fiskars hatchet, so I know it's clean.


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## Jon1270 (Sep 12, 2013)

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:


> I know with my unit, if I let it cool down too much, I lose heat in the entire room



Part of my deal is that I have a 2 cubic-foot, non-cat insert.  No matter how I load it at night, the temp drops pretty low by morning.  None of this is to disagree with you, though.  I am going to try burning directly from the stacks at least some of the time this year, and see how it goes.


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## teutonicking (Sep 12, 2013)

Bster13 said:


> My wife bought me this for my Bday:
> http://www.cb2.com/industrial-wood-storage/s605380
> 
> It is 17"Wx8"Dx24.75"H.
> ...


 
I'd say in a Blaze King that is at least a day's worth of wood.  If your splits are 18" long it would hold about 4.5 cubic feet of wood. 

I keep a metal tub next to the stove full of firewood at all times, and I just got a second one this year.  The tub holds about 1.5 full loads for my stove.  We also have a screened porch, and in there, I have a small 1/5 cord metal firewood rack that holds several days worth of wood in a dry location.  Just outside my back door, I have two more metal racks that hold 1/3-1/2 cord each, and they are top covered.  So I always have several days of very dry wood, and about two weeks or more of covered wood very close by in case there is a lot of rain or snow.


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## Wood Duck (Sep 12, 2013)

I store about two day's wood in the house near the stove. I rarely have bugs in the house as a result of wood storage, maybe a couple of moths or spiders over the whole winter. To answer your question - no, the rack isn't big enough. No rack is big enough. If you can store two days' wood you'll want three, and so on.

My two-day storage is plenty to evaporate any snow or ice from the wood so it does what I need it to do. But it isn't big enough.


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## Jags (Sep 12, 2013)

To answer your question - I would guess that thing holds about 24 hrs of burning.  Maybe a little less.

Second - you have no need to be concerned about thermal shock from a cold load of wood.  It ain't gonna break your stove.

Third - if your wife is particular about looks, I will give that holder about a 1 week life span.  It has no ability to contain the debris that comes with split firewood.  And there WILL be debris.  I promise.

A solution such as FFJakes post above is one of the slickest ways to keep a tidy hearth.


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## Jacktheknife (Sep 12, 2013)

Depends on how much wood you plan to burn, I guess.  According to the dimensions of the rack you gave us and assuming you will burn 4 cord this winter, I calculate that you will have to fill this rack 263 times.


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## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Sep 12, 2013)

Jon1270 said:


> Part of my deal is that I have a 2 cubic-foot, non-cat insert.  No matter how I load it at night, the temp drops pretty low by morning.  None of this is to disagree with you, though.  I am going to try burning directly from the stacks at least some of the time this year, and see how it goes.


I hear ya bud, we all have to do what's best for us, and we all keep learning.... I was in that thread about the beetles boaring  into the wood so I may have them, then I was stacking this morning and there was a big spiderweb near by....so I will be cautious this year for sure....


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## teutonicking (Sep 12, 2013)

Jacktheknife said:


> Depends on how much wood you plan to burn, I guess.  According to the dimensions of the rack you gave us and assuming you will burn 4 cord this winter, I calculate that you will have to fill this rack 263 times.


 
That may be technically true, but just because the holder is only 8" deep doesn't mean he will be putting only 8" splits in there--I would assume 18" splits, and if so, then he would only need to fill it about 114 times.


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## schlot (Sep 12, 2013)

I like how the black metal of the rack matches the feel of the surround.

For what it's worth, I have a day storage box near the stove (a wood box that my wife likes how it looks) and a small wood rack in the basement that holds 2 days of wood. I figure even with covering the wood will get damp so I take it in the basement and let it dry before bringing it upstairs. A little more shuffling of wood having two indoor storage locations but don't we all need the exercise in the winter anyway?


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## ansehnlich1 (Sep 12, 2013)

I'm fortunate to have a covered back porch and can get 2 or more cord on there, easy access and it stays dry. If you don't have a garage or shed to store wood I'd suggest doing some planning on how you can stack and keep dry a cord or so of wood real close to the door you use to bring the wood inside. 

I'd even consider 2 sawhorses with a hunk of plywood screwed down on top and then a cut/fit piece of plywood for the ends and rear side,  (I screw 'em right to the sawbuck legs) maybe beef up the top with 2x4's before laying the top plywood sheet on there.....I use a rendition of this setup to keep my generator dry when operating in snow/rain.

I use a cheap tupperware type tub to keep a day or so of wood inside, but rarely go for that wood, and normally go outside and get what I need to load. I stock up heavier inside the house if there is a snow storm forecast to pass through.


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## Paulywalnut (Sep 12, 2013)

HDRock said:


> Here ya go   To cover, or not to cover, THAT is the quesion


 Break out the pop corn


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## Paulywalnut (Sep 12, 2013)

Shari said:


> Cover your stacks.


 Burning wood is not a neat type of activity. I have a 2 foot wide rug I roll out to cover my path to the stove.
Whatever drips or falls does no damage. Roll it up when company comes


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## jeff_t (Sep 12, 2013)

To elaborate on the original question, I'd guess you'll be filling it daily.

I have this http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Firep...or-Firewood-Racks/2ft-Woodhaven-Firewood-Rack. I have it heaped up full when I leave the house for work in the wee early morning. I load the stove when I leave, I'm gone overnight, and when I get home the middle of the next day, my wife has a few splits left in it. If it's really cold and windy, it is empty and she has grabbed a few splits from the garage.

It isn't as neat as a box, but I sweep up every time I load up. Not a big deal, a 30 second job.

I think you'll want to move that rack to the other side, because of the way the door swings.


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## HDRock (Sep 12, 2013)

I have a couple 6' L, racks on the deck by the door , and one inside 2'L X 16"D X 4'H ,it sets on carpet, so,  under it ,I have a 36" x 25" x 0.75" oil drip pan cost $10, scuffed it up and painted it black, It does a good job keeping the dirt n crap contained , just vacuum when needed.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/RHN0/11430/N0026.oap?ck=Search_drip pans_-1_-1&keyword=drip pans


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## Jon1270 (Sep 13, 2013)

I would guess that, in practice, you won't actually fill it up because it will be a needless pain in the butt to insert the last several pieces one at a time.  A rack or bin that's open on top allows you to simply lower in an armload at a time, and pile it high if you feel like it.  With this design, I bet you'll habitually stop when it's 2/3 full.


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## Ashful (Sep 13, 2013)

teutonicking said:


> That may be technically true, but just because the holder is only 8" deep doesn't mean he will be putting only 8" splits in there--I would assume 18" splits, and if so, then he would only need to fill it about 114 times.


So, to answer the OP... once per day?

The folks quoting thermal shock and other phenomena associated with having their firewood stored outdoors, and thus 30 - 60F cooler than it would be sitting inside, are not thinking this thru.  A stove designed to rapidly heat from 60F to 700F ain't gonna know a bit of difference in wood at room temp vs outside temp, despite what's happening in the firebox at time of loading.  The only valid argument I've ever seen for storing or staging some wood indoors, is to remove some surface moisture before loading, if its rainy or snowy outside.  That... and kindly staging some wood by the stove for the missus.


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## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Sep 13, 2013)

To the op, you will be filling that rack at least every day that you burn, maybe twice, if your burning morning noon and night and can't even fill it 100% due to the top being closed. If Your probably going to burn everyday, that would be a minimum of 150 days, if not more right? I would break this down even more, how many splits can you fit into it? How many splits do you start off with when it gets up to temp? And how often and how many splits do you put in each time, this will help you determine the amount as well. 4 cords is a lot of wood to transfer through that size holder. But try to keep notes when you start up and keep us posted. I am very curious about my upcoming years consumption.


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## Trilifter7 (Sep 13, 2013)

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:


> I hear ya bud, we all have to do what's best for us, and we all keep learning.... I was in that thread about the beetles boaring  into the wood so I may have them, then I was stacking this morning and there was a big spiderweb near by....so I will be cautious this year for sure....



One thing to keep in mind is bugs pretty much go dormant in the winter due to the temps outside. I always bring in a day or two worth of wood that I keep in a wood cart next to the stove and I maybe see a spider or two a year from it. I don't really see bugs as an issue but there is def still a mess associated with storing wood inside. 

I'm currently working on cutting a hole between my garage and the stove room. I am going to frame a box into the wall with sealed doors inside and out. This will allow me to store 2-3 days worth in the box and refill it from the garage when needed. I plan on just keeping a small log holder and stand next to the stove then so I can carry a load at a time from the box to the stove. It should eliminate some of the mess and keep me from having to carry wood thru the house to the stove. I know this isn't an option for most but I'm excited to try it out. I'll post some picks as I get things going on it.


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## Trilifter7 (Sep 13, 2013)

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:


> To the op, you will be filling that rack at least every day that you burn, maybe twice, if your burning morning noon and night and can't even fill it 100% due to the top being closed. If Your probably going to burn everyday, that would be a minimum of 150 days, if not more right? I would break this down even more, how many splits can you fit into it? How many splits do you start off with when it gets up to temp? And how often and how many splits do you put in each time, this will help you determine the amount as well. 4 cords is a lot of wood to transfer through that size holder. But try to keep notes when you start up and keep us posted. I am very curious about my upcoming years consumption.



Good points Ram. I'm also curious about my consumption this year with the new stove. One thing I've learned from the past few years is to make the process of transporting wood to the stove as simple and quick as possible since it is something you will have to do every day or two. The last thing you are going to want to do before bed or first thing in the morning is go out and get more wood when it's 10 deg out  
I focused last year on keeping enough in my garage for a few days of burning. This allowed me to refill my staging area when I had time to and not when I had to. I could then do it after I got off work or on the weekends instead of at night before bed. It makes all the difference in keeping this something you enjoy rather than a chore to keep up with.


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## Trilifter7 (Sep 13, 2013)

I got my idea for my garage staging area from a member here last year. I use 3 avg size trash cans I keep full of wood in the garage. I stack the wood vertically in each can 2 to 3 rows high. This gives me about a day and a half worth of burning per can. I then just use a dolly to take each one to the side of my garage to reload the cans a couple times per week. Maybe not the best way to do it but it worked for me and was easy to keep up with.


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## WoodPorn (Sep 13, 2013)

I'd say that thing's not going to give you a days worth of burning, and there is going to be debris everywhere around it.

I keep a 1/4 cd in my attached garage and use one of these to reload the stove.


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## Realstone (Sep 13, 2013)

I say fill it with paper birch splits & rounds and leave it full for decoration.


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