In order to burn well, firewood needs to be dry and seasoned. Logs on the ground will rot and deteriorate and wood with too high a moisture content won’t burn efficiently. Wet wood can also cause dangerous buildup in a chimney flue. The good news is these woods shed ideas will protect your firewood and prevent some of these common problems.
Wood Shed Ideas
From full-blown standalone structures to repurposed existing spaces, there’s a creative wood shed design on this list for any scenario.
Build a wood shed from pallet wood
Believe it or not, shipping pallets are a seriously versatile building material, and DIYers use pallets to build the wildest of structures. Although they’re not always pretty, they’re durable and come in a handful of relatively standard sizes, making them easy to work with. And, one of the best uses for recycled pallets is building a wood shed.
There are two main options: using the pallets as they are, or breaking them down board by board. Wood shed builders can screw pallets together to form three walls around a pallet floor, and top it off with a fourth pallet for a roof. Otherwise, cutting the pallets apart with a reciprocating saw and building from scratch with the usable lumber is always an option.
The trend is bigger than you might think. John Healy, executive vice president of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, notes: “Pallets are rapidly becoming the most recycled thing in America.” To source them for your project, TOH recommends checking family-owned nurseries, printing shops, or groceries — but always ask a manager before helping yourself. Skip big-box retailers, which likely have their own pallet recycling programs.
Pro Tip: Before building with salvaged pallets, look for an “HT” stamp, indicating the wood was heat-treated during construction to kill microorganisms. Pass on any pallet that’s stained or smells. When dismantling, wear a mask and goggles, and disinfect planks with equal parts bleach and water after sanding to let the solution really soak in.
Just how far can pallet building go? Bob Lavoie of Mason, New Hampshire, spent eight months and reused 30 pallets and crates to build a 45-by-46-foot storage shed for his stove and fireplace business. “I’ve had a ball building it,” he says, “and I feel like a king. I’m getting something for nothing.”
Build a lean-to next to an existing structure
If you have an existing structure such as a garage or fence, consider using it as the back wall of a lean-to wood shed. This is one of the easiest, most affordable, and space-saving wood shed ideas, as the back wall is already in place.
One of the most practical aspects of a lean-to design is that it doesn’t have to be attached to the structure. Airflow is critical to wood seasoning, so simply build it adjacent to the existing structure and add a roof to keep the wood dry.
Pro Tip: Jennifer Stimpson, writing in This Old House magazine, recommends using cedar for a lean-to shed because it’s a “naturally rot-resistant wood” that “will weather nicely while protecting your goods from precipitation and insects alike.” You can build one in a weekend out of off-the-shelf lumber or opt for a panelized kit that screws together in under an hour.
Consider A-frame wood shed designs
There’s a reason why so many mountain homes are designed as A-frames: they’re excellent at beating the weather. The dramatically-sloped sides keep rain and snow from accumulating on top. You can replicate that design with your wood shed and enjoy its benefits.
A-frame wood sheds are fairly easy to build. Starting with a pallet base, the framework consists of a few 2x4s and some roofing material (which can range from wood boards to metal sheets). Due to their design, these wood sheds will quickly shed rain and snow, ensuring you always have dry firewood on hand.
Pro Tip: Store firewood at least 15 feet from the house. As TOH pest control expert Bill Siegel explains, if wood contacts the ground near your home’s foundation, “you’re just making a trail for the insects. They’re gonna come right into the house.” Go around the house every year and make sure there’s good separation between any wood and the earth.
Build a pole barn-style wood shed
If there’s one way to take advantage of airflow for drying and seasoning firewood, a pole barn-style wood shed would be it. Typical pole barns feature open walls with support posts roughly eight feet apart. The posts support the roof, leaving the interior of the barn completely open for farm equipment and vehicles, or in this case, firewood.
Don’t worry, your wood shed needn’t be as large as a typical pole barn. In fact, a pole barn-style wood shed that measures 4-feet wide by 8-feet long by 4-feet high will hold an entire cord of wood. With such material-friendly dimensions, it’s an especially economical and efficient wood shed design.
Repurpose an old shed
If there’s an old shed on the property, don’t knock it down to make room for a new firewood storage solution. Instead, breathe new life into that old structure and repurpose it as a wood shed.
Usually, all it takes is removing one side of the shed to allow for access and airflow. Perform any necessary small repairs and give the structure a fresh coat of paint, and this wood shed will look like you planned it that way.
Keep it simple
Just because you’re using a structure to house and season firewood doesn’t mean it has to be a full-blown wood shed. There are some simple wood shed designs that don’t take a lot of effort and make perfect sense. For instance, a neatly stacked pile of firewood on a front porch will season wood just as well as a standalone shed in the yard. And, wooden crates turned on their sides and stacked on top of each other beside the door add a cozy rustic touch.
If you have an elevated deck or overhang, take advantage of the space underneath. By placing a few boards on concrete blocks, or laying a pallet on the ground, the space under the deck becomes a wood shed in seconds.
Wood can season anywhere with sufficient ventilation and protection from the rain. With these creative wood shed ideas, you’ll be able to choose the best design to fit your budget and your home’s style.
