Every homeowner who uses his or her fireplace regularly has need of two firewood racks to hold and organize firewood outdoors and indoors. The outdoor model is considerably larger to hold a whole supply of firewood for the winter months. An indoor rack holds a much smaller number of pieces of wood near the fireplace. The two racks have a main purpose in common, holding firewood. They have some different purposes we will discuss in this article.
Outdoor Racks
The outdoor rack for firewood has the job of keeping your supply of firewood stacked and organized while it is drying out. Wood must be dried, or cured, in order to burn well in a fireplace. The outdoor rack helps in the curing of wood in several ways.
First, it helps to keep the wood off the ground. Wood left lying on the ground doesn’t get the chance to dry out; therefore, the wood becomes unusable in a fireplace. Not only does the wood stay moist, but it rots when left on the ground. Damp wood attracts insects which also makes the wood unsuitable for burning.
Second, the outdoor rack allows sunshine and air to circulate through the wood. Most are equipped with a cloth or hard material that covers the wood to keep it from getting wet when it’s raining or snowing while the sides are open for better circulation. There are also three-sided racks with a roof
Third, the ability to stack the wood tightly together discourages insects and small rodents from taking up residence in the firewood.
Whether you use your fireplace extensively or only occasionally, there’s a length that fits your situation. Since there is no need for your rack to display any certain charm or beauty, it is very easy to build your own simple rack. The Internet has scores of free wood rack designs to make it easy for you to fit a rack anywhere you need it.
Indoor Rack
Rather than go to your outdoor rack every time you need to place more wood in your fireplace, the indoor rack holds a few pieces of cured wood to get you through a short period of time. These racks are usually made of metal, wood, wicker or acrylic and are designed to add appeal to the fireplace area.
One type of indoor rack that is popular because of its good looks and affordable price is the wicker basket. Wicker baskets are available in many shapes and sizes. Any sturdy wicker basket that will hold several logs is appropriate. Wicker is a good choice for fireplaces in older homes and log cabins because of its natural beauty.
Firewood storage racks are basically indoor or outdoor firewood racks, also called firewood log racks and brands like Woodhaven firewood racks and covers are usually available for sale.
The greatest benefit of indoor and outdoor racks is how they keep your firewood neat and organized.
Firewood racks are essential both outdoors and indoors. Whether you cut your own wood or purchase wood to burn, fireplace logs are something you want to preserve until you can use them. An outdoor rack helps you to keep more of your wood from rotting and from bugs and rodents. The indoor rack gives you a convenient place to hold extra logs until you’re ready to toss them on the fire.