Find Firewood in Your State

FAQs

  • What causes creosote buildup in chimneys?

    Creosote forms when smoke from wet wood or inefficient fires condenses in chimneys, creating a dangerous, flammable tar-like deposit.

    Read More

  • What’s the hottest burning firewood?

    Osage orange burns hottest at 32-33 million BTUs per cord, followed by hickory and black locust. Oak offers the best balance of heat and availability.

    Read More

  • How to prepare for firewood delivery?

    Clear the delivery area, verify truck access, prepare your storage foundation, plan to be home, and have payment ready for smooth firewood delivery.

    Read More

  • How is firewood delivered?

    Firewood is typically delivered by dump truck and deposited in your driveway or designated area. Some suppliers offer stacking for an extra fee.

    Read More

  • What’s the best firewood for a fireplace?

    Oak, ash, and maple are best for fireplaces, offering long burn times, good heat, and minimal smoke when properly seasoned.

    Read More

Proper firewood storage distance from your home balances convenience against pest risk and fire safety. While having wood immediately adjacent to your door seems practical, this proximity creates several problems that outweigh the minor inconvenience of walking a short distance for your fuel supply.

The recommended minimum distance is 20-30 feet from your home’s foundation. This separation significantly reduces the likelihood of insects living in your woodpile discovering and migrating into your house. Termites, carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles, mice, and snakes commonly inhabit firewood stacks. When wood sits against or very near your home, these creatures can easily find cracks, gaps, and entry points into your structure.

Fire safety also demands distance. While properly stacked firewood rarely ignites spontaneously, external fire sources can threaten wood stored too close to structures. Wildfire ember showers, grill accidents, or other fire sources can ignite woodpiles, and wood stacked against your house creates a direct path for fire to reach the structure. Insurance companies and fire safety experts universally recommend keeping combustible materials well away from buildings.

For maximum convenience while maintaining safety, consider a two-location strategy. Keep your main woodpile 20-30 feet from the house in an optimal seasoning location with good sun and airflow. Maintain a small secondary holder on your porch or near your door with just 1-2 days’ worth of wood for immediate use. This provides door-side convenience without the risks of storing large quantities near your home.

Never stack firewood directly against your home’s siding, even if it seems like the perfect covered spot under an eave. This violates virtually every guideline for pest prevention, fire safety, and proper wood seasoning. The apparent convenience creates far more problems than it solves.

Choose storage locations that also facilitate good wood seasoning: sunny exposure, elevated off the ground, and good air circulation. These ideal seasoning conditions rarely exist immediately next to your house, providing another reason to maintain appropriate distance.