Can You Store Kiln Dried Logs Outside?
Yes, kiln dried logs can be stored outside — but how you store them matters.
Buying properly dried firewood and then leaving it exposed to driving rain isn't exactly a winning strategy.
The good news is that you don't need to keep a winter's supply of logs inside your house.
A well-designed outdoor log store can be an excellent place for kiln dried firewood, provided it does two important things:
keeps most of the rain off and allows plenty of air to circulate around the logs.
Here's how to get it right.
Can Kiln Dried Firewood Get Wet?
Yes.
Kiln drying doesn't somehow waterproof timber.
Wood can absorb moisture again if it's repeatedly exposed to rain, damp conditions or poor storage.
That's why your job after delivery is simple:
keep properly dried logs properly dry.
At Armstrong Country Store, our firewood is kiln dried to below 20% moisture content and is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified.
Once it's delivered, good storage helps maintain the condition of the firewood you've bought.
What's the Best Way to Store Logs Outside?
Ideally, use a covered, well-ventilated log store.
You want protection above the logs to prevent rain constantly soaking them, while allowing air to move through the sides.
A traditional log store with a solid roof and ventilated sides works well for exactly this reason.
Think:
Dry above. Airflow around.
Not:
Wrapped up airtight.
Should a Log Store Have Open Sides?
Ventilation is important.
If you completely enclose firewood in a damp environment with little airflow, moisture has a harder time escaping.
A good outdoor store should therefore provide air circulation around the logs while protecting them from the worst of the weather.
Slatted or open sides are common for this reason.
The exact design matters less than achieving those two goals:
weather protection + ventilation.
Should Logs Be Stored Off the Ground?
Preferably, yes.
Don't neatly stack your kiln dried firewood directly onto wet soil and expect the bottom layer to stay in the same condition.
Keeping the logs raised away from damp ground reduces direct contact with moisture and helps air circulate underneath.
A proper log store will normally have a raised base or floor.
Can I Cover Firewood With a Tarpaulin?
You can, but don't make the mistake of wrapping the entire pile tightly in plastic.
You want to keep rain off without eliminating ventilation.
If you're using a waterproof cover, concentrate on protecting the top of the stack from rain while maintaining airflow around the sides.
A permanently sealed pile of logs can trap moisture rather than solve the problem.
Can I Leave My Logs in the Delivery Bag?
For a short period while you organise them, perhaps.
For long-term storage, I'd move them into a suitable log store.
A Builders Bag, Bulk Bag or Barrow Bag is primarily a convenient way of getting the firewood to you. It isn't necessarily the ideal permanent home for your logs through months of British weather.
Once your delivery arrives, get the firewood somewhere dry, covered and ventilated as soon as practical.
Can I Store Woven Bags of Logs Outside?
The same basic rule applies.
Our firewood is also available in individual woven bags, which are convenient for carrying and organising.
But the bags themselves don't remove the need for appropriate storage.
Keep them somewhere covered and dry with suitable ventilation rather than leaving them exposed to persistent rain.
The advantage of individual bags is that you can organise them easily and bring one bag closer to the house whenever you need it.
Can I Store Firewood in a Garage?
A dry garage can be useful for storing firewood, particularly if it has reasonable ventilation.
The important word there is dry.
A damp garage with poor ventilation isn't automatically better than a properly designed outdoor log store.
Also think about airflow and avoid creating a huge tightly packed mass with no circulation around it.
Can I Store Logs in a Shed?
Potentially, yes, provided the shed is dry and sufficiently ventilated.
A completely sealed, humid shed isn't ideal.
If you're using a shed, make sure the firewood isn't sitting directly against damp surfaces and that there is some opportunity for air movement.
Should I Store Firewood Inside My House?
You don't need to keep your entire supply indoors.
For many households, the sensible approach is:
main supply in a suitable outdoor log store → smaller quantity brought closer to the stove as needed.
That means you aren't trying to find indoor space for a large delivery of firewood.
And if you've ordered 1m³ or 1.7m³, you'll quickly discover just how much space that would occupy.
Where Should I Position an Outdoor Log Store?
Choose somewhere that's practical but reasonably sheltered.
A location with some protection from prevailing wind-driven rain is useful, provided you're not sacrificing ventilation.
Try to avoid places where:
- Water regularly collects
- The ground remains permanently damp
- Roof water pours onto the logs
- Vegetation keeps the area constantly wet
- Air can't circulate around the store
Convenience matters too.
Putting your log store at the furthest possible point from the house may look tidy in August.
You'll have a different opinion on a wet January night.
Don't Forget Delivery Access
This is something worth thinking about before you buy the firewood, not after the lorry arrives.
Where will the delivery actually be placed?
And how far is that from your log store?
If you've got excellent access and the logs can be delivered conveniently, a Bulk Bag may suit you perfectly.
If the delivery point is at the front of your property but your log store is around the back, our Barrow Bags may be easier to move.
And if you prefer smaller quantities that can be carried individually, woven bags may be the more convenient choice.
The best packaging isn't necessarily the biggest.
It's the one that works with your property and your storage.
How Should I Stack Firewood?
Don't obsess over creating a work of art.
You mainly want the stack to be stable and allow some airflow.
Avoid cramming every available gap so tightly that you've effectively created a solid wall of timber.
And don't build an unstable tower of logs that could fall.
A sensible, secure stack inside a covered and ventilated store is what you're aiming for.
Should the Bark Face Up or Down?
You'll find plenty of arguments online about this.
Don't overcomplicate it.
The bigger factors are whether the logs are protected from persistent rain, kept away from damp ground and provided with ventilation.
A perfectly orientated piece of bark won't rescue a badly designed, soaking-wet log store.
How Do I Know If My Stored Logs Are Still Dry?
A moisture meter can be useful if you want to check firewood.
But there's an important detail:
don't simply press the meter against the outside of a log and assume you've got an accurate picture of what's happening inside.
Woodsure's guidance for checking firewood moisture involves splitting a log and testing the freshly exposed face, rather than relying solely on the outside surface. Woodsure
That's because the outside of a log can behave differently from its centre.
This is also why proper kiln drying is about drying the wood itself, not merely making the outside feel dry.
What Moisture Content Should Firewood Be?
For Ready to Burn wood fuel, 20% moisture content is the important threshold.
In England, wood sold in volumes of less than 2m³ must be certified under the Ready to Burn scheme and have a moisture content of 20% or less. UK Government guidance on domestic solid fuels
Our kiln dried firewood is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified and below 20% moisture content.
Our kiln dried kindling is dried considerably further, to below 10% moisture content, helping it catch quickly when you're starting your fire.
Does Kiln Dried Firewood Need Seasoning at Home?
No.
That's rather the point of buying properly kiln dried, Ready to Burn firewood.
You're buying logs that have already been dried and are ready to use.
You don't need to buy them and then leave them sitting for another year before you can burn them.
What you do need to do is store them properly so you don't undo the work that's already gone into drying them.
Produced and Kiln Dried by the Armstrong Family
Our firewood isn't simply bought in as a finished product and resold.
It's produced by the Armstrong family.
We locally source timber from FSC® 100% certified, well-managed forests before sawing and splitting it into practical firewood lengths.
The logs then go through our purpose-built kilns to reduce the moisture within the wood.
After kiln drying, they're triple screened to remove excess bark and dust before being packed for delivery.
Locally sourced timber → Sawn & split → Kiln dried → Triple screened → Packed → Delivered
So when properly dried logs arrive at your home, storing them correctly helps protect all the work that's already gone into producing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can kiln dried logs be stored outside?
Yes. Kiln dried logs can be stored outside in a suitable covered and well-ventilated log store that protects them from persistent rain and damp ground.
Will kiln dried logs absorb moisture?
Wood can take on moisture again when exposed to wet or persistently damp conditions, which is why good storage remains important after kiln drying.
Do I need to cover kiln dried logs?
They should be protected from rain, but avoid wrapping the entire stack tightly in plastic. Protection from above combined with good ventilation is a better approach.
Can I keep kiln dried logs in their Bulk Bag?
We recommend transferring your firewood into a suitable dry, covered and ventilated storage area rather than relying on the delivery bag for long-term outdoor storage.
Can firewood be stored in a garage?
Yes, provided the garage is dry and has reasonable ventilation.
Can I store firewood in a shed?
Yes, if the shed remains dry and provides sufficient ventilation.
Should logs be stored off the ground?
Where possible, yes. Keeping firewood raised away from wet ground helps reduce exposure to moisture and improves airflow underneath.
Do kiln dried logs need to be seasoned?
No. Properly kiln dried firewood is already dried for use. Our firewood is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified and below 20% moisture.
How do I check the moisture content of a log?
For a more meaningful moisture-meter reading, split the log and test the newly exposed internal face, rather than simply testing the outside.
Where should I keep my kindling?
Keep kindling somewhere dry and protected from moisture. Our kiln dried kindling is below 10% moisture, so good storage helps maintain that low moisture level.
Keep Dry Firewood Dry
The basic rule really isn't complicated.
You've paid for properly kiln dried firewood.
Don't leave it sitting in the rain.
Give your logs a covered storage area, keep them away from persistently damp ground and allow air to circulate.
You don't need an elaborate heated building or a completely sealed container.
A sensible, dry and ventilated log store does the job.
And if you're ordering a large quantity of firewood, think about where that log store is before choosing your delivery format.
Bulk Bags, Barrow Bags and individually packed woven bags all have their place.
The best option is the one you can receive, move and store properly at your own home.