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I used to just throw my firewood in a pile against the house (big mistake)
For like 5 winters I stacked my wood right up against the back siding. Figured it was handy for grabbing logs quick. Then last spring I noticed water damage and a few carpenter ants hanging around. A buddy from Meredith told me I need at least a 6 inch gap between the wood and the house. Now I keep it on pallets, about a foot away, and covered only the top row. No bugs, no rot, and the wood actually dries better. Anyone else learn this the hard way?
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tara7454mo ago
Used to think it was fine too honestly. My old man stacked his whole life against the garage and never had trouble, so I figured it was just one of those old timer things. Then I moved my pile and found a whole nest of earwigs and this damp, moldy smell coming off the siding. That was the wake up call. Now I keep my wood on pallets with maybe a foot of air between it and the house, and I cover just the top row with a tarp. No bugs, no rot, and the wood actually seasons way faster. Live and learn I guess.
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the_henry4mo ago
Interesting you mention that moldy smell, because that's exactly what happened to my neighbor last spring. Was it just the dampness that caused it, or did you find any actual rot in the siding after you moved everything? Curious how deep the damage went once you got that pile shifted.
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veramiller2mo ago
Yeah, I learned that one the hard way too. Left my wood pile right up against the back of the garage for two winters and ended up with a bunch of termites making their way inside. Had to tear out part of the siding and treat the whole area, wish I had known about the gap rule sooner.
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