Why Firewood Storage Matters

Firewood needs to be properly seasoned and dried out to a moisture content of around 20% or less before it burns cleanly. Wet or under-seasoned wood is harder to light, throws less heat, and produces more smoke and creosote build-up in the flue. How you store it between splitting and burning has a direct effect on how well it does all of this.

The Most Common Mistakes

Stacking straight on the ground. Wood in contact with soil or grass draws moisture back up from below, no matter how dry the top of the pile looks. It also invites borer and other pests closer to the house than you'd want.

Covering it completely. A tarp pulled tight over the whole stack keeps rain off, but it also stops airflow — and without airflow, wood doesn't season, it just sits there.

What Good Firewood Storage Needs

Elevation off the ground, so nothing sits in damp soil or on wet concrete.

A spot with some sun and breeze, rather than a dark, damp corner behind an outbuilding or under trees - light and airflow do most of the work of curing the wood.

Airflow around the wood, so moisture can actually escape rather than build up inside a fully enclosed store.

Some weather protection, without going as far as fully enclosing it.

A gap of 10–15cm between the stack and whatever it's sitting against — a house wall, a shed, a fence so air can circulate behind it and moisture and pests don't get trapped against the surface.

How Long Should Firewood Season in New Zealand?

In New Zealand's climate, wood typically needs six to twelve months to dry out properly, depending on the type of wood and how well it's stacked. There are a few reliable signs it's ready: it feels noticeably lighter, the bark starts to come away, it sounds hollow when knocked together, and it burns with little smoke. Hardwoods like manuka or gum take longer to season than softer woods like pine, which dries faster but burns through more quickly too. It's worth rotating the stack as you go, so the oldest wood gets burned first.

Should You Store Wood Inside?

A small amount of wood inside, close to where it'll be burned, is no problem. What doesn't work is keeping a large supply indoors for weeks at a time which invites damp and pests into the house rather than keeping them out. The better approach is to keep the bulk of the wood stored properly outside, and bring in only a few days worth at a time.