Storing firewood through a wet Cape winter

Three rules, in order

• Off the ground. A pallet, bricks, a log rack — anything that keeps the bottom row out of the wet. Wood on a paving slab wicks water up from the first rain.
• Covered on top. A roof, an overhang, a sheet of corrugated iron on the pile, a tarp tied over the top only.
• Open at the sides. This is the one people get wrong. Wood needs air moving through it. A tarp wrapped tight to the ground turns the stack into a sweat box and a week of Cape rain does the rest.

Where to put it

The best spot on most Cape Town properties is under an eave or a carport on the side of the house away from the north-wester — the wind that brings the winter fronts in. A south-facing wall is the coldest and wettest; a stack there dries slowest. The garage is fine if it is dry and you do not mind carrying wood through the house. Inside the house, keep a day or two by the hearth in a log holder and no more; a full winter stack in a lounge is a wood-borer and spider question you do not need.

Stacking

Bark side up on the top row, so it sheds water. Pieces along the same line, not criss-crossed, except at the ends where a criss-crossed column holds the stack up. Leave a hand’s width between the stack and any wall. Take wood from one end and let the rest sit.

For a month’s worth, the bags themselves are fine — they breathe, and they stack. For two or three months, empty them onto a proper stack: add Unbagging at R10 a bag when you order and the driver does it where you point.

What the Dry Guarantee does and does not cover

Every bag on the truck is seasoned and stored under cover at the yard in Parow. If a bag arrives and does not light properly, WhatsApp 060 978 8945 within 7 days with the order number and a photo and we uplift and exchange it. That is the Dry Guarantee. What it cannot cover is a bag that arrived dry and spent August under a sealed plastic sheet against the south wall. If you are not sure which it was, send the photo anyway and we will tell you straight.

Loose wood is different

Loose blue gum, blackwattle and rooikrans is sold October to March, by the piece, for buyers with covered storage and a summer to finish seasoning it. It carries no Dry Guarantee and it costs less per piece partly for that reason. Stack it as above, in the driest spot you have, and by May it is ready.

Bringing wet wood back

Wood that has caught a week of rain is not ruined. Split the wettest pieces, stack them loosely inside near the fireplace for a few days, and burn them mixed with dry pieces on top of a good coal bed. A handful of hardwood kindling under it gets a reluctant piece going. What you should not do is throw wet wood into a closed-combustion unit and choke the air down: it smoulders, tars the glass and the flue, and gives you no heat for your trouble.

Questions people ask us

Can I store firewood outside in Cape Town?

Yes, if it is off the ground and covered on top with the sides open. A north-east-facing wall out of the north-wester is best. Rain on the top of a stack does little harm; wood standing in a puddle or wrapped in plastic is what goes off.

Should I leave the wood in the bags?

For a month or so, yes — the bags are breathable and stack neatly. For a two- to three-month stock, unbag it onto a stacked pile so air moves through it. Add Unbagging at R10 a bag when you order and the driver does it for you.

How do I know if my wood has got wet?

It hisses and steams instead of catching, the bark peels easily, and it feels heavy and cold for its size. A piece knocked against another sounds dull rather than sharp. If a bag arrived like that, WhatsApp us within 7 days — that is the Dry Guarantee. If it got that way in your storage, dry it inside for a week before burning.

Does firewood attract insects?

A stack against a house wall can bring wood borer and ants indoors. Keep the main stack a hand’s width off the wall and off the ground, and bring in only a day or two of wood at a time. Namibian hardwood is dry-fumigated before it comes in.

Is your wood actually dry?

Yes, and we stake 25 years on it. Our bagged wood is seasoned and stored under cover, so it lights properly and burns hot instead of hissing at you. If a bag ever disappoints, tell us and we’ll make it right — that is the Dry Guarantee. Read the Dry Guarantee.

Stock up while the storage is dry

Order online and the bags are carried in and stacked where you want them, or WhatsApp us and we will say what we would put on the truck.

See prices · Delivery from R200 WhatsApp an order — 060 978 8945