How to build a great log store from pallets

If you own a fireplace or have an open fire pit in the garden, a pallet log store will certainly come in handy. It is clear that you can make almost anything out of pallets, whether it is garden furniture, a bed or some other accessory. There really are lots of options. You have an extra advantage if you are a keen DIYer. Instead of watching television, you can get started on making something practical that will also last a long time.

Where to put the log store

Where you put your pallet log store is entirely up to you. But it is the most basic question you need to ask yourself and think through carefully before you build it. A handy wood shelter like this should not get in your way, and it should not stand somewhere next to the garden pool. It should not cast shade on your neighbour either, so if your house is well laid out and has an unused wall, you have the ideal spot. Do you own a garage and want to live in it? A pallet log store might be a better fit here too.

Air circulates better in a free-standing log store, so the wood dries better.

Before you start building, sketch out the dimensions of your log store. It depends on how much wood you need to store. For example, 2.7 cubic metres of firewood will fit easily in a space measuring 190 x 150 x 100. However, you also need to allow for the wood drying for several years. For this reason, divide the log store into 3 bays. Each one should last a whole heating season. Once you empty a bay, fill it with new wood.

As for height, we would recommend at least 2 metres. Remember that the wood should not lie directly on the ground, and forget about a concrete base too. You need to prevent damp, so the ideal height is 10 to 15 cm above the ground. Not planning to concrete the floor? You are doing the right thing. It is enough to remove a layer of soil and fill it with drainage material, ideally gravel. This should help draw away moisture, which you definitely do not want. For the roof, make sure above all that it has enough of a slope so that water can drain away easily.

Building the log store

If you are a keen DIYer, you are halfway there. Our advice on materials is to get unplaned timber posts and unplaned, ungraded boards, which you can buy at a sawmill. For the roof, roofing felt from IPA will do. Corrugated metal sheets or plastic panels could also work, but the choice is entirely yours.

Tools you will need

Tape measure, spirit level

• pegs and string
• hammer
• spade and shovel
• bucket and trowel for mixing concrete
• trestles
• cordless circular saw,
• cordless drill and screwdriver

Let’s start building

First take a tape measure, spirit level, pegs and string and mark out the footprint of the log store according to your sketch. Then mark the positions of the supporting posts. You need to remove the soil and level the ground. You can set the post foundations in concrete or use screw-in ground anchors, which are screwed straight into the ground. If you use concrete, dig holes below the frost line (approx. 80 cm) and build formwork. The anchor brackets should be at least 10 cm above the ground. Assemble the frame of the wood shelter.

Join the supporting posts to the purlins using carpentry angle brackets. Use a mortise and tenon joint to connect the timber. Use a spirit level to check that the frame is level and fix it to the anchor brackets. You can adjust minor unevenness with height-adjustable brackets. Strengthen the frame with bracing straps. Fit them at an angle of approx. 45° between the posts and the purlins. Screw cross rafters onto the frame, which stabilise the structure and serve as a base for the roof.

Nail boards onto the cross rafters and lay your chosen roof covering. Make sure the roof overhangs enough so that rain does not get into the wood shelter. You can nail boards or battens onto the side and back walls of the shelter to keep the stacked wood more stable. Leave enough of a gap between the boards so that air can flow into the log store. Spread gravel over the floor and place wooden pallets or small beams on it, on which you can start stacking the wood.

Even a self-sufficient house needs a log store, and whether you choose one made from pallets is entirely up to you. For us, it would definitely win.

Source: bonacosa.cz, magazinzahrada.cz, pinterest