Log Store Ideas: Where to Keep Logs at Home

What makes a good log store?

• A roof that keeps rain and snow off the top, with an overhang at the front.
• Open or slatted sides so air can move through. Defra says to store wood under cover with good air circulation.
• A raised floor, such as slats or a pallet, so logs aren't on wet ground.
• Room above the logs, so you're not packing them right up to the roof.
• Easy access, so you can take the oldest logs first.

Log store ideas

Do I need planning permission for a log store?

Usually not. In England, a garden building for a use incidental to the house is normally permitted development, but the Planning Portal sets limits, including:

• No outbuilding forward of the front wall of the house.
• Single storey, with eaves no higher than 2.5 m and an overall height of no more than 4 m with a dual pitched roof, or 3 m for any other roof.
• No higher than 2.5 m if it's within 2 m of a boundary.
• Buildings mustn't cover more than half the land around the original house.
• Any outbuilding in the grounds of a listed building needs planning permission, and on designated land, such as a National Park, buildings at the side of a house need it too.

Flats and maisonettes don't have these rights, and the Planning Portal says some councils remove them with an Article 4 Direction, so check with your council if you're unsure. Building regulations won't normally apply to a building under 15 m², the Planning Portal says.

How big should my log store be?

Big enough for the logs you'll keep at once, plus a little room for air. A stacked tonne bag takes about a third of a cubic metre. Work it out with our log store calculator.

Where should I keep logs indoors?

• HETAS says not to store anything combustible on the hearth, and not to stack logs on top of, beside or against the stove.
• Use a rack or basket a suitable distance away, as HETAS advises. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue says to keep flammable items at least a metre from the fireplace.
• Never dry damp logs by the stove. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue has reported a fire started by a spark from damp logs placed near a log burner.