Log Store Plans

We recently had the task of buying a log store. The main criteria were to find a log shed that had adequate size while not breaking the bank balance. After scouring the few internet websites that sell log storage sheds it soon became clear that off-the-shelf log stores were often too small for our requirements or too expensive.

This article will outline log store plans and a log store design that is cost-effective while maximising the log shed's size.

Log store Design: Size

One of the biggest criteria when choosing log sheds is deciding how many logs you will need to keep dry and season. In our situation we had a large supply of logs from a couple of recently felled trees and always seem to maintain a good supply. The size of your log shed will also be dependent on the space you have around your premises. You will also want a convenient location where you can easily access the logs on a cold winter's night!

How to build your own log store AND save money

After studying many different designs for a log sheds we created a design and plan that would suit our wood storage requirements. This was great but when it came to buying the bespoke-length wood to build the log store we suddenly realised that costs were quickly adding up.

TIP 1: Build with sizes you can bulk buy - Our first tip when building your own log store is to base its dimensions on the lengths your wood supplier can provide in pack quantities. Typically, when you buy the wood at bespoke lengths the costs can quickly escalate. Therefore, our original size of 2.6m across was modified to 2.4m, which was a cost-effective length for our project.

TIP 2: Don't leave waste cuts - We found that a common pack length was 2.4m. Therefore, to minimize our costs we tried to work in lengths of multiples of 2.4m. For example, the depth became 1.2m instead of our previous choice of 1.5m. Alternatively, we could have chosen a log store depth of 0.8m and created 3 cuts out of our 2.4m length. This will mean that you will be left with little wasted wood and greatly reduce your construction costs. A footprint of 1.2m x 2.4m makes this larger than most log stores on the market.

Materials to build your own log store

The materials we used to build our log store were based on:

1. Good aesthetic design,
2. Maximize size while keeping costs down, and
3. Keeping the logs as dry as possible.

To build the log storage shed we used:

• 18 lengths of 47mm × 47mm × 2.4m sawn treated softwood (3 packs of 6).
• 60 feather edge fence panels of 11mm × 100mm × 2.4m length (6 packs of 10 panels per pack).
• 1 box of black phosphated 32mm wood screws (box quantity: 500)
• 1 box of deck screws 75mm (box quantity: 250). You should have ample screws left over in both boxes.
• 30 Timber fixing brackets.
• floor boarding (optional)

Plans for building a log store

The footprint of the log store is 2.4m × 1.2m. This would give space for 3 rows of logs. The height of the log storage shed is 2.1m at the back and 1.9m at the front giving a 20cm difference so rain can easily run off.

Tip: If you plan to collect logs during heavy rain then you may consider having the roof slope down to the rear of the store so rain water doesn't drip onto you when collecting logs. In our log store design we opted to keep the log shed a little more sheltered from the elements by having a smaller front opening.

The sawn softwood comes in 2.4m lengths so you could make the wood log shed higher. For example, the rear height could be 2.4m and the front height could be 2.1m. Our log store design was lower so that we required fewer feather edge panels and also it made accessing the top level of logs easier for shorter people.

To build your own log store based on these sizes use the following log store plans:

STEP 1: Preparation

• Cut 20 of your feather edge fence panels in half. This should result in 40 x 1.2m lengths.
• Tip 1: Don't assume the feather edge panels are exactly 2.4m in length. Measure the full length and half this total. You may need to adjust the sawn softwood measurements for the sides accordingly.
• Tip 2: Feather edge panels can easily split so you may consider cutting the whole pack together while it is still bound in the straps. This makes the jobs faster and easier.

• Floor: Cut 2 pieces of the 2.4m lengths in half to create 4 lengths of 1.2m each. Again check the overall length of the panels to make sure the lengths are 2.4m These 4 softwood pieces should be exactly the same length as your feather edge fence panels.
• Floor & roof: If you want the feather edge fence panels to meet snuggly at the corners then you will need to reduce the 2.4m sawn softwood lengths to 2.38m. This will allow the fence panels to overlap the back of your log store by 1cm on each side and allow the side fence panels to create the perfect corner finish. Therefore, reduce 8 of the 2.4m sawn softwood pieces to 2.38m each.
• Roof: Cut two of the 2.4m softwood lengths in half. These four pieces don't need to be 1.2m so keep them as long as possible while making sure each length is the same.
• Front and Back: The two front pieces should be cut down from 2.4m to 1.75m and the four rear pieces cut down to 1.95m. The reason these lengths differ to the overall heights of 1.9m and 2.1m is due to these pieces being on top and below other softwood pieces (3 pieces x 5cm - see photos).

STEP 2: Build your own log store roof

Take the four 1.2m softwood pieces and place them in-between two of the 2.38m lengths. Use four timber fixing brackets along with sixteen 32mm screws for the corners. Use another two timber fixing brackets for each of the internal 1.2m lengths. You should create a timber structure as shown by the upper right image (labelled: create a sturdy structure).

Take sixteen feather edge panels and carefully place them on this structure. The overall width of the top of the log store should be 1.3m (1.2m + 2 × 5cm). The sixteen feather edge panels have a total width of 1.6m (16 × 10cm). Therefore, each panel should overlap the next panel by about 18mm (See photo to the right). The front panel should line up with the front sawn softwood. The rear panel should overlap by 1cm. It is important to note that each fence panel should overlap by 1cm at each end. This is to overlap the side fence panels.

TIP 1: The roof's back feather edge panel should overlap the softwood by 1cm. This will ensure the log store's roof overlaps the back fence panels.

TIP 2: Use two people to align each fence panel starting from the back and moving to the front. You may need to re-space the panels to make sure the front panel is perfectly in line with the front sawn softwood.

You should now screw in these feather edge panels into your frame. You will have four 32mm screws to each fence panel using a total of sixty-four screws (16 × 4). To screw the panels into the middle softwood struts you may need to make small pen marks first - using a tape measure to get the correct screw positions.

TIP 3: This process is fast if you use an electric screw driver or a drill with a Philips screw head. Don't over screw into these panels as they can easily split.

The roof of your log storage shed should now be complete and look like the photo to the right.

STEP 3: Build the log store structure

Place the four 1.2m sawn softwood lengths on the floor parallel and equally spaced. Place the six 2.38m lengths of sawn softwood on top as in the lower left photo. If you are not going to put floor boards into your log store then you will need to space these six lengths so that the logs can straddle the two pieces. We will have three rows of logs so each row will straddle two of these 2.38m pieces.

TIP 1: If your log store design includes floor boards then you may be able to reduce your costs by eliminating these six sawn softwood pieces.

Once you have spaced the sawn softwood use your 75mm deck screws and screw them in to join the six 2.38m lengths into the four 1.2m lengths. Use your electric screw driver to make quick work of these twenty-four longer 75mm screws.

Use four timber fixing brackets for each corner along with sixteen 32mm screws (see above right photo).

Now connect each of the upright pieces using a timber fixing bracket for each. You will have four rear upright pieces and two front upright pieces. At this stage you may wish to temporarily connect a fence panel to the top just to hold these pieces in place while you affix the other fence panels. If you do fix a temporary top panel in place make sure it overlaps each vertical side piece by 1cm.

STEP 4: Building the Log store sides

Starting with the back of the log shed start screwing in each 2.4m fence panel starting at the bottom and working up. Overlap each panel by 12mm. You should use 24 feather edge panels for the back. The overall height of the log store is 2.1m so you will have 30cm to overlap the 24 panels. Therefore overlap each panel by 12mm.

Attach each of your twenty 1.2m feather edge side panels again starting from the bottom and aligning each panel with the back panels for a uniform finish. You will see there is a gap above the twenty fence panels on each side. You can either buy two or three extra 2.4m feather edge lengths to fill these gaps or leave them open for air flow through your log shed as we have done.

STEP 5: Creosoting the Log store

It is likely that the sawn softwood at the bottom of the log shed will often get wet or sit in the wet. As part of your log store plans we suggest that you apply extra creosote to the bottom pieces and bottom feather edge panels so they weather better over time. At this stage you can also apply any wood creosote to the top and side feather edge panels. In our case the panels came pre-treated.

STEP 6: Connect the roof

Have someone help you lift the top roof piece onto the log shed and support it while you fix it into place with the remaining timber fixing brackets. Any spare timber fixing brackets should be used to strengthen any other weaker joins in your log store. The front of the roof should overlap the floor of the log store by at least 10cm and possibly more.

STEP 7: Flooring (optional)

If you have the budget then adding a floor into your log store design will enhance your wood store and make it easier to stack logs of random lengths. In fact if you have a substantial floor then you may be able to leave out the six 2.38m sawn softwood lengths from the floor altogether. We added the floor as an addition at the end but the added height from the floor will provide extra air flow and a gap to help stop the flooring rotting.

STEP 8: Seasoning your Logs

All you need to do now is cut your wood into even pieces and leave it to season inside your new log store. When a tree has first been felled the wood can have a large water content of around 45% and this moisture content will fall to around 20-25% with seasoning. Seasoning is the process of drying out the logs to maximize the heat you get from burning the wood. The wood will also be far easier to burn and make your job of starting the fire far quicker.

Cut your logs into similar lengths that will fit into your log fire and buy a maul axe that is specially designed for splitting the logs. Splitting the logs will help the wood season quicker. Cutting the logs thinner will mean they will burn quicker releasing heat quickly into your room. We have a mixture of small and large logs that can burn quickly or slowly over a whole evening.