Sizing
Two-bay log stores: the easiest way to rotate stock
Use separate bays to keep old and new deliveries apart, support the stack and simplify winter access.
Two bays solve a dull but persistent problem: the new delivery otherwise lands in front of the last one. Fill one side, use the other, then swap.
When two bays earn their width
They are particularly useful when:
- the supplier delivers before the store is empty;
- partly seasoned wood must remain separate from ready fuel;
- one broad stack tends to lean;
- different log lengths arrive;
- kindling needs a distinct dry zone.
The divider is structural as well as organisational. It supports stack ends and can stiffen a wide timber frame.
Divide capacity deliberately
Equal bays are simple, but not compulsory. A larger delivery bay plus a smaller ready-use bay can work when wood is moved forward in batches. Measure both as separate internal rectangles.
Do not let the divider become a solid sheet that blocks cross-flow. Slatted timber or a framed opening keeps the separation without making two damp cupboards.
Label the delivery date
A small removable tag is enough. Put the month and year on the bay when it is filled, then resist topping it up with newer pieces. Rotation fails when the boundary becomes decorative.
Sources
- Forest Research: Domestic heating with logs — principles for covered, raised, open-sided storage, checked 10 November 2026.