In the city, summer may be an unlikely time to think about firewood. At the cabin though, the start of the warm season is best to cut and stack wood for next winter. Pile thoughtfully and relish the structural beauty.

You will most likely have a mixture of wood that is cured (totally dry; ready to burn) and green (still containing moisture). If the wood is green it will need to cure for several months or more than a year before it will burn well.

You may choose to make two piles–one for green wood and one for cured–or you may make one pile, but keep burnable wood separate from that which needs to age longer.

The pile must be stable, provide airflow and protect the wood from weather. A simple design uses two 4x4s directly on the ground. Then build two support columns on each end of the 4x4s.

If mixing green and cured wood in the same pile, use green wood for the columns, then randomly stack cured wood between them. That way, you don’t disassemble your supports getting wood to burn.

When the rains come, throw a tarp or spare roofing shingles over the top of the pile. Always exercise caution when removing the tarp or wood from a pile–especially one that has been undisturbed for several months. Venomous creatures have probably moved in.