How to build a log store

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This walk-through is based on the popular UK video “Make a Pallet Log Store IN A DAY” from Warren Nash, which shows how to turn a couple of free pallets into a solid, weather-resistant log store in a single day. Genuinely useful for anyone who wants the result without spending a fortune on materials — and the construction techniques apply equally well if you want to build from new timber instead.

1. Decide on the size

Work out how much wood you burn in a season and plan accordingly. A typical household burns one to two cubic metres of seasoned logs per winter. A store that holds around a cubic metre — roughly 1.2 m wide, 0.6 m deep, and 1 m high — is a good starting point.

Logs need to season for at least a year before burning, so if you buy unseasoned wood you will need space to stack a year’s worth on top of your current supply. Double the size and you always have dry wood ready to use.

2. Collect or buy your materials

Heat-treated pallets (stamped HT) are safe to use for a log store. Avoid chemically treated pallets marked MB (methyl bromide) — they are not safe to burn or to have near food-growing areas. HT pallets are free from many builders’ merchants, farms, and local Facebook groups.

For a longer-lasting build, use 75 mm × 50 mm treated timber for the frame and rough-sawn boards for the sides. Treat any cut ends with end-grain preservative before assembly.

3. Prepare the base

The base of the log store must keep wood off the ground. Direct ground contact rots timber and lets moisture wick up into the logs. Lay two or three lengths of timber as bearers, set on a gravel bed or concrete slabs so they clear the soil by at least 50 mm.

Check the bearers are level with each other. A sloping base means a wobbly structure and logs that roll off the stack.

4. Build the back and sides

Stand the back panel up first and brace it temporarily while you attach the side panels. Leave gaps between the boards on the sides — around 20 to 30 mm — so air can circulate through the wood. Solid sides trap moisture and slow the seasoning process.

The back can be more solid to block prevailing wind and rain. In Kent, that usually means the south-west is the direction to protect.

5. Add the roof

The roof is the single most important part. A log store without a roof is just a soggy pile of expensive timber. Use a sheet of corrugated metal, corrugated bitumen, or plywood covered in roofing felt — all work well and last years.

Pitch the roof forwards so rain runs off the front rather than the back. A slope of around 10 to 15 degrees is enough. Overhang the front by 150 to 200 mm to keep the front row of logs dry even in driving rain.

6. Fix the roof down securely

Screw or nail the roof sheet to a pair of timber battens running front to back across the top of the structure. Make sure the fixings go through the crown of the corrugations, not the valleys — fixing through the valleys lets water in.

On the front edge, add a drip strip of thin timber or metal to direct water away from the face of the logs below. This small detail makes a big difference to how dry the front row stays.

7. Position and fill the store

Place the store somewhere it gets sun and air movement for at least part of the day. A south or east-facing spot is ideal. Tuck it against a fence or wall to block the prevailing wind, but leave a small gap between the back and any wall for air to circulate.

Stack logs with bark side up so the end grain faces out. This is where moisture leaves the wood as it seasons, and end-grain exposure speeds drying significantly. Cross-hatch the ends of the stack so air flows through the whole pile rather than just around the outside.

When to call a handyman

Richard can build a log store from new treated timber if you want something more permanent, or help with positioning and levelling if the ground is uneven. A well-built log store that looks good and does the job properly is not difficult — it just takes a bit of care at each step.