OK,
for 50 years, I've hauled wood into the house 1 armload at a time. For the last 10 years, I have used one of those leather slings which is 'easier' I guess... although I think all it really does is allow me to work just as hard, but in 1/2 the time. However, I don't see that leather sling as a real functional system when I'm 70 given I load it with 70-80lbs each time.
I am building a new house, and I'd like to have at least one if not more wood burning fireplaces in the house. And, if possible... I'd like to design something which not only gives me a good location for storing wood but also the easiest/cleanest way in which to get the wood into the house.
I don't want to pallet it into the garage. That idea wouldn't float past my wife for even a second. Nor do I really want to haul it arm by arm through the house from the garage.
I'd like your ideas about this issue.
The fireplace WON'T be on the outside wall on at least one FP. So a direct access from outside won't be an option, as much as I'd like it to be. My preference, at this point for storage, is to design a firebox storage directly next to the fireplace. I've seen these before, and it is nice access and out of the way. I dislike a big wood rack, but now that I think about it, perhaps a good 'mobile' wood rack with a specifically designed storage spot would work best... now that might be an idea. A nice forged dolly that can be rolled in and out of the house, but with an out of the way storage spot next to the fireplace..... hmmmmm.... this question might have an inherent answer.
Anyway... I'd like your thoughts and solutions to my issue.
- You don't want to pallet it into the garage.
- You don't want to haul it arm by arm through the house from the garage.
- Fireplace won't be on an outside wall, so no direct access.
- You dislike a big wood rack.
- Your preference is a firebox storage directly next to the fireplace.
So you build a wood box next to the fireplace... how are you going to load wood into that box? Piece by piece, same amount of work that you do today, and possibly more, as if you load armloads into the fireplace, that's one time you're touching it. If you load armloads into a pile next to the fireplace and then into the fireplace, that's two times you're touching it. Same as if you load it into a woodblock. You're not saving any work.
So you go with a mobile cart that you can store in a closet, alcove, indentation, next to the fireplace.... how are you going to load that mobile cart? Piece by piece. That's one time touching each piece of wood. Now you roll the cart into the house, and you have to load it into the fireplace, so that's two times you're touching each piece of wood. All the mobile cart does is save you trips back and forth, and having to carry it VS rolling it. But remember, you'll be rolling bigger loads, so that could possibly be hard on your back, too. You're still handling each piece of firewood the same amount of times.
Where are you going to load the mobile cart from? You don't want wood in your garage. So where will the wood be? Is it easily accessible with that mobile cart?
How much wood do you burn?
How many days worth of wood will the mobile cart hold?
It would be much faster and less work if you could find a way to load the wood box directly from the outside world.
With that said... a nice looking iron rack next to the fireplace always looks nice. You can make multiple small trips to load it up in an hour, and have 4-5 days worth of wood. While it won't save you any actual work, it will let you do the work in an hour instead of having to load the rack every single day.
We are fortunate that our wood burner is in the basement, near a 4' wide doorway on the external wall, that has an outside 4' wide concrete stairway covered with metal cyclone doors. I can drive the tractor right up to it and dump in bucketloads of wood from outside. I keep about 100 pieces in the house, and get about 450 pieces in the stairwell each time I fill it. 550 pieces lasts me about 3 weeks in the coldest of winter.
When and if we ever plan and build a new house, I'm going to do my best to get a nice woood closet next to the stove, that I can load from the back. Be it from the garage, a utility room, etc... I want to load it from the back and unload it from the front.
Whatever you do, be prepared to get a LOT of dirt, sand, dust, etc... at the bottom of your storage area. Plan for that so you can pu a mat or grate or something under there that is easily removed for vacuuming/sweeping. Firewood is messy.
Good luck in your search.
