Buying a log store sounds simple until you start comparing sizes. Is a 4ft store enough? What does "6ft x 4ft" actually mean? And how many logs will you really get through between October and March?
This guide answers those questions in plain terms. It covers how much wood each size of log store holds, how long that lasts, and what to look for so your logs stay dry and burn well. We've used the real measurements of the wooden log stores we sell, so you can go straight from working out the size you need to choosing a store.
First, how log store sizes are named
Most log stores are named by height and width in feet. Churnet Valley's names put the height first, then the width. So a "4ft x 6ft" log store is about 4ft (120 cm) tall and 6ft (180 cm) wide, and a "6ft x 4ft" store is the tall, narrow version: about 6ft high and 4ft wide.
That matters because two stores with the same name the other way round hold about the same amount of wood but fit very different spaces. A low, wide store suits a run of fence or the space under a window. A tall, narrow one suits the gap beside a back door or a side return.
Depth is the third number to check. Most of our wooden log stores are 60 cm deep, and the felted-roof range is 67 cm deep. That's deep enough for a row of standard 25 cm logs with room for air behind them.
How much wood does a log store hold?
A quick way to compare log stores is their volume: width × depth × height. The table below works that out from the outside measurements of each store. These are approximate figures. The roof, floor and frame take up some of the space, and logs never stack perfectly, so expect to fit a little less than the number shown.
| Log store | Outside size (W × D × H) | Approx. volume |
|---|---|---|
| Triangle log store | 112 × 60 × 180 cm | About 0.75 m³ (maker's figure) |
| 4ft x 4ft with kindling shelf | 131.5 × 65 × 118 cm | About 1 m³, including the shelf |
| 4ft x 5ft / 4ft x 5ft slatted | 150 × 60 × 120 cm | About 1.1 m³ |
| 5ft x 4ft | 120 × 60 × 150 cm | About 1.1 m³ |
| 4ft x 5ft felted roof / 5ft x 4ft felted roof | 150 × 67 × 120 cm / 120 × 67 × 150 cm | About 1.2 m³ |
| 4ft x 6ft / 4ft x 6ft slatted | 180 × 60 × 120 cm | About 1.3 m³ |
| 6ft x 4ft / 6ft x 4ft slatted / Gawsworth | 120 × 60 × 180 cm | About 1.3 m³ |
| 4ft x 6ft felted roof / 6ft x 4ft felted roof | 180 × 67 × 120 cm / 120 × 67 × 180 cm | About 1.45 m³ |
| 5ft x 6ft / 6ft x 5ft felted roof | 180 × 67 × 150 cm / 150 × 67 × 180 cm | About 1.8 m³ |
| 5ft x 6ft felted roof | 190 × 67 × 150 cm | About 1.9 m³ |
| 6ft x 6ft with tool shed | 180 × 60 × 180 cm | About 1.9 m³ in total, shared between the log bay and the tool shed |
| Large 6ft x 12ft | 360 × 60 × 180 cm | About 3.9 m³ |
Loose logs take up more room than stacked logs. Logs are usually sold loose, in bulk bags or by the "loose cubic metre". Once you stack them neatly they settle into a smaller space, typically around two thirds of the loose volume. So a 1 m³ bulk bag of loose logs will usually fit in a store of about 0.6 to 0.7 m³.
How long will that last?
This depends on your stove, your house, the wood and how often you light the fire, so treat these as rough starting points rather than rules:
- Occasional fires (weekends and cold evenings): a small to medium store, around 1 m³, is usually plenty. You can top it up with a bag of logs when it runs low.
- A fire most evenings from autumn to spring: many households get through several cubic metres a season. A store of 1.3 to 2 m³ means you can buy in bulk once or twice a winter instead of every few weeks.
- A stove as your main heat: you'll want the biggest store you have room for, such as the 6ft x 12ft log store, or two stores side by side, so this winter's logs can be used while next winter's are drying.
Winter Sale
Heavy Duty 4ft x 5ft Wooden Log Store150 × 60 cm, 120 cm high£250
Winter Sale
Heavy Duty 4ft x 6ft Wooden Log Store180 × 60 cm, 120 cm high£269
Winter Sale
Large 6ft x 12ft Wooden Garden Log Store360 × 60 cm, 180 cm high£502The easiest way to size it is to look at how you buy logs now. If you order a 1 m³ bag of loose logs each time, a store of around 0.7 m³ or more will take a full bag, with a little space left for kindling. If you'd rather buy a bigger load less often, size up.
Rule of thumb: if you're between two sizes, choose the bigger one. A half-empty log store does no harm, but a full one with a bag of logs still sitting in the rain does.
What makes a good log store: airflow first
A log store isn't a cupboard. Its job is to keep rain and snow off the wood while letting air move through it, so the logs keep drying. Logs that stay damp burn poorly, give off more smoke and leave more tar in your chimney. Since 2021 in England, firewood sold in small quantities has had to be dried to 20% moisture or less for exactly this reason, and your store should keep it that way.
Slatted sides and gaps
Look for slatted sides or gaps between the boards so air can pass through the stack. Leave a small gap between the back of the logs and the back of the store, too.
Winter Sale
Heavy Duty 4ft x 5ft Slatted Garden Log Store150 × 60 cm, 120 cm high£221
Winter Sale
Heavy Duty 4ft x 6ft Slatted Garden Log Store180 × 60 cm, 120 cm high£256
Winter Sale
Heavy Duty 6ft x 4ft Slatted Garden Log Store120 × 60 cm, 180 cm high£256A raised, slatted floor
Logs sitting on wet ground soak up water from below. Choose a store with a raised or slatted floor that lifts the bottom row off the ground and lets air under it, like the 4ft x 6ft and 5ft x 6ft heavy-duty stores. Then stand it on a level base so it stays square.
A roof that sheds water
The roof should slope so rain runs off, and overhang the front and back slightly so it doesn't drip onto the wood. A sloped single-pitch (pent) roof is the most common. A peaked roof, like the Gawsworth, sheds water both ways and looks more like a small building.
Felted roof or timber roof?
Both keep the rain off. The difference is in how they do it and how they look.
- Timber roof (most of the heavy-duty range): boards set on a slope so water runs off. It looks natural and needs nothing extra, though a little rain can find its way between boards in driving weather.
- Felted roof (the felted-roof range): roof boards covered in roofing felt, which gives a waterproof top. It's a good choice for exposed gardens, or if you want to keep kindling and paper bone dry. These stores are also a little deeper, at 67 cm.
With a tool shed or kindling shelf?
If space is tight, a combined store can save you buying two things.
- The 6ft x 6ft log store with tool shed has an open log bay next to an enclosed tool shed with a lockable door and metal latch. It's handy for keeping axes, kindling and garden tools in one place.
- The 4ft x 4ft log store with kindling shelf and the triangle log store both have a shelf to keep kindling separate from the logs, where it stays drier and easier to grab.
Winter Sale
Heavy Duty Wooden 6ft x 6ft Log Store With Tool Shed180 × 60 cm, 180 cm high£336
Winter Sale
Wooden 4ft x 4ft Garden Log Store with Kindle Shelf131.5 × 65 cm, 118 cm high£243
Winter Sale
Wooden Triangle Shaped Log Store112 × 60 cm, 180 cm high£215Where to put your log store
- Close to the door you'll use. You'll be fetching logs on dark, wet evenings, so a short walk matters more than you'd think.
- Somewhere breezy, ideally with some sun. Moving air dries logs faster than anything else. Avoid damp corners under trees.
- Open front away from the weather. In most of the UK the wettest winds come from the south-west, so face the open side away from them if you can.
- On a firm, level base such as paving slabs or compacted gravel, so the store sits square and drains well.
- Leave a small gap from walls and fences so air can circulate behind it.
Log store questions, answered
What size log store do I need for a wood burner?
For occasional use, around 1 m³ (a 4ft x 5ft or 5ft x 4ft store) is usually enough. If you light the stove most evenings through the winter, go for 1.3 to 2 m³, such as a 4ft x 6ft, 6ft x 4ft or 5ft x 6ft store. Use the table above to compare.
Will a 1 m³ bag of logs fit in my log store?
Usually, yes, as long as the store is about 0.7 m³ or bigger. Loose logs take up roughly a third more room than the same logs stacked.
Should a log store have a door?
Not for the logs. An open front lets air through and makes it easy to grab a few logs. Doors are useful for tools and kindling, which is why our tool-shed combination keeps those behind a lockable door and leaves the log bay open.
Can I put a log store against the house?
You can, as long as it doesn't block air bricks or vents and you leave a small gap for air behind it. Some people prefer to keep logs a little away from the house to keep insects at a distance.
How long will a wooden log store last?
Churnet Valley's log stores are handmade in the UK from pressure-treated timber, designed to resist rot for up to 20 years. A coat of wood treatment every year or two helps keep the colour and protect the surface.
Do log stores come assembled?
Churnet Valley log stores arrive part-assembled on a pallet, so putting them together is quick. We recommend two people for the larger sizes.
Ready to choose?
Once you know roughly how much wood you'll keep, measure the space you have, including room to stand in front and load logs, and pick a store from our log storage collection. If you're unsure, call us Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, on 0330 043 0361, and we'll help you work it out.
