How to Build a Log Store with Reclaimed Timber and Tin Sheets

Here I show you how to build a log store with reclaimed timber, an existing fence and old metal roofing sheets. This DIY firewood shed turned our growing log pile into something rather more organised! Follow the photos from the raised base right up to the roof, with plenty of room for the logs to breathe.

You can follow my Youtube videos here: part 1 (base), part 2 (rafters & purlins), part 3 (metal roof).

What do you do when the log stores are full and the firewood has started taking over the barns? In our case, build a much bigger one! After cutting back the trees, we needed somewhere to get everything stacked and under cover.

Our store runs for roughly 10 metres along the fence behind the compost bays. Yes, ten metres! With that much firewood to house, I was determined to put our scrap timber and old roofing sheets to work. Buying less new material was lovely. Persuading some of those wonky lengths to behave? Less lovely!

Think of this as a tour of our build, with ideas you can borrow for your own garden. You do not need a ten-metre firewood storage shed to make it worthwhile! A smaller lean-to or freestanding log store can do the same job. My shed base tutorial is handy if you want a closer look at building a raised timber base.

✔️ Why You'll Love This Project

• Puts an awkward strip of garden to use and keeps the firewood together.
• A raised, open-fronted store lets you keep logs off damp ground.
• Reclaimed materials can keep costs down when they are sound and suitable.
• A roof protects the stack from much of the rain while the openings let air through.
• The layout can be adapted to your own space, with separate bays for different batches of logs.

📐 Plan Your Log Store

Make life easy for yourself. Choose a breezy spot with easy access for loading and collecting logs. Leave room to get around the store, and send roof water away from the woodpile. Nobody wants to fetch an armful of logs through an obstacle course in the rain!

Give it a solid start. We used the existing fence structure at the back of the shed. The important bit is the supporting posts, not the fence boards: lightweight panels cannot carry the roof. A freestanding frame beside the fence is another option. The raised floor carries the logs, so keep their weight off the back wall.

Measure your space and your firewood. Note the width, depth and heights, then allow for the roof slope and overhang. Plan the supports, bracing and timber sizes around those spans. If you are drawing up firewood shed plans, this is the time to settle the frame dimensions and make your cutting list.

Choose the roof before cutting the frame. Different roofing sheets need different slopes and support spacing. We used trapezoid metal roofing which can afford to have a shallow slope. Once those details are sorted at the planning stage, along with the fixings, the rest of the build is much easier to organise.

⚒️ DIY Log Store Tools and Materials

Here is what went into our DIY firewood shed. Have a look through the step photos, then make a shopping list around your own dimensions and whatever useful timber you already have. There is a quick build checklist at the bottom too.

• Timber for the frame: posts, base rails, upper rails, roof beams, rafters and purlins. We used reclaimed timber; new pressure-treated timber is another option. Save the straightest, soundest lengths for the load-bearing parts.
• Floor boards and side slats: exterior timber with gaps between the boards. Matching lengths are lovely, but our reclaimed pile had other ideas!
• Concrete blocks and packing: to support the floor frame and lift it clear of the ground. The supports need a firm base and packing that will carry the load without squashing or shifting.
• Weed-control membrane: optional, but useful beneath the store. Keep drainage clear so the wood is not sitting over a puddle.
• Metal roofing: we reused old profiled sheets, with roof fixings and sealing washers. Add any flashings your layout needs.
• Timber treatment, roof paint and repair tape: for freshening up and repairing the reclaimed materials.
• Exterior fixings: structural screws, bolts or brackets to suit the joints. Make a list from your own frame rather than buying a box of one screw size and hoping for the best!

Tools for Building a Log Store

Time to raid the tool cupboard! Here is a handy list for measuring, cutting and putting everything together. Use what you already have; there is no need to buy a whole new kit for one project.

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• Measure and mark: a tape measure, pencil and spirit level for setting out the base and checking the uprights. A rafter square is handy for marking timber cuts.
• Hold it steady: Irwin clamps and ToughBuilt sawhorses help support and secure the timber. An extra pair of hands that does not ask for a tea break!
• Cut the timber: a Worx mitre saw for repeat cuts on the frame and slats, or a suitable timber saw you already own.
• Drill and fix: a Stanley combi drill and drill bit set for pilot holes. A Stanley impact driver is useful for driving screws; use screwdriver bits that fit your chosen fixings.
• Paint and protect: a paint brush for timber treatment and awkward corners, plus a mini roller set for larger areas.
• Finish the roof: cutting tools suited to your metal sheets, gloves for sharp edges and stable access equipment. Prepare as much as possible on the ground before lifting the sheets into place.
• Keep the essentials handy: safety glasses, hearing protection and suitable dust protection, plus a scrap strip of wood to keep the gaps between the slats even.
• Check the logs later: a wood moisture meter. The outside can look dry while the middle tells a different story!

🌬️ Why Airflow Matters for Drying Logs

A log store needs to keep the worst of the weather out while letting damp air escape. That is why an open front, raised floor and gaps between the side slats are so useful. All those gaps are doing a job - this is one woodworking project where we actually want a draught!

Leave some breathing space at the back of the shed too, and resist packing every last gap with firewood. A roof shelters the stack; moving air helps dry it. Wrapping the whole thing tightly in plastic rather defeats the point.

📋 How to Build a Log Store Step by Step

1. Clear the site and control weeds

Clear the strip, tidy the existing fence and mark out the footprint. We laid membrane to keep the weeds from making themselves at home underneath. Leave the ground draining freely before putting the base supports in place.

2. Set out the supports and base

Lay out the concrete blocks and build the floor frame over them, with joints supported. Use a spirit level in both directions and compare the diagonals to check it is square. Our ground had more slope than expected, so we packed where needed and kept the rear blocks for clearance. The finished base still had a slight fall towards the front.

3. Treat the timber

Sort out old nails and screws, then brush on the exterior timber treatment, including the cut ends where needed. It is much easier to reach everything now than after it has become a log store! Let the treatment dry before assembling. Here, you can see me using skirting boards for the base.

4. Assemble and secure the uprights

Build the upright assemblies and fix them to the supported base. Check each post is plumb and brace it as you go. We connected the rear to our existing supporting structure; use independent posts if your fence is only lightweight panels.

5. Fit the floor and side boards

Fix the floor boards over their supports, then add the side slats. Leave gaps for air and drainage. Those bottom slats have a whole pile of logs to carry, so give them plenty of support beneath. I used a strip of wood as a template to rest the new slat above.

6. Tie the upper frame together

Join the uprights with the upper rails and keep checking the frame stays straight and square. Put timber joints over supports. This is where the separate sections start looking like one enormous log store! Here I'm using a temporary brace to keep the uprights plumb.

7. Fit the roof beams

Lift the roof beams into place with a helping pair of hands and secure them to the frame. The front and rear supports set the roof slope. Check the alignment now, before the rafters make everything harder to adjust.

8. Measure, cut and fix the rafters

Measure from the actual frame, mark and cut the roof rafters, then fix them across the supports with the planned overhang. Work to the timber sizes and spacing from your frame layout. A little time spent lining them up makes the next stage much nicer. I placed ours at 400 mm centres.

9. Add the purlins

Fix the purlins across the rafters: these give the metal roofing its supporting and fixing points. Space them for your chosen sheets and keep joints over supports. Now we have somewhere for that roof to sit!

10. Prepare and paint the roofing sheets

Measure and trim the sheets, then clean and prepare them for painting. We used bitumen paint we already had for our reclaimed metal roofing. Choose a finish compatible with your sheets and let it cure. Painting on the ground is far more pleasant than trying to do it overhead!

11. Repair the old holes

Look for old screw holes before the sheets go up. We patched ours with flashing tape and pressed it down firmly onto the prepared surface. Use tape that suits the sheet and finish; badly deteriorated or dented sheets are better replaced. Much easier to spot a hole now than trace a drip later!

12. Fit the roof and fill the store

Line up the roofing sheets, overlap them to shed water and fix them to the supports with roof fixings and sealing washers. Use the overlap and fixing pattern for your sheet profile. Then comes the satisfying bit: stack the logs, leave the air gaps clear and admire how much tidier everything looks!

Roofing tip: Sort out the sheet overlaps and fixing positions before lifting everything up. This roofing installation guide explains the details for different profiles. A dry run on the ground is much less of a faff!

⚖️ Fence-Attached, Lean-to and Freestanding Log Stores

• Along a fence, like ours: a good way to use a long strip of garden. Use suitable supporting posts and leave space for air behind the stack.
• A lean-to log store: handy beside a sound wall, with a sloping roof to shed the rain. Keep the roof-to-wall joint watertight and leave ventilation behind the logs. My lean-to shed project shows a related layout.
• A freestanding firewood shed: give it its own front and rear posts, foundations, bracing and anchors. Lovely if the breeziest spot in your garden happens to be nowhere near a wall!
• Separate bays: keep newly cut wood away from the dry logs you are using now. A little label with the stacking date saves a lot of head-scratching next winter.

🦺 A Few Practical Tips Before You Start

• Pull hidden nails and screws from reclaimed timber before sawing. Rotten or badly split pieces do not belong in the structural frame.
• Clamp the timber, pop on safety glasses and hearing protection, and control the sawdust. Gloves help when handling sharp metal sheets.
• Identify old roofing before cutting it, and use stable access equipment rather than standing on unsupported sheets. Get an extra pair of hands for the long beams and roof panels.
• Brace the frame as you build and stack the logs securely. A neat woodpile should stay a neat woodpile!
• Brace and secure the frame before loading it. Stack logs securely without leaning their weight against unsupported cladding.

🧽 Care and Maintenance

The first rainy day is a useful test: look for drips and make sure water is running away from the logs. Give the frame and fixings a look over after strong winds too.

Clear leaves and weeds from the base, keep the air gaps open and touch up worn finishes when needed. Deal with a leaking patch or deteriorating sheet early, before your beautifully stacked wood gets a soaking.

❓ FAQ

➕ More Related Projects

• How to make a shed base
• How to build a lean-to shed
• DIY shed shelving

🪵 Quick Build Checklist

A handy recap of the sequence. Use the full instructions above alongside the dimensions and structural details for your own store.

1. Clear the site and control weeds
2. Set out the supports and base
3. Treat the timber
4. Assemble and secure the uprights
5. Fit the floor and side boards
6. Tie the upper frame together
7. Fit the roof beams
8. Measure, cut and fix the rafters
9. Add the purlins
10. Prepare and paint the roofing sheets
11. Repair the old holes
12. Fit the roof and fill the store