3 Things to Consider When Storing Project Logs This Winter

You may need to store your project logs over the winter for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps you’re waiting on a permit before using your bandsaw sawmill to mill boards for that upcoming property improvement work. Or maybe winter arrived earlier than anticipated and has settled in for the next several months. 

Bandsaw Sawmill

Whatever the case may be, storing your logs properly can help keep them in the best condition possible until you’re ready to mill them. Whether you’re storing them for just a few days or until the spring thaw, a little bit of diligence can go a long way.

So, when you’re ready to put those logs away and save them for another day, use these three tips to protect them against the elements, avoid waste, and ensure a stunning final product when you do finally get around to using your logs.

Get Your Logs Off the Ground

When it comes to storing logs during winter, there are several obvious threats you should mitigate. From pests that can ruin your logs to temperature fluctuations and humidity that can cause fungus, there’s a lot to take into account.

Once you’ve hauled your logs to the storage area using one of the best-valued off road utility trailers on the market, the first thing you should do is get them off the ground. Either bunk them on a couple of sacrificial logs or use pallets or cinder blocks to elevate them. This will reduce the risk of insect damage and prevent accumulating snow from causing rot.

Take Steps to Prevent Deterioration

Although you wouldn’t want your logs covered in snow all winter long, you’ve likely noticed that commercial mills keep their logs wet before processing. If practical in your situation, you may want to consider doing the same.

After all, it’s not likely that you’ll have access to a log pond, much less the time and resources to store and then later retrieve your logs. You can use an agricultural sprinkler or a couple of garden sprinklers to keep logs appropriately damp.

In addition, sealing the ends can reduce the amount of moisture your logs will lose to natural wicking as they sit idle. To seal the ends of your logs, use wax or a paint product.

Check Your Logs Regularly

If there’s a problem with how you’re storing your logs during the winter, you’ll want to find out sooner rather than later so you can adjust appropriately.

Repositioning your logs using a UTV dump trailer, recovering them, or otherwise changing how your logs are stored can minimize damage and help you get the most out of each log when you’re finally ready to process them.

Optimal storage conditions will vary based on where you live, the climate, the species of wood you’re storing, and various other factors.

But, generally speaking, keeping your logs cold, wet, out of the sun, and insect-free will give you the best odds of producing quality lumber when it comes time to mill them.

About Woodland Mills

Exceptional performance from products built to last at a price point hobbyists can justify—that’s what independent sawyers, woodworkers, and landowners worldwide expect when they turn to Woodland Mills. Woodland Mills consistently delivers superior quality at an unbeatable price by combining innovative design, cost-effective manufacturing, and direct-to-customer sales. Since childhood friends Neil Bramley and Josh Malcolm founded Woodland Mills in 2009, the company has become an industry leader. The Woodland Mills lineup of best-valued forestry products started with the flagship HM126 portable bandsaw mill and has since grown to include wood chippers, ATV log trailers, log arches, and much more. New Woodland Mills offerings include the powerful TF810 PRO PTO Wood Chipper, uncompromising HM136MAX™ portable bandsaw mill, and the nimble Pathlander™ UTV dump trailer. See just how affordable quality can be with Woodland Mills.

Explore the best-valued forestry products from Woodland Mills at https://woodlandmills.com/