Wood racks: varieties, design features, tips for choosing
Most country houses have a steam room, a bath, a stove and a fireplace, so the owners of such housing need to think in advance about the preparation and storage of firewood. So that the fragrant logs do not spoil the interior of the room or the landscape design of the site with their disorder, they are beautifully folded into the firebox. This device can have a different design and be placed both inside the house and on the street, performing a decorative function.
What it is?
The firebox is a multifunctional accessory in the form of a stand designed for convenient storage of firewood. In addition, the woodpile allows you to give a complete look to the design of the room and serves as an original decoration for the personal plot.
This decorative design is very popular among summer residents and owners of country cottages, since it has the following purpose.
- Provides the ability to place firewood directly near the stove or fireplace (indoor views). To enjoy the rest near the hearth, you do not need to go outside to pick logs, which is especially important in winter.
- Keeps the room clean. The woodpile additionally protects the floor covering from dirt, small chips, dust and sawdust.
- Acts as a universal device for carrying a small amount of firewood from the main storage place (shed or other outbuilding).
- Allows you to create additional conditions for good drying of logs before burning them. Raw wood burns poorly and does not heat the room properly. Neatly folded logs on stands installed in the room gradually dry out, providing high-quality heating of the house. This is especially important for the furnace, its level of efficiency increases.
- Complements the overall style. Many homeowners purchase wood burning stoves as the main interior detail, placing it not only next to the stove, but also with a gas or electric fireplace. Large structures installed on the street adorn the landscape design, giving it a certain zest.
The sizes of woodpiles are selected individually, they are calculated depending on the volume of the firebox. So, for example, if a bathhouse is attached to the house, then the structure must have a height of at least 170 cm, which will make it possible to arrange the logs in one row, which will be enough for 3-4 fireboxes. You can also build a structure of slats or metal that occupies the entire length of the bath wall. Indoor fireboxes are chosen depending on the design and area of the room. Compact products with dimensions of 520 × 370 × 370 mm are very popular. They can be made of various materials and decorated in silver, brass, black metal or antique bronze.
Firewood boxes can be purchased both ready-made and made independently. Outdoor structures, as a rule, are installed on a solid foundation and supplemented with a frame. Such extensions are spacious and designed to store a large amount of firewood. They provide good ventilation to the logs and protect them from moisture. For greater comfort, summer residents are advised to have wood-burning boxes on the street and indoors.
Varieties
Today, woodpiles are presented in a huge assortment, but most often they are made of metal and wood. Many craftsmen also create beautiful structures from scrap materials, using barrels, concrete rings and reinforcement for this. A stand for firewood, depending on the location, is divided into several types: for premises, for the street and for carrying logs. For bulk storage of firewood, stationary extensions are used, they, unlike ordinary sheds, look stylish and reliably protect the tree from moisture, providing it with constant air circulation.
Room
Fireplaces for fireplaces and stoves are considered the most common decorative elements; they are installed directly in an apartment or house. Such constructions are distinguished by their convenience, compactness and original design. When choosing woodpiles for the house, it is necessary to take into account the interior of the room. They should be not only practical, but also stylish. Forged woodpiles look beautiful in the interior of cottages and houses; they are usually supplemented with candlesticks. Metal nobly fits into any style of the room and goes well with furniture and modern finishes.
Street
To store a large amount of firewood, street firewoods are used. They provide safe storage of fuel material, protecting it from the negative effects of moisture and atmospheric precipitation. The territory of the garden is perfect for their placement. Since street structures are built oversized, it is important to properly equip the base during their installation. To do this, a hole is dug, a cushion of rubble, sand is laid, and concrete mortar is poured.
When creating a street firewood, strapping must be performed. The walls of the building are fixed in such a way that there are small gaps between the planks, which will provide good ventilation for the wood. As for the roof, the building is covered with a lean-to method, since the water must flow back. The dimensions of the structure may vary depending on the expected volume of the firebox.
Portable
To simplify the process of carrying logs from one place to another, the use of portable wood burning stoves allows. Unlike outdoor and indoor designs, they are smaller and more functional. Log carriers are made of various materials, and forged products are in great demand. Since the metal is heavy, to reduce the weight of the structure, the base is made in the form of a lattice. This type of wood burning stove is well suited for carrying large logs, while small brushwood can crumble into pieces and leave debris.
Many summer cottage owners create portable wood burning boxes from copper or brass troughs, decorating them with the decoupage technique. If the device is planned to be used as an addition to the interior of the room, then it is best to purchase ready-made woodpiles. They are presented on the market in a huge assortment and are easily matched to any style.
Stationary
It looks interesting in the design of rooms and fireboxes installed next to the fireplace or in the niches of the walls. Such stationary structures can have different shapes and designs. In addition to decorating the room, this type of woodpile protects the flooring from damage and debris. Their main advantages include saving space, since the firebox can be placed anywhere in the room or arranged in niches.
Designers recommend placing log racks at the bottom, since this way their capacity increases several times.
Base material
Recently, on sale you can find various types of wood burning stoves, which differ among themselves not only in size, design, but also in the material of manufacture. For the base of logs, as a rule, such materials are chosen.
- Metal. It is a noble and durable material that adorns any interior.Forged products with twisted handles look original, but due to their heavy weight, they are inconvenient to use. Therefore, street or stationary raspberries are usually made of metal. It is best to make a copper or brass base. In the event that such fire boxes are installed on the street, they should be additionally treated with anti-corrosion agents.
- Cloth canvas. They are characterized by light appearance and simple shape. They are easy to use and fold easily into a cabinet. These devices represent a metal frame covered with durable fabric. Despite the fact that such woodpieces are convenient for carrying firewood from the shed to the room, they cannot serve as an element of decor, since they do not fit into any style.
- Vine. Wicker structures made of grapevine are distinguished by an exquisite look, they look luxurious in design and are expensive. But the vine is highly flammable, so the wicker accessory should not be placed near a stove or fireplace. The ideal place for him is the corner of the room. Such woodpiles also require careful handling.
- Wood. Since wood is fire hazardous, it is recommended to use it as a base for wood burning boxes intended for carrying logs. In shape, the structure of wood resembles an ordinary box assembled from boards. Firewood boxes look gorgeous in the interior, in which the frame is hollowed out of a solid bar and supplemented with metal handles. When installing woodpiles on the street, the tree should be additionally treated with protective equipment. Despite the environmental friendliness and beauty, such devices do not last long.
In addition, there are wood boxes made of several materials at the same time. Most often, the combination is wood, metal and fabric. There are also unusual types of glass fireboxes, which have increased strength and fire resistance. Glass accessories look modern and stylish in the interior, perfectly protect the room from small shavings and harmoniously combine with other decor items.
Design features
A woodpile in many cases serves not only as a place for storing and carrying firewood, but also acts as a separate element of decor. A beautiful design can be placed either separately in the room or built into a special niche. It is best to install it in line with the hearth or on both sides of it. For this, a wall structure is made up to 40 cm deep.For large rooms, a high firebox is well suited, but for safety reasons it should be 30 cm away from the stove or fireplace.
For small summer cottages where space is limited, it is best to choose an accessory in the form of a metal rack on wheels. It is convenient to move it. In the event that there is a classic style in the design of the room, a wrought-iron firebox is considered an excellent choice. In classic living rooms, a product looks great with a chrome bottom and forged handles. The shape of the accessory can be either round or rectangular.
An unusual idea in the interior will be a wicker firebox, placed above the fireplace in the form of a panel. To give the room a touch of chic, the fireplace should have a mirrored wall. Such a composition will serve as a good decoration for rooms without a fireplace. Many owners of country houses and summer cottages put false fireplaces in their living rooms. In this case, the artificial hearth is decorated with a tiny woodpile in the form of a house. If you decorate it with a garland, then for the New Year holidays you will get a gorgeous decor item. The leather woodpile is considered to be no less interesting in design. It is recommended to install it in rooms without a fireplace, filling it with logs and branches, as if for real kindling.
Knitted baskets or sacks with firewood are also very popular among designers. Such fireboxes fill the room with homeliness. It is best to choose an accessory woven from a thick, non-combustible cord.If desired, the firewood stand can be sheathed with dense drape, the texture of which will match the textiles in the room. In the high-tech style, many people use wood burning boxes made of expensive non-standard materials, for example, chrome-plated steel and glass. Rooms and boxes, baskets woven from rattan or vine will luxuriously decorate.
For wooden country houses, you can choose woodpiles made of oak or varnished plywood. Such designs, if desired, are decorated with vintage-style holders. If the owners of the house have skills in carpentry, then the fireboxes are easy to make from boards and hang them on the wall or in the corner of the room. Depending on the style, the racks are decorated with forged elements and ornaments in the form of curls, abstract lines and flowers. Firewood against such a background will look decorative and textured.
In apartments where fireplaces are installed, it is recommended to place fireboxes that look like a vertical rack. They are placed both next to the hearth and against a wall or in a corner. The height of such niches can reach the ceiling. The vertical stripe finish will be a bright accent in the interior of any living room. Horizontal structures will serve not only as a storage for firewood, but also become an excellent fireplace bench. In order for the accessory to blend harmoniously with the design of the room, it must be varnished in a color that would maximally emphasize the texture of the logs.
For the Art Nouveau style, fireboxes with simple shapes and straight lines are ideal. They must be made in a combination of several materials. For example, a glass structure, framed by strips of steel or decorated with illuminated stone trim, looks unusual. For country music, woodpiles made to look like antique chests are a good choice.
Recently, semicircular firebeds have been very popular. Despite their unusual shape, they are able to accommodate a lot of logs and add sophistication to the style of the house. In the event that the logs are planned to be stored outdoors, structures attached to the wall are well suited. They are made in the form of pyramids, Christmas trees and decorated with metal bars.
Selection Tips
Many country houses and city apartments provide for the installation of a fireplace, but in order to comfortably enjoy the warmth from the hearth, it is important to provide a place for storing firewood. For these purposes, wood burning stoves are most often chosen, since they are sold in a huge assortment and it is difficult to make a choice in favor of one model or another. Therefore, when going to buy such an accessory, it is important to consider the following points.
- Purpose. You should decide in advance what this structure is for and it will be a stable stationary stand for logs or a portable device for moving firewood from the street to the room. For the latter option, it is necessary to give preference to small "baskets" made of lightweight material. If you plan to use the stove frequently, then you need to calculate the volume of firewood in advance, and after that choose the size, shape and type of construction. A large firebox is usually installed outside. For her, a place is prepared and equipped in advance.
- Material. Indoor woodpiles intended for open hearths, it is advisable to choose from metal. They fit elegantly into the modern design of rooms, but are heavy and expensive. Wooden structures are well suited for indoor use. They can be installed in the form of multi-storey shelves and a cube. At the same time, wooden accessories are simple to finish and can be easily decorated with decoupage and carving. As for the wicker woodpiles, they look gorgeous in interiors with a fireplace, but they are impractical, since small chips pour out through their holes.
For living rooms with expensive flooring or carpets, it is worth choosing solid glass log holders.They will allow you to store firewood without the formation of debris, thanks to the transparent structure, they will visually expand the space of the room and give the interior a certain lightness. When placing fireboxes directly by the fireplace, it is recommended to choose products made of thick and fireproof glass.
- Stylistics. In order for the wood-burning stove to find a worthy place in the interior, its shape and design must correspond to the general style of the room in which the hearth is located. So, for example, for a modernist style, it is worth giving preference to products of a simple form made of leather inserts and chrome elements; for connoisseurs of the classics, you need to purchase forged accessories decorated in an antique manner. If there are notes of country style in the living room, then the room must be filled with wood as much as possible, placing wooden or wicker firewoods.
How to use?
After the appropriate model of the firebox has been selected, it remains only to fill it correctly with logs. For heating stoves and fireplaces, firewood from fruit and deciduous trees is usually used. They are preliminarily laid out in large outbuildings or a garage, dry, and only then are transferred to the room. The storage of firewood should take place in a ventilated structure, protected from moisture penetration. Treating them with a special antiseptic will help extend the life of street firewoods. Then carefully lay out the logs on decorative stands. In order for them to fit into the interior of the room in an original way, it is important to consider their color and size.
Proper stacking of firewood on the street is also important. Beautifully laid out logs will complement the landscape design of the site in an original way and give it a special style. To turn the woodpile into a real work of art, it must be laid out in the form of a dome or hemisphere. It will be stable and compact. To do this, a circle is preliminarily drawn on the ground and the diameter is laid out from the logs. They should be placed end to end, forming small gaps. Then an additional support axis is placed and the inner ring is gradually laid out. This design will reliably serve for a long time.
Do not place wood stoves near sources of ignition. This is especially true for street views, which are often set in recreation areas near barbecues. Indoors, they are best placed at a distance of 30-40 cm from a fireplace or stove. A garden plot is perfect for outdoor views. Periodically, the accessory should be cleaned from dirt. Fire boxes made of lightweight materials should not be overloaded with firewood, as their base can bend under the weight of the tree and break.
If the design of the room provides for the use of lattice woodpiles, special stands will help to additionally protect the floor covering from damage and small splits. Hinged structures must be filled with a small amount of firewood, this will protect them from falling. It is best to install multi-storey shelves, they are more practical.
You can get acquainted with the process of making a firewood in the following video.
The comment was sent successfully.