Turn A Pile Of Firewood Into A Stylish Outdoor Feature With This Stacking Method

A stack of firewood is one of those things that's often more practical than it is pretty. Its primary purpose is to keep that cut wood handy and out of the way until you're ready to use it. But an ugly, unkempt wood pile might even be one of those things that your neighbors secretly hate about your yard. It doesn't have to be that way, however. Germans and Scandinavians have a more artful approach to the wood pile: The holzhausen, or wood house, is a cylindrical, almost beehive-like, wood pile that's surprisingly stable when built correctly. A system that may date back centuries, It also allows air to flow through the top, drying wood out faster than it would otherwise.

One fun feature of a holzhausen is that even though it looks extremely tidy and purposeful on the outside, some people fill the inside with unstacked wood, potentially making it a time saver compared with a standard wood pile.

A holzhausen is not simply a pile of wood that's good for campfires, it's an art form. It's one of those conversation starters that'll keep the chats going when you invite friends over to enjoy your new DIY fire pit. Combined with hügelkultur, an ancient way to turn old tree stumps into nutrient rich soil in your garden bed, your yard could become an attractive, practical resource that make those same neighbors jealous.

Building a holzhausen starts with a layer of bark or other materials on level ground to keep the firewood away from potentially moist soil. Even used wood pallets work. Pound a stake into the center of where you'll build the holzhausen. Tie twine in a loose knot around the stake, then cut the twine so it's half the width of what you'd like to build. You want the base of your holzhausen about 6 to 8 feet in diameter, which will stack about a cord of wood. Use the twine to measure out a circle of firewood or scrap lumber. If using split logs for your base, set the fattest part facing out, so your pile will dome inward. Then position the first layer of split logs, parallel to the twine with the outermost part of this radiating layer leaning on the top of the circle of wood. This makes the other end of each split rest on the ground inside the holzhausen.

Keep stacking split wood in this manner, using smaller pieces as shims to keep things stable and leaning inwards, as needed. When the ring of wood gets about 3 feet high, add two poles or slender tree trunks as cross bars. From above, it should look like a circle with an X. Continue building and add another set of cross bars a couple feet higher. Gently taper the layers inward as you build upward, laying the fattest part of the log outwards to help tilt things inwards. If you like, toss more wood into the center for storage and stability. Some people keep the interior clear so wind can blow through, drying the pile faster. For the cap, use wood with the bark facing out, stacking them like shingles. This helps moisture run off.