Summer Living For Every DIY Lover

How to Build a Firewood Rack for Your Backyard

(StatePoint) If you’re like many outdoor enthusiasts, the warm months mean fun bonfire parties with sing-a-longs, scary stories and s’mores, right in your backyard. But having a wood-burning firepit requires having a dedicated place to store firewood.

“A firewood rack is not only important for an organized yard, it protects your fuel source from moisture, making for less smoke and more efficient burning. While it might seem like a complicated build, it can be a simple, easy and quick weekend DIY project that will greatly improve your backyard experience,” says Jamie Briggs, director of marketing at Exmark, a leading manufacturer of lawn care equipment.

That’s the idea behind this “Done-In-A-Weekend Project” from Exmark:

 Tool List

 • Miter saw

 • Eye and ear protection

 • Gloves

 • Tape measure

• Level

• Pencil

 Cut List

 Large Rack

 • (2) 10-foot 2x4s (pressure treated)

 • (2) 8-foot landscape timbers (pressure treated)

 • (3) standard cinder blocks

 Small Rack

 • (2) 10-foot 2x4s (pressure treated)

 • (2) standard cinder blocks

 Build Steps

 1. Measure, mark, and cut your 2x4s into 5-foot pieces.

 2. For the smaller rack, lay the two cinderblocks side by side, holes up. For the larger rack, place two of the cinderblocks at either end of the length of the landscape timber, holes up. Place the third cinderblock in the middle of the other two to work as support.

 3. For the larger rack, lay the two lawn timber planks across the cinderblocks and then check to ensure they’re level.

 4. For the smaller rack, turn the 2x4s so the wide sides are facing inwards. For the larger rack, place the cut 2×4 pieces into the holes of the cinderblocks, small sides facing inwards.

 5. To ensure the security of your build, resituate the two lawn timbers so they’re as tightly placed against the 2×4 planks as possible.

6. Load up your wood!

 To view the full video tutorial, visit Exmark’s Backyard Life site at https://backyard.exmark.com, a multimedia destination that provides homeowners with everything from grilling tips and design projects to gardening and lawn care advice.

“Our firewood rack gives you plenty of storage so you can keep your bonfire blazing for an entire party. It’s also one of the simplest builds we’ve ever done, and you’ll be able to make quick work of it over your weekend downtime,” says Briggs.