We’re getting ready for winter in the heat of the summer! After burning through our firewood supply last winter, my husband and I gathered more wood and have been splitting logs for what feels like forever starting this spring and summer. This way we’ll be warm and cozy all of next winter. BUT, we needed a better and faster way to store our firewood. This post will show you how to build a quick, easy, and low-cost DIY cinder block outdoor firewood holder.
In case you’re wondering how we process our firewood, this is our trusty log splitter we have been using for two years now. I was slowly and laboriously splitting logs by hand before getting the splitter and hope to never go back. It’s been a true blessing to split wood so easily.
Below is a quick video showing me turning on the log splitter and splitting an oak round. This is a fun machine!
Step 1: Level Ground for Cinder Blocks
Now that we have our logs split, let me show you how to build a quick DIY cinderblock firewood holder. My husband has taken an interest in more DIY projects lately which I love. This is really his project so you’ll see him in the photos. Good job babe!
A standard 8″x8″x16″ cinder blocks, aka concrete blocks, that you can find at a local building supply store like Home Depot are the foundation for the firewood holder. You want one block on each end. If you want the holder to span more than 8 feet long, I recommend adding a center block.
You’ll want to place the blocks on level ground so your firewood holder is level. Below my husband is leveling an area in the soil for a cinder block and using the 2×4 to help level between blocks.
Step 2: Place Horizontal Lumber Over Cinder Blocks
Next, we want to create horizontal beams that span between the cinder blocks. We’re using two 4×4 x 12 ft long posts we had leftover from other projects. You would also use 2×4’s and double them up for spans say 6ft or more.
Place these beams so they align with the outside edges of the cinder blocks. The next section shows a close-up of what I mean.
Step 3: Add Vertical Lumber in Cinderblocks
Next, add 2×4 studs into the holes of the cinder blocks, one each hole at end end of your firewood holder. Below is a close up of a 2×4 stud in the cinder block hole resting next to the 4×4 horizontal beam.
Then, fill the remaining space in the cinder blocks with small pea gravel, sand, or something that will drain well and keep the vertical 2×4’s from moving. The photo below shows a 2×4 in each cinder block hole next to the 4×4 beams.
At this point, you can screw the side of the 2×4’s to the beams to help keep everything in place.
Step 4: Fill with Firewood
That’s really it! Now fill your band new easy DIY cinder block firewood holder with wood. Below is a phot of our double-wide firewood holder where we used a cinder block at the mid-span of the bottom beams.
Below is a wider view of the firewood holder and my husband hard at work.
Step 5: Add More Rows
If one holder isn’t enough, just add more rows! Below we’re prepping the ground for another holder and allowing for about 3 feet of space between each firewood holder. You can place them however far apart you like. 3 feet is a standard sidewalk width so that seemed like enough so we can access all sides. Plus it allows for air flow.
There is the second holder behind the first.
We filled that holder and then added a third!
I may cut the 2×4 verticals down a bit. Other than that, this fast DIY firewood holder project is done!
