The best way to store firewood is in a log store or woodshed. If you have a wood burner or open fire in your home you will want to have a good stock of fire wood to keep you warm throughout the winter months.

Fresh wood has a water content of around 50% therefore the wood needs to be dried before it can be used as firewood. To begin the drying process chop the fresh wood into logs and split each one leaving its bark partially intact. The moisture content of fire wood is 15-20%. Dry firewood burns quicker, is easier to light and provides better heat than wood with more moisture.

Firewood needs to be stored in a dry area up off of the ground that allows good air circulation around the logs. The most ideal place to keep your logs is inside of a woodshed or a log store. Remember to choose the location of your wood store carefully, during the winter months you will require quick and easy access to your logs on a daily basis. You don’t want to be traipsing to the bottom of the garden and coming back into the house with muddy boots if you have had to lug your logs across your lawn. It is also as important to take into consideration the fact that stores of wood will attract insects so although you want to keep your log store close to your home do try to position it away from doors and opening windows. Keep the back of your wood store slightly away from a wall to allow good air circulation around the logs. Avoid sitting the log store on grass or soil.

A logstore or woodshed provides you with covered shelter from the rain. A log store does have an open front so during really wet weather I would recommend placing tarpaulin over the front of it to keep it dry. Look out for a storage solution with a pent roof as this will prevent rain water from collecting which is an issue with flat roofed woodsheds and firewood stores.

If you are looking to buy a wood store online there are plenty of different sizes available. At Jacks Garden Store you can find a great selection of small log stores, medium log stores and large log stores.

Good luck

Gardener Jack!

Whether you are looking for a home for your lawn mower, children’s toys or simply somewhere to house the overflow of things from your house, here at Jacks Garden Store we have compiled a quick guide on the best types of garden storage.

1. Garden Shed – A garden shed is the perfect storage solution for almost all of your storage requirements! There are so many different kinds of sheds available which vary in size, design and materials. You can choose from a shed with an apex roof or alternatively pick a pent shed.  If you are looking for an affordable garden shed to store your gardening equipment and children’s outdoor toys you can’t go too far wrong with a wooden shed. The most popular size is an 8×6 garden shed. If you have many expensive items that you want to store security you may wish to invest in a heavy duty metal shed. A metal shed will provide you with piece of mind and keep your gardening equipment safe and secure.
2. Summerhouse – A summerhouse is great for storing outdoor chars such as sun loungers. Inside your summerhouse they will remain dry and well kept and allow you easy access when the sun comes out. Another benefit of a summerhouse is that it can be used as an additional room which you can relax and enjoy views of your garden.
3. Multi-purpose garden stores – These are available in a whole host of different sizes and offer a great alternative to a garden shed, which is great if you have a small garden. Multi-purpose storage units either open at the top or have doors on the front to allow easy access to your gardening tools. Some are available with shelving to keep everything nice and tidy.
4. Bike Stores – Keeping your bike in the shed or garage can sometimes lead to your bike being damaged or scratched. Keeping your families bikes in their own storage facility not only keeps them safe but also allows you easy access to your bikes. Bike stores are lockable so your bikes will be safe from theft.
5. Bin Stores – Modern bins are pretty unsightly! Why not cover your existing bin with a bin store and keep it out of sight. There are both single and double bin stores available as well as outer casings for your recycling boxes.
6. Wood Stores – A wood store allows you to keep your firewood dry and neatly tidied away. These simple structures go up against a wall or fence and provide great storage for your firewood whilst allowing your wood the proper ventilation it requires.
7. Tool Stores – Whether you keep these outside or in your garage or shed a tool store allows you to store your gardening and household tool in an organised fashion. Once you have a tool store you will never need to spend hours tracking down that pair of pliers again!
8. Storage boxes– Offer storage solutions for those of you really tight on space! A storage box opens from the top and allows you to easily store small gardening items. If you are looking for a home for your children’s outdoor toys you may choose a wooden storage box or alternatively if you want a safe and secure place to keep your tools opt for a lockable metal storage box.
   

   Eaton summerhouse

For a huge range of garden storage solutions visit Jacks Garden Store today where you will find plenty of fantastic garden sheds, summerhouses and other garden storage solutions at great prices.

Good Luck

Gardener Jack!

Bike storage shed

A bike storage shed provides you with a safe and secure place to keep your bike whilst also providing you with easy access to your cycling equipment.

Are you planning to get fit?

If you are thinking of buying a bicycle to cycle to work or to ride on the weekends you must add into your bicycle budget the cost of a bike store. Buying a bike is often the first step people make towards getting fit. Many of us start off with the best intentions however after the first energetic outing the bike is put away in the garage or garden shed with all the best intentions of going out again…. A few weeks may pass before the weather permits you to go out again but by this point your bike has become lost in the clutter of your garage or garden shed. The hassle of extracting it from it’s current storage spot seems all but too great so it will simply stay put. If this sounds familiar then you should consider buying a bike storage shed. Not only will this provide you with quick and easy access to your bike but it will also enable you to keep your bike safe and secure.

A bike store will help you to keep your garage clear and your bike wheels protected. Bike Stores are specifically designed to keep your bike safe and secure in the most space efficient manner. not only do these lockable storage units keep your bike safe they also provide shelving space and hanging storage for biking equipment. If you have a small garden or are without a garage a bike store can act as the perfect mini shed. Just be careful not to let clutter build or you could lose the benefits a bike store offers.

Storing your bike alongside your outdoor tools and equipment can often result in your bike becoming damaged and scratched. Access can become difficult meaning that you leave your bike stored away and do not ride it as often as you would like.

The common size for a bike storage shed is 6 foot by 3 foot and in it you can store two bikes comfortably. Bike stores are generally made of wood but you can purchase metal bike store which are more expensive.

When buying a bike storage shed consider the accessibility of actually getting to the shed and the shed.  Take time to decide the location of your shed and try to pick a spot with easy access to your driveway of garden exit so that you can start cycling quickly and easily. Consider how easy it is to get your bikes in and out of your new shed. A gabled roof will off more height than a slanted roof. A good bike store should have double doors for easy access and have no windows as a security measure. Some Bike stores can be mounted or attached to a wall or your home.

For a great range of bike stores visit Jacks Garden Store now.

Good Luck

Gardener Jack!

Having a small garden does not mean that your outdoor space can only be a concrete yard or small rectangle of lawn. Some of the most creative and beautiful gardens I have ever visited have been compact yet full of enchantment thanks to careful planning and design.

You can make the most of whatever outdoor space you have, even those of you without a garden can still use window boxes to enhance the outside of your home.

Planning

Before you begin to design your garden think carefully about what you want to use your garden for? If you want to entertain outdoors you need to incorporate a small table and chair garden furniture set into your design. On the other hand you may purely want to make your garden look beautiful but have no plans to sit outdoors.

In built up areas in town and cities where smaller gardens are most common the most challenging part of turning your garden into a stunning outdoor space is figuring out how to hide or disguise often ugly fences or walls that separate your garden from your neighbours. One of the best ways to disguise unsightly garden fencing is to use climbing plants. Simply attach garden trellis to your fences and train climbing plants to grow and cover the unattractive fence panels.

Jacks top tip – Placing a garden mirrors behind the garden trellis will reflect the foliage of your climbing plants making your borders seem far deeper and your garden larger than it really is.

Keep it simple

In a small garden it is crucial that you keep the design simply. Too many plants or ornaments can make a small garden seem messy and overcrowded. Select paving material that is in keeping with your house and surrounding environment so that it blends easily into your garden scene. Timber or slate can look fabulous!

When buying ornaments it is better to spend your money on a couple of key large focal points instead of many smaller items that will make your garden look cluttered. Don’t be afraid to make a bold statement with a few large items, such as over sized pots or statues.

Storage

You may have items that you need to store outdoors such as bikes or gardening equipment. Storage can sometimes be an issue in small gardens. Depending on the size of your garden a garden shed can often take up too much of your outdoor space and leave little room for anything else. Garden Storage chests offer a more compact storage solution. Visit Jacks Garden Store for a full range of outdoor storage solutions including garden sheds and garden storage chests.

Good Luck

Gardener Jack

Buying a tool store for your garden will allow you to keep all of your outdoor tools in a safe and secure place outdoors. An organized outdoor tool store will allow you easy access to your outdoor equipment and keep your home mud free!

Great garden storage can be found at Jack’s online garden store. It provides an easy way of keeping all of your outdoor tools in one place. There is a wide variety of outdoor tool stores available depending on your requirements, space and number of tools that need to be stored. Tool stores can range from small lockers, wall stores to much larger sheds.

Benefits of using a tool store:

• Tool stores enable you to keep your tools in much better condition increasing their lifetime.
• Your tools are kept dry decreasing the risk of rust.
• Better security, your tools will be secured in a lockable unit that will act as a deterrent to thieves.
• Compact, if your garden is small using a small locker or wall store can be a great alternative to a shed which may overcrowd your garden.
• Easy access to your tools.
• Better organized tools.

Check out my full range of tool stores available at Jacks Garden Store. We also offer great information on garden sheds and garden storage solutions which can be viewed here.

Good Luck

Gardener Jack!