Cleaning a log store: the ten-minute empty-bay routine

Clean when a bay empties. That is the one moment when the floor, back and fixings are visible without moving a tonne of awkward pieces twice.

The routine

• Sweep loose bark from the floor and beneath it.
• Clear leaves from the rear gap and roof outlet.
• Probe suspicious soft timber without damaging sound treatment.
• Tighten only fixings that are meant to be tightened; replace failed ones.
• Check roof laps, tears and drips.
• Confirm feet remain level and clear of soil.
• Look along posts for racking or bowing.

Use a brush rather than flooding the structure with a hose. If washing is genuinely needed, let every surface dry before reloading.

Do not make it sterile

An outdoor store will hold bark fragments, spiders and dust. Remove the material that blocks drainage or hides defects. Chasing every mark with chemicals creates more work and can contaminate firewood.

Choose a repair threshold

Surface weathering is not the same as structural decay. Movement, softness at load-bearing feet, split rails around fixings and a leaking roof deserve action. Unload and repair the bay before the next delivery.