Easy Storage Solutions From A to Z

Firewood

As in: That wood pile holding court in the middle of your yard.

The fix: 
Store wood under a tarp outdoors. This is to protect it from rain and snow, says John Gulland, a cofounder of woodheat.org, an organization dedicated to the responsible use of wood as a home heating fuel. Avoid stacking wood directly on the ground (“Wood sucks up moisture, which leads to mold and mildew,” says Gulland). Instead, pile it on an iron log rack (from $60, plowandhearth.com). Or make your own rack out of two-by-fours or an old wooden pallet. “The first row should be three inches off the ground,” says Gulland. Arrange the first layer so the pieces point the same way. Then start a new layer, placing the wood perpendicularly to create a crisscross pattern. Make sure the pile remains stable and level and not higher than four feet for safety reasons.