| There is nothing quite like a fireplace on a cold and | | | | should result in a fair price. |
| wet winter day. I have to admit that I have not | | | | The storage shed did not look like much, just three |
| always felt so warmly towards a fireplace. Now I | | | | walls and a roof. The floor was made of cement |
| even think watching the flicker of the flames is as | | | | blocks wrapped in plastic sheathing to keep the |
| relaxing as watching the waves come on shore. | | | | ground moisture off my wood. The blueprint was |
| Our house came with a fireplace. I was not tuned in | | | | easy to follow, and the shed was finished in one day. |
| to fireplaces at that time. Had no idea where to find | | | | In my mind, I questioned how much protection three |
| wood to burn it. Consequently, the fireplace was not | | | | walls and a roof would be. Remembering the lost |
| used for a few years. | | | | wood from last winter, I knew some protection from |
| After we were in our house a couple of years, the | | | | the elements was better than no protection at all. I |
| wife invited the neighbors for dinner one night. During | | | | would reserve judgment on the value of a firewood |
| the conversation at dinner, the neighbor noticed the | | | | storage shed until later. |
| fireplace was clean and free of ashes. He asked why | | | | Now that the shed complete, I bought another load |
| we did not use it, and I confessed that I did not | | | | of wood. My thoughts were that wood would be |
| know where to get wood. | | | | cheaper in the summer, and it would be dry and |
| The neighbor suggested I build myself a storage | | | | ready to burn when winter arrived. |
| shed for wood, and buy the wood by the truckloads | | | | At my neighbor's suggestion, I placed the wood in |
| when the price was down. And he told me where to | | | | the shed rather loosely. As I stacked the wood, I |
| find a seller of firewood. He even gave a great set | | | | placed some mouse poisoning way in the back out of |
| of blueprints for a storage shed. I got the idea my | | | | reach of my dog and other animals that might |
| neighbor really liked a fireplace. | | | | wander into the yard. |
| When I checked around, I learned that firewood was | | | | If you have a fireplace, do not let it sit unused like I |
| plentiful and easy to find. But I did not believe | | | | did. Build yourself a storage shed for your firewood |
| firewood needed its own shed. I just went out and | | | | and buy firewood in the off season. There is no |
| bought a load of wood and stacked it up out by the | | | | reason that you could not build the storage shed if |
| garage. | | | | you have a good set of plans. |
| I was real surprised when the rains and snow came | | | | Plans are worth the price you pay for them because |
| and my wet firewood would not burn, and even | | | | they come with a list of materials you would need |
| more surprised when some of my wood rotted for | | | | and a sheet telling you what size the boards must be. |
| lack of protection from the elements. | | | | Good plans will save you time and money. |
| Losing the firewood to the elements made me | | | | It always pays to get prices from more than one |
| reconsider building a storage shed for my firewood | | | | place. The prices should be different, but not so far |
| for the next season. I brought out the set of plans | | | | apart as to make you wonder which company made |
| my neighbor had given me several months earlier, | | | | an error. Or, if you suspect there is an error, do not |
| and decided I could build the shed all by myself. | | | | hesitate to call it to someone's attention. Better to |
| I took the drawings with me when I went to the | | | | do that than being surprised at the cash register. |
| lumber yard and asked for an estimate for the | | | | Firewood is not cheap, so having a shed to store the |
| building materials. Actually, I went to more than one | | | | firewood protects your investment, plus keeps the |
| lumber yard with my drawings. I wanted to get the | | | | wood dry and ready to burn. I learned that lesson |
| best price possible. I reasoned that competition | | | | the hard way. |