Great Minds Think Alike

In the comments section of my last Sunday's post about getting in wood, Claire left a comment saying she had always thought having an outside opening (on the exterior wall) to an inside wood box would be a smart idea. That way you would be able to fill the box from the outside without hand carrying the wood in to the wood box traversing the whole length of the porch (as we have to do in our particular layout), This would obviously eliminate the mess made on the porch floor from debris dropping off the wood and mud and/or snow from the tromp, tromp, tromping of boots.

I was way ahead of you, m'dear! Your idea was something that always appealed to me so I specifically designed just such a door located on the exterior wall in the back of our wood box on the porch.

We even made an inner cover to further insulate the back of the box and insure no little mousies would seek refuge in our wood box.

The above is an open view of the filled wood box.

Unfortunately, this idea (like so many designed by architects but not tested out in reality) didn't work.

I struggled filling the box from the outside for probably more than a year before I decided it was akin to banging my head on a brick wall because it felt so good when I stopped.

Can you see the problem? In order to fill the box, I had to be down on my knees bent over in a less than comfortable position. The pieces of wood needed to be stacked in going the other direction (north to south rather than east to west) to keep them from falling out but that was no big deal. But having to be on my knees and reaching up into the wheelbarrow next to me for every piece of wood was.

Basically, it really is a good idea. But the inside wood box needs to be designed in a different configuration. Instead of being in the shape of a chest or bench (that we frequently sit on in the porch to put on/take off boots, etc.), it would have to be designed in a more tall, slender shape . . . sort of like a closet. That way you could stand outside and stack the wood in there from a much more comfortable position.

Just shows to go ya, we live and learn. And what looks so good on paper doesn't always pan out in day to day reality. So, Claire, our common idea was good; we just need to retrofit it a smidge!