Should I stock up on firewood before winter, and how early should I order it?
Yes, and in Marshall the logistics are the catch. Steep hillside lots and tight access above the French Broad make a firewood delivery and a good stacking spot harder to arrange, so line it up early. Order green in spring, and pick your driest, sunniest patch of level ground to season it through summer.
Steep access changes the plan
Marshall's homes cling to the hillside on narrow, limited-access lots, and a lot of downtown sits in tall, multi-story buildings built right against the mountain. That shapes your woodpile before you burn a single stick: think about where a delivery truck can actually reach, and how far you'll haul each armload uphill to the door. Stacking close to the entrance on the only level ground you have often beats a picturesque spot you'll regret carrying wood up from in January.
Gorge damp and tricky draft
The French Broad gorge brings cool, damp evenings, and Marshall's tight mountainside lots can complicate chimney routing and draft — cold, heavy air likes to sit in a flue like a plug. Dry wood helps a marginal draft light and pull; wet wood makes a bad-drafting chimney worse and smokier. If your fireplace has always been hard to get going, that's worth a look. Any chimney or gas work is permitted through Madison County.
Storing wood on a slope
On sloped ground, get the pile up off the dirt on rails or pallets and, if you can, onto a level terrace so it doesn't shed and lean. Keep the cut faces open to whatever sun the hillside gets, cover the top, and leave the sides open to the breeze coming up the gorge. Buy green in spring and give it the summer. Call (828) 545-0525 to have your fireplace checked before the season.
Fireplace help in Marshall
We install and service fireplaces throughout Marshall and the rest of Madison County — just 25 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.