We are stockists of bagged “Certainly Wood” Premium quality Kiln Dried Hardwood Logs, ‘Blaze Away’ Logs, kiln-dried Kindling, ‘Flamers’ natural firelighters and Seasoned Logs for open fires.
We always keep good stock levels at our Leominster showroom.
Our seasoned logs are very dry with a moisture content below 20% and are ready to burn!
Finding the right type of wood is essential for getting the most out of your wood burning stove. Wood should always be dried properly to ensure that the fire burns hot without a lot of smoke.
When choosing wood, there are basically two choices for seasoning processes. The first and most common is traditional seasoning in which wood is simply allowed to dry on its own which simply involves storing the logs in a clean, dry, temperate and shady area, stacking it on raised foundations and separating each level. This allows nature to take its course and gradually, the wood’s moisture content will become level with that of the surrounding area.
Kiln dried wood, however, is becoming more common and it has distinct benefits compared to the traditional method. Logs that are NOT Kiln dried are a very poor source of energy are difficult to light, produce a lot of smoke when burning and cause damage to chimneys due to a build-up of creosote, this, in turn, increases the risk of chimney fires.
Other advantages of using kiln dried logs are that at the kilning temperature of 70 degrees centigrade sterilizes the logs and removes all trace of wood boring insects etc.,
Unlike seasoned wood, kiln-dried wood is dried in a type of oven created within a thermally insulated chamber. The kiln is heated and the moisture in the logs is dried out.
Kiln dried wood is seasoned at a faster rate and therefore, the moisture content is drastically reduced. In some cases, kiln drying can reduce moisture content down to just 8%, so there is virtually no additional smoke produced from excess water content.
It stands to reason that wood which has a higher moisture content is hindered from producing optimal heat in wood-burning stoves. Without properly dried wood, the stove simply cannot produce the highest heat efficiency to get to an optimum operating temperature.
Because Kiln dried wood is dry it burns at a much higher temperature. For those looking to maximise the use and life of the stove, kiln dried wood is the wood to use. Higher heat content means more heat while using less quantity of wood which in turn leads to a warmer environment for the home.
Burn time is always an important factor for wood burning stoves. The longer wood burns and the more heat is produced, the less work will go into keeping the fire going. Kiln dried wood has an exceptionally long burn time when compared to traditional seasoned wood.
There is a marginally higher cost attached to kiln dried wood (approximately £1.36 more per bag), but with the advantage of longer burning times, you will inevitably use fewer logs so it is well worth the investment for the return. You will also have the added advantage of producing less smoke into the environment and less tar lining your chimney.
For more information about which type of logs/wood is suitable for wood burning stoves, visit our ‘Logs For Wood Burning Stoves’ page.
