Facts on Firewood
There are different types of firewood: hardwood, softwood which are sold as seasoned logs, kiln dried logs and unseasoned wood.
Hardwood logs burn at a slower rate giving off a much higher and longer lasting heat from your fire. You will not need as many hardwood logs to heat your home as you would if you were burning softwood logs. Hardwood trees are generally broad leaf varieties such as Oak, Ash, Beech, Sycamore etc. They are slower growing and more dense than softwood. Softwood varieties are generally coniferous trees such as Pine, Spruce, Leylandii etc.
You can choose between seasoned (air-dried) and kiln dried wood. There are several factors which should be considered when choosing the right type of wood for you.
The best firewood possible will be well seasoned - that is it has been left to dry for a long period between being cut and being burnt. Ideally with a moisture content of less than 20%. This can take between 1-3 years depending on the climate.
Seasoned firewood
Timber when cut can have anywhere between 40% and 60% moisture content by weight. This moisture has an impact on how efficiently the firewood can burn and can cause a wide range of problems. Trying to burn fuel that is improperly seasoned is frustrating and at its worst, it could cause chimney fires through creosote built up.
In general, the drier the wood the hotter and more efficient it burns as it wastes less time burning off the moisture stored inside. It ignites more easily and burns more cleanly and has a greater heating value in a stove.
It can take up to a year to season the best hardwood to a moisture content of 25% which requires careful planning. You need space and need to stack firewood so that it gets as much wind and sun as possible and you need to keep off the rain. It needs storing and stacking carefully.
Seasoned firewood is often sold with a high moisture content and many of our customers came to us after being frustrated with low quality seasoned wood that was not consistent in quality, especially at the end of a season.
Kiln dried logs
Much of the kiln dried firewood available from other suppliers is imported from abroad. However, our kiln dried wood is felled in Northumberland and the Scottish borders and dried in our waste wood fuelled kilns. This means it has a low carbon footprint. Our suppliers are FSC registered.
Kiln dried firewood has undergone a drying process in a kiln. Our kiln is a waste wood fired kiln. Firewood is stacked in the kiln and hot air is supplied from outside. The air is heated by a furnace burning wood waste - timber of too low quality to be sold as part of a finished product.
Our kiln dried logs have a moisture content of 20% or less.
10 kiln dried logs with a water content of 25% or less generate the same heat output as 33 logs with a water content of around 60% (typically unseasoned wood). That's more than three non-seasoned logs for every kiln dried log. You will get a hotter and more efficient fire with a third of the number of wood logs.
Locally grown wood is generally the best choice- by sourcing your wood locally you support sustainable local forestry, prevent the risk of transporting pest insects and fungal spores across Europe and it usually is cheaper.
Kiln dried firewood is cleaner insect-free firewood. Insects do not survive the kiln process. The wood is cleaner with less bark and debris to track into your home. It can be stored in your garage or basement instead of outside. Less creosote means fewer chimney problems and maintenance. Hence most stove manufactures recommend kiln dried firewood.
A fire with kiln dried firewood burns cleaner and hotter and the stove window is less likely to soot up. Due to its lower moisture content, kiln dried firewood also has cleaner emissions - producing less ash.
When burning on an open fire, there is much less spitting and sizzling, making it much safer for you and better for your chimney. The bright flame and aromatic wood fire smell makes it more aesthetically pleasing and create that real fire ambience.
Kiln dried wood ignites easily and burns efficiently - it is ready to burn the day it is delivered and available when you need it.
Kiln dried firewood weighs less - you can put more logs in your basket and make fewer journeys between your wood storage and stove.
The price of kiln dried wood is initially a little higher than seasoned wood because it will have had to go through a process of kiln drying. It doesn't mean it is more expensive though! Remember the higher heat output of kiln died logs which means you'll be using less logs for higher heat. The higher temperatures mean that everything is burnt, even the gasses released by the wood. In cooler fires these simply escape up the chimney.
What is FSC certified wood?
FSC certified wood is timber from responsible Forest Management and our suppliers are associated to both FSC® and PEFC™.
The 10 FSC Principles require the forest owner or manager to do the following:
Principle 1:
Compliance with laws and FSC Principles – to comply with all laws, regulations, treaties, conventions and agreements, together with all FSC Principles and Criteria.
Principle 2:
Tenure and use rights and responsibilities – to define, document and legally establish long-term tenure and use rights.
Principle 3:
Indigenous peoples’ rights – to identify and uphold indigenous peoples’ rights of ownership and use of land and resources.
Principle 4:
Community relations and worker's rights – to maintain or enhance forest workers' and local communities’ social and economic well-being.
Principle 5:
Benefits from the forest – to maintain or enhance long term economic, social and environmental benefits from the forest.
Principle 6:
Environmental impact – to maintain or restore the ecosystem, its biodiversity, resources and landscapes.
Principle 7:
Management plan – to have a management plan, implemented, monitored and documented.
Principle 8:
Monitoring and assessment – to demonstrate progress towards management objectives.
Principle 9:
Maintenance of high conservation value forests – to maintain or enhance the attributes which define such forests.
Principle 10:
Plantations – to plan and manage plantations in accordance with FSC Principles and Criteria.