Tips for Kiln Dried Logs Purchasing
We have pulled together a Buying Guide to help you understand the benefits of buying and using Kiln Dried Logs. If you are new to Kiln Dried Logs, this guide should help you understand why & what to buy, if you are an existing Kiln Dried Logs buyer we hope you might find this information beneficial. Please note this is purely a 'guide' Whether you’re a casual user who enjoys your log stove at weekends or you burn logs day and night we have flexible buying options to suit everyone.
You may find Kiln Dried Logs for sale on the internet that seems much cheaper, please be careful as some of the crate sizes & weights are less than ours and some retailers may mix with other wood species logs. All of our timber is sourced from sustainable sources, our suppliers are registered for cropping forests that are being replanted.
We spent a lot of time on research to finally choose our suppliers and we are glad to state that we now have the very best of suppliers and we are confident that they will constantly, consistently and will continue to provide exceptional quality of product from their production facilities. We have chosen Kiln Dried Ash, Oak & Birch because of their calorific value, constant supply and sustainability.
All of our logs are 100% Birch, no softwoods or other species of timber.
FAQ - Which Kiln Dried Logs To Buy? Ash Oak Or Birch?
Kiln Dried Ash lights quickly, burns really hot and lasts a long time. It has in the past been the favourite species because it was really the first available species in to be kiln dried bulk, but now Oak & Birch are equally as popular.
Kiln Dried Oak is a great wood, it's more dense than the other species, has a much thicker bark and is rougher to the touch and because of its weight and density it does take slightly longer to build up to temperature but once it does it generates amazing heat (more than Ash), has a lovely aroma and is a very long-lasting wood and the logs tend to be slightly larger.
Kiln Dried Birch is a great option for smaller stoves, it lights very quickly especially with it is flakey bark, tends to get hotter more quickly and the logs tend to be a touch thinner, and once fire is up to temperature you do need to turn down your vents to slow down the speed of burn but it is a very good all-round species for log stoves and is more economical than Ash & Oak.
When deciding which type to go for also bear in mind the size of your log stove as that can make a difference to the volume you will burn
Kiln Dried Logs are brilliant for Pizza Ovens & Chiminea's
Buying logs for wood burning stoves, multi-fuel burners, firewood stoves, and open fires can seem complicated and a bit of a minefield, for many of us our fireplace or log stove is one of the most attractive features of our home and we want the best firewood your money can buy, and until now, kiln dried logs have not always been readily available and no one really knew the benefits of burning Kiln Dried Logs. We all know there is nothing worse than ordering firewood that is tipped from a trailer and finding on delivery that you have wet high moisture content wood which does not burn well. The most significant factors which affect how long logs burn for and the amount of heat they will generate is the moisture content and the wood density. An easy way to ensure this never happens is to find a source of Kiln Dried Logs for sale that are premium quality every time and we believe we have exactly that with our Kiln Dried Ash, Oak & Birch Logs.
Basically the less moisture there is in your logs the less water needs to be boiled away through steam before heat can be generated, which makes Kiln Dried logs the perfect fuel for wood-burning stoves and because Ash & Oak are more dense than other hardwoods they burn for much longer, so we recommend Ash, Oak & Birch Kiln Dried Logs every time.
Logs kiln dried to 20% or lower usually generate over twice the heat than seasoned or partially seasoned logs do, plus overtime burning wet logs may cause significant damage to your stove and flue lining, making them inefficient as wood-burning logs, that's why we recommend Kiln Dried logs
All of our logs for sale are Birch hardwood logs with a moisture content on an average of 10-20 % - due to this, they burn hotter, burn better and tend to last longer
Kiln Dried Logs are generally a better alternative than the cheaper logs you can buy at garden centres, and petrol stations plus they give off much more heat than poorly seasoned logs, which may not even burn at all if they are too wet, and they can also be quite dirty to handle, whereas kiln dried firewood is subjected to immense heat during the kiln drying process, plus non-Kiln Dried Logs tend to produce more creosote and soot than Kiln Dried Logs, which can make your appliance or chimney more costly to maintain.
If you’re new to wood burning and aren’t sure how much you’ll need, it entirely depends upon how you intend to use your stove. For evening and weekend use, we would recommend starting with our smaller crate, barrow bags or bulk bags, but only you know how often you light your fire so the amount you will use varies greatly from user to user. Always remember, with Kiln Dried Logs you don't usually need as many as you would with regular logs as they burn much hotter and should get your fire started much quicker. If you intend on using your log stove more frequently and as your main heat source, we recommend buying our larger crate or our heat logs. But to be honest, there is no definitive guide as to how many logs you will use per season as there are so many different factors to take into account, the size of your stove, the size of the room you are heating, the ambient warmth of your room, the insulation of your room, how hot you want your stove to be and how long you have your stove on for.
We find with kiln dried logs you actually get more use per crate or bag as they don't have the high moisture content that seasoned logs do, plus Kiln Dried Logs do burn hotter and more efficiently than seasoned logs so you may use less, and they are less damaging to your stove because of the low moisture content.
When burning logs it is vital to make sure that your wood is dry. For seasoned logs this is usually reached by at least one year of dry storage, the recommended is two years so it is simpler to buy Kiln Dried logs to ensure low moisture content as the drying process is much better. If the wood has a moisture content of more than 25% the wood burns poorly and it also pollutes the environment due to gases emitted during burning. The burning of poorly dried wood can lead to sooting of the chimney, and the water, sulfur and tar emitted may penetrate a stone fireplace and cause stains and odours, so buying Kiln Dried logs helps prevent this process.
To get a good blazing fire, you should pay attention to a sufficient supply of air ensuring good room ventilation.
Additionally, pay attention to proper storage of your logs, you should not really use airtight tarpaulins to cover your logs, because then the moisture of the wood can not escape. This creates the risk of mould and wet logs, so our Kiln Dried Logs are delivered in open crates or bulk bags. (remember to remove or loosen the clear transportation pallet wrap after delivery to allow the logs to breathe)
You save money when you buy wood with good calorific values.
What is Wood Calorific Value you would ask.
When choosing wood for burning there are three factors which have an effect on the calorific value (CV) or the amount of available heat per unit of fuel: 1. Species Choice 2. Wood Density 3. Moisture Content
Species Choice - The main differences between species are moisture content when the timber is green, at the time of felling, and the rate at which this moisture is lost during seasoning. The general differences are that hardwoods (deciduous, broadleaved trees) tend to be denser, and softwoods (evergreen, coniferous trees) tend to contain more resins. Kiln Dried Ash, Oak & Birch are the perfect species choice.
Wood Density - As hardwood species are generally denser than softwood species, a ton of hardwood logs will occupy a smaller space than a ton of softwood logs. Dense woods will burn for longer than less dense woods, this means you will need fewer ‘top-ups’ to keep a log stove burning, hence the importance of Kiln Dried logs. If you measure wood by volume you will generally receive more kilowatt-hours (kWh) of heat from a cubic metre (m3 ) of hardwood than softwood. However, softwoods are often cheaper and easier to source but nowhere near as efficient as our hardwood Kiln Dried Ash, Oak & Birch.
Moisture Content - The moisture content of wood has the greatest effect on the CV of any of the variables. Not only does any water in the timber represents less fuel when buying by weight, but it also has to evaporate away in the form of steam before the wood will burn hot, using some of the fuel energy reducing the net energy released as useful heat. Using Kiln Dried Logs guarantees you low moisture content.
Moisture Content for Kiln Dried logs is a very emotive subject & sometimes can be really difficult to quantify. When our logs come in we sample test the exterior and sides of the logs with a moisture meter and a random selection we split to read the moisture in the centre. Each crate or bag usually contains a mixture of log sizes (all a maximum of 25cms in length) and often the smaller logs have an extremely low moisture content and the slightly chunkier can range from 8 -15% on the exterior, so we can only fairly and honestly give you our valued opinion of the moisture content.
How we test & how you can test your logs - choose one medium-sized log and split in two vertically. Measure the outside of the log keeping the moisture meter needles approx 4cms from the end of the log and parallel with the log end. Repeat this procedure on both sides of the log - Sum up the 6 readings and divide by 6 - If the result is less than 20% your logs are ready to burn test your logs -
We do everything we can to ensure our Kiln Dried Logs meet and exceed the quoted moisture content but we can never be 100% accurate and can only give you an approximate moisture content.
Kiln Dried Ash is also very good and probably the most popular wood for Pizza Ovens as they have very low moisture content, they burn hot & clean so they don't affect the taste of the food or emit moisture or odours and don't soot up the chimney. The drier the wood the more energy used for heat production and less time needed to evaporate water content found in non-kiln dried logs.
When you are buying your Kiln Dried Logs, please read our Delivery Page as well so you understand how your delivery will be made
