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Save money & get more heat with dried logs!
Mar
According to Which Magazine, to make sure you get the most out of your wood burning stove, it’s important to use the right kind of wood. First and foremost, it’s important that you burn as dry wood as possible – ideally it should only contain less than 20% moisture. Using fresh logs with a high moisture content will significantly reduce your stove’s heat output. This is because you’ll waste energy burning off the water, so you’ll need to use more to warm the room. It will also leave more build-up in your chimney, create more smoke and potentially harmful air pollutants.
Never burn freshly-cut wood as it creates a lot of smoke and makes the stove dirty. You can reduce the moisture content of freshly cut wood by drying it yourself, which is called seasoning. To do this, it’s best to store the wood in a dry place for at least a year, preferably two. To help you work out how dry your wood is, you can also buy a moisture meter. For the best results, the wood should be left on a dry surface protected from rain. Leave the sides exposed to air and wind, as it will speed up the drying process. You can buy dedicated wood stores to help with this.
Chopping the wood down to size before storing it will also help it to dry more quickly. Alternatively, you could buy ready-seasoned wood from Auldton Stoves. We have a variety of bags and palettes available and we will deliver them directly to your door.