Description What are kiln-dried logs? It is firewood that has been force-dried in kilns in a short space of time rather than dried naturally or more commonly known as ‘seasoned’ over a period of time. The time taken to dry logs in kilns can vary depending on the drying system used, but typically it will take about 7-10 days in a chamber which runs at around 60 – 70 °C. The aim is to get the logs to below 20% moisture content which is what they need to be for the optimum burn. They use a very unique drying system which runs at much higher temperatures with fans to circulate the hot air. Their kilns can dry wood in approx 50-hour cycles. Each time and they put 18 tonnes of wood into the kiln they take 12 tonnes out – therefore removing 6 tonnes (6,000 litres) of water! Which is the best kiln-dried wood? Naturally, we believe British sourced every time is best as we don’t import any logs and we believe British Wood should be supported for the following reasons: Reducing ‘log miles’, therefore reduced CO2 emissions of transport. Supporting British forestry and the relevant jobs. Ensuring British woodlands are properly managed by taking regular thinnings for firewood and therefore improving overall health and wellbeing of the flora and fauna of that woodland. Reducing the risk of disease transfer from imported timber. There are a lot of imported kiln-dried logs on the market and much of it is of good quality and Woodsure ‘Ready to Burn’ approved. However, whilst the likes of silver birch or alder provide a very nice, even and consistent sample of logs and burn very nicely, they will burn 20-25% faster than mixed hardwood British logs such as oak logs, ash logs and beech logs. This is because the wood is less dense and more like softwood. That is a massive difference in terms of the amount of wood you will burn, so be careful when you select what you buy. It might seem cheaper on the face of it, but you will end up buying more logs for the same amount of heat output, therefore costing you more. Are kiln-dried logs worth it? Yes, very much so, but they will almost always be more expensive because they are ready to burn and the majority of the water is already removed for you. Being so dry, hopefully with a moisture content below 20%, will mean you will get far more heat output from your wood. Therefore, if burning in an efficient stove, it will mean you will use far less wood, so, it’s actually far better value for money. Does kiln-dried wood burn faster? The answer is yes, but only if burnt on an open fire which has no air control, but it is still recommended to burn kiln-dried logs on open fires to avoid tarring up the chimney. There are those that think mixing wet logs with kiln dried is good to slow the burn but this is false economy as not only will you reduce the heat output, therefore needing more logs, but also you will tar the chimney. In a wood-burning stove, kiln-dried logs burn much more slowly and cleanly and provide a huge amount of heat – nothing can be more efficient. In a modern Ecodesign stove, the importance of logs below 20% becomes even more evident. How to store your kiln-dried logs Store undercover to keep the rain off, but don’t get too worried about a little bit of moisture on the outside of the log as any moisture, such as from rain during delivery, will quickly evaporate from the surface of the logs. The perfect place is a log store, but a garage is fine as long as the logs have sufficient airflow. Avoid damp storage areas Check out our video on ‘How to correctly burn logs on your woodburning stove’ by clicking the play button or view video link underneath the product image. Alternatively, you can view this on our YouTube channel by clicking here. For more information about the DEFRA-approved ‘Ready to Burn‘ campaign visit the ‘Ready to Burn’ website. See below for more information about delivery Delivery Information Click & Collect Click & Collect is available from our showroom (103 – 105 Mowbray Drive, Blackpool, FY3 7UN). Our opening hours are Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm & Saturday 9am – 3pm (1pm During Summer Hours) Please leave a note on your delivery with your expected pick-up date. Also, please allow 1 working day from placing your order for us to prepare it for pick-up. Pallet Delivery The price of Pallet Delivery is dependent upon your location. Please see our Delivery Information page for more information. Local Delivery Local Delivery may be available depending on the location and quantity ordered. Please contact us directly for more information.
