This is a question we often get asked by customers - will their logs burn longer because they’re seasoned? In short, yes! We wanted to go more in depth in this blog post into the reasons why seasoned logs are a better choice - and not just because you get more burn time.
WHAT ARE SEASONED LOGS?
(As a side note, we’re in the process of obtaining the Woodsure Ready to Burn Label - stay tuned for our announcement when we secure that! “Ready to Burn” wood needs to be consistently under 20% moisture content.)
The timber is cut into sections.
Then, the timber is stacked for drying. This process takes between 1 - 2 years depending on what type of timber it is. For example, oak can take around 2 years.
We check the moisture content of the timber over this time so we know when it’s dried sufficiently to make great firewood. We’re aiming to reduce the moisture content to around 20% for a few reasons:
It burns brighter and longer
It’s better for the environment
It provides more warmth
WHAT'S KILN DRIED FIREWOOD?
This firewood goes through a process of being dried in a kiln to speed up the process. Our experience shows that this firewood is not to the same quality of seasoned firewood.
WHY DO SEASONED LOGS BURN FOR LONGER?
The short answer is science. Logs with a high moisture content burn less efficiently because they’re also boiling off the water in the logs, which means less heat is generated in the fire.
WHY ARE SEASONED LOGS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
You might have seen in the news discussions about the English Government “banning” the use of wood burners, stoves and open fires. This isn’t quite accurate - instead, they’re looking to restrict the type of timber people burn in their fires.
Bags of firewood you might get on a garage forecourt are often “wet wood”, meaning timber which hasn’t been dried. This type of firewood produces more pollution and smoke, which isn’t good for the environment.
However, as we mentioned above, seasoned logs which have been dried will burn efficiently and for longer which are considered a clean alternative to wet wood.