Best Practice for storing logs for Wood-Burners

If you are using a wood-burner rather than a multi-fuel stove, you will need a good stock of logs to heat your home.

Did you know that there is a strict procedure in seasoning wood so you can burn it on your wood-burning or multi-fuel stove?  Well, here is a little insight into how to do it.

The most important thing to remember is that wood must be allowed to season before you use it in your stove.  This means chopping your logs and allowing them to dry for a prolonged period of time, this reduces the amount of moisture the wood contains from 50-80% to less than 25%.

The benefits of seasoning wood are as follows; easy to light, heat your room faster and you burn less wood – more economical!

So what is the best way to store your logs?  Well, usually it is best to collect the wood 6-18 months in advance and stack them on pallets in an open sided shelter which will allow the air to circulate.   The most important thing here is that you ensure that the wood is covered from above and below, but do NOT cover with tarpaulin as this will stop the drying process and encourage the wood to rot.

The seasoning process works at its best for a 4 year period, so don’t collect massive amounts if you will not use your stock within that timeframe, after 4 years the wood will deteriorate.

But, if that sounds like way too much hassle, we have it covered!  Pearsons of Duns Solid Fuel Distributors stock Seasoned Hardwood Logs (typically 15-20% moisture) and Kiln Dried logs (typically only 5%-15% moisture), with biomass Heat Logs, Peat, coal and smokeless fuel also available.