Wood Blog how to get the most from your fire

Using Firewood The Environmental Benefits

Using wood as a fuel has a number of benefits, many people think burning wood can be environmentally beneficial and much of the woodland in the UK is semi-natural woodland and nature benefit emensely from being managed. Secondly, providing the wood comes from a sustainable source and our wood is from part of the coppice of a medieval greenway that crosses our land and by maintaining in this manner will be of benefit to nature and be a source of renewable energy for generations to come Using wood as a fuel also benefits the rural economy by providing local employment and an opportunity for diversification for farmers and other landowners who would not normally benefit

The woodland that exists today in the UK does so because it had a use, and also a value to owners. They were managed, mostly using coppice systems, to provide fuels and other materials, mainly for local use. The eco-systems that exist in those woods today depend on continuing management for their continued survival.Many people believe that they are self sustaining and can look after themselves but this is not the case at all

Many of these woodlands, especially the smaller ones, are no longer managed because they no longer provide any economic benefit to their owners. Continued neglect is not an option for these woodlands. They are managed systems, which require continuing management, if they are to be sustainable. Extracting firewood and other wood from them is one way to ensure that they are managed

It is important to us that the logs are dry and fully seasoned we would be wasting our time and yours (the customer) if they were not up to standard. Burning wet or unseasoned wood is less efficient and can cause harmful build up of deposits in the chimney over a very short time.

Thick coatings of creosote or resinous material can cause chimney fires, or prevent the chimney functioning properly. This can allow harmful fumes to escape into the dwelling. Efficient burning is achieved by setting the appliance to burn fast after stoking. This will ensure that all the gases are fully burned. Only set to slow burn when all wood has been reduced to charcoal and ash. Newly added wood set to burn slowly creates smoke and creosote in the chimney. The stove should not be banked up with logs for overnight burning. A bright fire which has turned the wood into charcoal should be left with the day’s ash, no secondary air and minimal primary air.

If you buy logs which have not been seasoned, then you are wasting your time unless are prepared to wait a few years, (this is why we guarantee our logs are 100% fully seasoned)

if you should buy from another supplier and they are not seasoned store them under cover but open to allow free air circulation for at least a year. Some logs may take 2 to 3 years to fully season (Check below for a table & charts of seasoning times)

Even with our fully seasoned hardwood logs it wil not do any harm to bring the fuel into the house a few days before you want to use it to get it as dry as possible. Wood from different trees has different heat values The table below provides a useful comparison.