Benefits of Kiln Dried Firewood

 

Households that rely on solid fuels to heat their homes will be aware of the costs involved in stocking up on wood logs. Getting an efficient stove and lined chimney is just the start – you’ll soon realise, via trial and error, that different fuels yield different results in terms of heat output.

When winter sets in, you’ll be looking to maximise the heat from your fuel and cost will be an important factor. The temptation is to get your hands on wood, any type of wood, the cheaper the better, to throw onto your fire.

 

Anyone with any experience of trying to keep a fire going using unseasoned firewood will quickly realise that the quality of your wood is of paramount importance. For example 10 kiln dried logs with a water content of 25% or less generates the same heat output as 33 logs with water content of 66% (typically unseasoned wood) This means you get a hotter, more efficient fire with a third of the number of logs. Kiln dried logs are bone dry and much cleaner, which means they are better for internal storage.

 

Using fewer logs means better control of the stove and fewer loads. The fire burns cleaner and hotter with kiln dried logs and the stove window is less likely to soot up. If you are burning an open fire the “spitting” is reduced, meaning safer, better conditions within the chimney. Finally, the bright flame and gorgeous wood fire smell, also make kiln dried logs much more aesthetically pleasing and create that real fire ambiance that everyone loves. Although more expensive, because they have to go through the process of kiln drying, when comparing prices remember about heat output and the fact that for every kiln dried log you’ll need at least three normal logs. In fact, when taking into account all the positives such as burning efficiently, cleanliness, weight and aesthetics, investing in kiln dried logs makes a sound investment.

 

Why buy Kiln Dried Wood?

 

Kiln dried wood logs have a moisture content of 20% compared to naturally seasoned wood which has a moisture content of 25 – 30%. This gives it a number of advantages.

 

• Kiln dried wood burns hotter, longer and is up to 80% more efficient. When burning high moisture content wood most of the energy goes into drying the wood out.

• Dry wood burns cleaner, it is environmentally friendly, wet wood causes pollution.

• As it burns much cleaner, there are less stove and flue problems.

• Kiln dried wood is 2 – 3 times more efficient, which means you save money and storage space.

 

In addition, the active heating process in the kiln means:

 

• Kiln dried is guaranteed bug and insect free. Beetles, ants and termites will not survive the drying process.

• Kiln dried gives the perfect Yule time real wood fire aroma.