Wood is a major source of heat energy providing a sustainable and renewable alternative to coal, oil and gas.
When burning logs any moisture has to be boiled away before the actual wood will burn properly. Freshly cut timber has a moisture content of around 60%, which is a lot of water that must be lost before the log will start to burn well. Leaving logs to naturally season slowly reduces this moisture content; however this requires a lot of storage space and can take years. The kiln drying process forces this process to happen quickly, removing the moisture and reducing moisture content to 20% or less.
When choosing logs for burning there are two main factors to consider, moisture content and wood density, both of these have significant effects on the Calorific Value (CV). This basically means the amount of heat available per unit of wood.
Burning logs that are damp means the log isn’t burning efficiently, so produces tar and soot which is bad for your fire and chimney. If the moisture has already been removed in the kiln drying process the calorific value of the log increases and the log is able to then burn more efficiently, giving off more heat and burning for longer.
Wood density also affects the calorific value of the log. Hardwood logs (eg, Oak, Ash, Birch, and Beech) are denser than softwood logs (eg Spruce and Pine). Generally the denser the wood, the longer it burns therefore hardwood logs give you more heat and less time is spent topping up the fire.
All of the wood we sell here at Cosy Logs is kiln dried hardwood, creating a log that is ready to burn straight away and gives you more heat for your money.