A Guide to Burning Wood on a Log Stove

Any type of wood will burn, however different types of wood logs can have significantly different energy values (calorific values) that your wood burning stove will deliver to the room.

Hardwood burns best and longest whereas softwood burns quickly but hot and so are best kept for lighting or reviving the fire. An oak log the same size as a pine log will give almost double the energy value because it is denser. 

The moisture content of freshly cut wood is between 50% and 90%. Wet logs such as these will give little heat because the energy is spent boiling off the water. Seasoned wood for burningshould have a moisture content of below 20%.

Around 80% of a lump of wood is gas and 20% is charcoal. If the timber is wet, the gasses released when the wood is hot enough will be mixed with steam, and so, will not reach the temperature required to ignite inside the stove and give the desired yellow flames and heat. The cool unburnt gasses mixed with water will then condensate onto your stove glass and inside your chimney liner while polluting the local environment with excessive smoke particles. 

If the wood is stored incorrectly it will take between 1 and 4 years to dry depending on the tree species. To get the optimum heat and efficiency from burning wood, the fuel will need to be around 20% moisture. We pass on the wealth of experience we have gained; advising on every aspect of log supply and log storage that speeds up drying times in your garden to one summer season for all tree types while ensuring your wood-burning stove burns as it's been designed to.