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We started Certainly Wood back in 2005 having pioneered drying firewood in our unique kilns. Kiln dried logs were unknown when it came to having wood for your fire. Firewood was still the dominant term – but in the past few years, with new legislation such as the ‘Ready to Burn’ scheme coming into effect, it seems that kiln dried wood has overtaken firewood. Is it fair to say that people are now starting to understand the importance of good quality, dry firewood?

We can now delve into the 10 reasons why you should buy kiln dried logs.

1. They save space

Firewood is rather bulky if you compare it against other fuel sources like gas or even an oil tank, so storage can be a bit of a crux! If you decide to season your firewood, it can take between 2-3 years for these to be dried below the 20% threshold. You will also need a fairly large area where the logs have decent ventilation whilst also being protected from the rain. With our kiln dried logs, you know they are ready to burn as soon as they arrive!

2. Easier to store & more convenient

Since they’re ‘Ready to Burn’ you don’t need the same amount of space, you can just order them when required, as well as in a variety of sizes! Although, we do still recommend you stock up during the summer. We also supply speciality lines for cooking & pizza ovens too. Our kiln  dried logs can be stored anywhere, but always make sure they’re undercover to keep the rain away!

3. Burn Better

Kiln dried logs offer a more consistent quality product compared to seasoned. The moisture content will be between 10-20%. The logs burn better and are easier to manage on any appliance.

4. They smell great

Now, this may be a personal opinion, but our kiln dried logs have a distinctive sweet smell when they come out of the kiln, and something many of our customers pick up on too! We put it down to our drying processes, being in the high-temperature kilns for between 40-60 hours! Now I bet that is a benefit you didn’t think of.

5. No creepy crawlies

Another benefit to the time they spend in the kiln is that it helps protect the firewood from pests and diseases too. The high temperatures (100oC) kill any bugs that may be hiding in the logs, stopping you from taking any unwanted visitors into your home. However, be warned, as we have seen it before, make sure that you check your log piles as, during the summer, the lovely dry logs offer a great place for wasps and other insects to make their homes ready for the winter.

6. More cost-effective

One of the challenges over the years has been to convince people that our kiln dried logs, although may seem more expensive than seasoned wood, are actually better value. Once tried, they soon realize that every one of the 9 other reasons to buy kiln dried logs listed here amount to this very reason – that kiln dried logs are far more cost-effective.

7. Hotter burn

The process of kiln drying helps to remove moisture from the core of the log. When it burns it releases gasses, which when ignited give out real heat. If a log contains too much moisture it spends most of the energy on burning off the water rather than producing heat.

8. Less smoke

People often get nostalgic when it comes to the smell of the wood smoke, but there is a fine line between lovely-smelling smoke and far too much. Often wood that is not dry enough will produce lots of black smoke whilst trying to burn. But it could also be that the logs aren’t getting the oxygen they need to burn so go into ‘slumber’ or if the bark is too thick and corky, like willow, this also leads to more smoke. However, as the saying goes there is no smoke without fire!

9. Use less fuel

People are often of the opinion that kiln dried logs burn far too quickly and therefore you would use a lot more. This isn’t strictly the case. Yes, if you are burning on an open fire, you’ll probably find they do burn quickly as you can’t control the oxygen going into the fire itself. However, if you are burning on a wood-burning stove, specifically a new Ecodesign or clearSkies accredited stove, you will notice you use considerably less fuel. In the office, we have tried and tested both a Charnwood Aire as well as a Stovax Vogue and can say, thanks to the improved combustion, we were truly blown away by the increased efficiency.

10. They’re better for the environment

We are all aware of the negative press that surrounds woodburning. However, with new research from DEFRA and the Stove Industry Alliance, there has now been an introduction of new standards for stoves – Ecodesign. The industry itself is taking further steps with the clearSkies accreditation scheme. In 2021, DEFRA finally banned the selling of wet wood & the Ready to Burn scheme came into play, guaranteeing only wood dried to below 20% could be sold. These two factors will continue to lead to an ever-decreasing risk to our health and the environment, making wood burning, the perfect solution for low-carbon home heating.