Kiln dried logs: a home heating guide

Households that rely on solid fuel to heat their homes will be well aware of the costs involved in stocking up on coal or wood logs.

Getting an efficient stove and lined chimney is just the start - you'll soon realise, via trial and error, that different fuels yields 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. But anyone with any experience of trying to keep a fire going using unseasoned firewood will quickly realise that the quality of your wood fuel is of paramount importance.

For example ten (10) kiln dried logs with a water content of 25% or less generates the same heat output as thirty three (33) logs with a water content of around 60% (typically unseasoned wood) That's more than three non-seasoned logs for every kiln-dried log.

This means you get a hotter, more efficient fire with a third of the number of wood logs.

Plus, the advantages of kiln-dried logs are many. The lighter weight of kiln dried logs means you can put more in your log basket and make fewer journeys between your wood store and stove. Kiln dried logs are bone dry and much cleaner which means they are better for storing inside and want make so much mess. Using fewer kiln dried 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 on an open fire then there is much less spitting and sizzling which means it's much safer and better for your 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.

So, what about the bottom line - cost? Yes kiln dried logs are more expensive because they have had to go through a process of kiln drying but when comparing price remember about heat output and the fact that for every one kiln dried log you'll need at least three normal wood logs.

In fact, when taking into account all the positives such as the burning efficiency, cleanliness, weight and aesthetics, investing in kiln dried logs makes a sound investment.