Selecting the Right Wood

The choice between hardwood and softwood is a good starting point. Hardwood, from trees like oak, ash, and beech, is dense, burns slowly, and gives off a lot of heat, making it a go-to for many stove owners. Softwood, from trees like pine, tends to catch fire quickly and burns faster, making it ideal for starting fires, but less so for long-term heating.

Therefore, hardwoods are generally better for burning in wood-burning stoves than softwoods. Hardwoods, produced by slow-growing deciduous trees, have greater density than the faster-growing softwoods from evergreen trees. Since hardwood logs are heavier than the same-sized softwood log, they will provide you with much more heat output – up to 50%. Using hardwood logs means having to fill the stove up less often than you would with softwood logs.

Briquettes are a great alternative to hardwood and a by-product from the timber industry, which can be used on woodburning stoves. Wood briquettes are a type of high-density wood fuel manufactured from compressed wood chippings, sawdust and shavings.

Briquettes are most commonly rectangular or cylindrical, weighing between 1kg and 2kg each

Briquettes also have a low moisture content, around 10%, whilst kiln-dried regular firewood is usually 15-20%. This means less energy is wasted from water evaporation during burning. 

Most logs sold commercially are cut to a length that will fit in most stoves, but if you have a small stove or one with a narrow door, it can be worth checking with your log merchant that their logs are cut small enough to fit through the opening. Each manufacturer will specify the maximum log size that will fit in their stove. It is important to adhere to this, as putting to big a log in will lead to more damage to your internal bricks, leading to higher maintenance costs. 

The other relevant aspect of size is burn-rate. The smaller a log, the faster it will burn through. Five small logs will burn much faster than a single large log with the same overall mass. When you’re lighting your stove or getting it up to temperature, small logs are better; if you’re going out for a long walk and want to come back to a hot stove, a couple of big logs might serve you better.

How wet or dry your wood is will significantly affect how well it burns. Wood with high moisture content tends to produce more smoke and tar, which isn’t great for your stove or the air. For a good burn, you want wood with a moisture content of 20% or less. This usually means going for seasoned wood that has been left to dry for a couple of years, or kiln-dried wood, which is a quicker (though no better, more energy-intensive, and generally more expensive) method to reduce moisture.

As a rule of thumb, wood which is well seasoned makes a distinctive ‘clack’ rather than a dull ‘thud’ when knocked together. It will also feel much lighter than an unseasoned log. Other indicators of a seasoned log include the bark peeling away and cracking and splitting of the wood around the outside. Ideally, wood should be seasoned outdoors for between 18 to 24 months – the harder the wood then the longer the seasoning. It should be stacked off the ground with plenty of space between the logs to allow air movement and with the top covered to keep rain and snow out. It is said that seasoned wood will give you approximately 50% more heat output than the equivalent unseasoned log so that alone makes it very worthwhile.

A moisture meter specially designed for testing wood logs is highly recommended and a small investment that will pay for itself over and over again. Most types of hardwood, for instance, Ash (generally regarded as the best), Birch, Beech, Oak, and Elm can be used. However, avoid burning woods with a high resin content. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the wood, the greater the heat output and the longer burn time – the time between refills.

Never use wet or unseasoned (green) wood as this will cause nuisance smoke and a very disappointing fire. It could quickly result in the build-up of soot and creosote which, because of the higher temperatures of stove flue gases, could easily cause a flue or chimney fire. In addition, burning wet wood creates other environmental problems, a less efficient fuel economy, and can eventually quickly clog your flue system and cowl. Burning wet or unseasoned wood will also reduce the effectiveness of the stove’s Airwash system thus causing staining and blackening of the glass.

• Fires that are simply very hard and very slow to start
• Fires that are then difficult to keep going or to keep burning well
• Smokey fires with fewer flames which are also lackluster and of a dull or dirty orange color
• Increased dense grey/blue smoke from the chimney
• Shorter burn times
• Low heat output
• Dirty glass and firebricks
• Excessive and rapid creosote build-up in the flue system and chimney
• Unpleasant smoky smells both inside and sometimes outside the house

If you’d like more tips on the best fuel for your stove, drop by our store and pick up a few packs of briquettes or wood to test out.