Help moisture content in logs

suestew

hi all, we are practicing with our new multi fuel. we have purchased seasoned wood from two local recommended suppliers and around the same time also bought a moisture metre. on checking the logs they are mostly around 33-38%

would you say these are not properly seasoned? we did get some free well seasoned logs from stove supplier & they definitely burnt a lot better but they are expensive to buy.

Ectophile

They could be well seasoned, and yet soaking wet, if they have been left out in the rain for too long. Or they could just be un-seasoned. It should be reasonably obvious by looking at them. Seasoned logs tend to have several cracks radiating out from the centre, and peeling bark. Fresh logs don't.

These days, if I need to buy logs, I get them well in advance so I can store them in the dry for as long as possible.

You've got little chance of burning logs with that much moisture. The only real option is to put them under cover in a well-ventilated log store for several months.

spannerzone

Yep, as above really.... I've bought seasoned logs only to get them delivered on a wet day and they get soaked and take some drying out.

You need to buy in advance to allow for this, or in the interim store these logs to dry out and buy some more that are dry and use them perhaps.

savemoney

I use to buy in late Summer to try and avoid wet logs and store in racks I built in garage. It gave them so time to dry our further. If they soaking wet now they wont dry much now. If it was me I would try using some briquettes like Verdo @ home bargains keep a few logs nearby the fire ti dry out. H&B will even delivery them for you for free if you spend over £50

suestew

fab thanks all. our last lot were definitely wet when we got them. if we have them in doors & near the warm fire do we stand a chance of drying them out soon? we don't have a log store yet so can't buy in bulk but looks like we should get something soon

Tonjaren

I'd recommend Verdo briquttes....after reading this forum and the great reviews they were getting, I thought I'd give them a go....I was well impressed, so much so, I went and fetched 10 bags of them from Home Bargains! I have an open fire so break them in half....they'll hopefully last a little while.

Robwiz

suestew wrote: »

fab thanks all. our last lot were definitely wet when we got them. if we have them in doors & near the warm fire do we stand a chance of drying them out soon? we don't have a log store yet so can't buy in bulk but looks like we should get something soon

Logs are best left to dry outside where the wind can blow through a covered stack forcing the moisture to evaporate.

Drying logs indoors is a bad idea - you will increase your indoor relative humidity, which will result in condensation on colder surfaces (windows, and colder corners) possibly leading to mould growth, which is a health hazard. Plus, in the current mild autumn weather, the humidity is already very high so there isn't much capacity for the moisture to evaporate from your logs indoors anyway. You're best off setting them to season outside for the next 12 months and using better quality fuel this year.

Cardew

suestew wrote: »

fab thanks all. our last lot were definitely wet when we got them. if we have them in doors & near the warm fire do we stand a chance of drying them out soon? we don't have a log store yet so can't buy in bulk but looks like we should get something soon

Even a tarpaulin with the sides of the log pile exposed will enable logs to dry.

suestew

right ok I must admit I couldn't get my head round having them outside, I thought with rain etc how can they dry as most log stores are open at the front. this fire malarky is not easy ��

I have heard of verdo brickets will try them, are they expensive?

System

suestew wrote: »

hi all, we are practicing with our new multi fuel. we have purchased seasoned wood from two local recommended suppliers and around the same time also bought a moisture metre. on checking the logs they are mostly around 33-38%

would you say these are not properly seasoned? we did get some free well seasoned logs from stove supplier & they definitely burnt a lot better but they are expensive to buy.

Five years down the line, we have always purchased kiln dried logs for our multi-fuel stove. The 'advantages' are that it is easy to light; it gives out good heat and reduced smoke results in less soot in the chimney and on the stove glass. The 'disadvantage' is that you are paying slightly more for your wood. Trying to burn logs with a moisture content much greater than 20 - 25% is inadvisable.

http://www.i4at.org/surv/woodburn.htm

Note the warning about creosote build up with unseasoned wood. You can see it for yourself if you burn a piece of unseasoned wood that falls onto the glass. It leaves a hard to remove glossy stain.

Tip: clean glass with a piece of paper towel dipped in vinegar/water plus wood ash: a scratch free glass cleaner.

Robwiz

[QUOTE=suestew;66872229I_have_heard_of_verdo_brickets_will_try_them,_are_they_expensive?[/QUOTE]
It depends where you buy them.

They are £2.79 per pack (10 kg) at Home Bargains, which is 30p more than last winter but better than the recommended price per pallet of £299.

So it's a decent price for buying in small quantities. If you can buy in bulk (a whole pallet) it's possible to do better – Luxury Wood Co. is offering 960kg of its heat logs for £229 delivered. (I haven't tried these but their previous briquettes (aspen logs) are better then Verdo.