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A Wood Stove needs Seasoned Wood

11 April 2011 15:59

If you are enjoying the spring weather as much as we are then you will no doubt enjoy the challenge of seasoning your wood. A wood stove burns better with seasoned wood. Not only will the wood stove give a better flame. but it will burn for longer and won't clog up your chimney.

Seasoned wood is wood that has its moisture content lessened. To do this the wood for the stove needs to be stacked in a place that is not only dry, but warm. However, wood must not be kept in a shed or garage as this encourages mould and fungi to grow, keeping the wood damp. The same effect occurs where the wood pile is in the shade where the sun doesn't reach as the wood cannot dry in such condtions.

To ensure that the wood will be in a perfect condtion for your wood stove the wood pile should be in a south facing area, if possible, and out in the open. Stacking the wood against a wall, or in a properly made ventilated wood shed, is perfect, as long as the top of the area is kept dry. This can be achieved with a tarpaulin or a fixed structure. Enabling air to flow between the wood will help the sap to decrease. Logs need to be chopped into stove size pieces, and split to allow moisture to escape.

It can take up to 2 years for your wood to be suitable for your wood stove. By organising your wood pile you will ensure that you produce better heat producing logs for your wood pile. A well-seasoned log is lighter in weight than freshly cut timber and has no moisture oozing out of the ends of the log. Seasoned logs for your wood stove will have deep cracks in the wood where the moisture has escaped and sound brighter when tapped.

So why not make the most of this glorious spring weather and prepare your logs to burn efficiently in your wood stove next Autumn. We have a superb range of wood stoves at Bradley Stoves Sussex which can be viewed at our online store by clicking here.

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