Wood stove revolution

Sales of stoves continue to increase month on month as the UK public look for ways to reduce their heating bills.

Whether you are the proud owner of a shiny new stove, or you’re thinking to install one, there are a few things that you need to know to really get the most out of that heating machine in the fireplace.

Do not burn damp wood.

This is the most fundamental thing to get right when you’re burning wood. It might be surprising, but green wood is around 45% water. That means that for every kg of green wood you add to the fire, you are effectively adding around 500ml (a pint) of water. This means that you will need to make sure that your fuel has been dried properly. There are a few ways of doing this, but the simplest are as follows.

• Find green wood and dry it yourself – probably the cheapest option, if you’ve got the space to dry your logs properly but do bear in mind that it will take a while. As a minimum, you will need to make sure that you have given your logs at least one summer to dry properly.
• Find a good supplier. Ask before delivery how long the logs have been maturing (minimum 18 months).

Can we help?

If you would like some assistance, please do contact us and one of our qualified fitters will be happy to help.