Are Kiln-Dried Logs Actually Worth It? | Pros, Cons, User Experience

Any experienced firewood user will tell you that kiln-dried logs are as good as it gets. But is the price premium (often upwards of 10-15%) truly worth it? Kirsten and Mars share their experience.
Discover Lekto Kiln-Dried Logs:
👉 Oak: www.lektowoodfuels.co.uk/prod...
👉 Birch: www.lektowoodfuels.co.uk/prod...
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[@bmull81]

Greetings! I probably count as an experienced firewood user, used to help my Granny get her fire lit as a kid in the early '50s, and was nick-named 'Vulcan' as a teenager... All because I could get a traditional open fire roaring, usually by boosting the draught. Yes, kiln-dried is great! I suspect that a lot of the air-dried 'seasoned fire wood' in the UK is pretty damp. Your customers also need to _keep_ their logs somewhere dry - woodsheds here in the UK can be damp! The air is damp! Been sporadically drying our own for the last 30 years or so, since we were burning our own wood - and until recently we had a couple of acres in the UK feeding a massive Fisher with wood harvested from the trees we had planted in the early '90s. But we never got around to coppicing like on Granny's farm. Our own 2~3-year woodshed-seasoned stuff would often have higher-than-20% in the middle of the log. Not surprising, since atmospheric humidity around there was typically much more. A well-ventilated poly-tunnel gave the best results, when the sun was shining. We have downsized now - a UK suburban situation. The compacted sawdust 'heat logs' test well below 20% and burn to a fine powder in a Mendip 'Woodland' stove that came with this house. Regulating the air is vital to a good burn. In Oz we lived on a 'small' property with 10 acres of bush that needed regular tree maintenance (three chainsaws, and my wife had another two) to control the wildfire risk - this fed the four wood-burners and a heap of experiments with 'rocket' stove cores that were truly fascinating. Even in Oz we would bring wood in early from the well-ventilated woodshed to finish drying around the stoves, since there is usually a benefit, especially when lighting up, and we were sweeping our own chimneys. All sorts of 'critters' would come indoors with the wood, even if one was careful. In Oz that can be scary. Measuring the 'seasoned' firewood humidity was often disappointing, even in that dry climate. Interesting to see the evolution of wood stoves that provide much more sophisticated air control - and their adoption for the home. Find that it helps to compare the use of a 'choke' on an IC engine when explaining what goes on in the combustion process, but I find that schools often seem not to have labs with 'Bunsen' burners which are such a very good demonstration. It's all about the ratio of wood-gas to air, just like an IC engine (or Bunsen), so exhaust gas analysis (and temperature measurement) is critical to correct adjustment. Yes, I'm a retired automotive engineer, how did you guess? Thanks for the video!😁

[@lektowoodfuels]

Thank you for the comment! It's always nice to hear from someone who is passionate about wood fuel and has been around it for seventy years. Our wood fuel experts have the same opinion on seasoned logs as you do: It's borderline impossible to dry it fully and consistently, at least here in the UK. If you have the chance, check out our Kiln-Dried Birch Logs. We're extremely proud of them. Seasoned logs simply can't compete!

[@bmull81]

@@lektowoodfuels Thanks for the response! I plan to try a small pack of your Kiln-dried Birch Logs, and another of your Hardwood Heat Logs since (so far!) we get a better/more consistent result with 'briquette' fuel rather than kiln-dried timber logs in general.They tend to be more variable than the heat log/briquettes in our stove. Tried those coffee-grounds briquettes too! They work well, the lowest residue so far but they are not economically viable here. Price is of course, important, but only when comparing good quality fuels. Price leader here is the Big K Heat log. Purchased locally in larger quantities their KW-per-pound-spent in our second-hand Mendip stove is impressive. According to DEFRA, Big K are based in Holland, as are other briquette makers on their list. Our goal for this winter is to keep warm enough without blowing the budget. Next year the plan is to build another of our rocket heaters, which would reliably get over 90% efficiency when fed with our own seasoned Aussie gum tree logs that are not that well dried - 20% if we are lucky! The secret is to burn all the CO to CO2... Flue analysis revealed that we had no measurable CO in an established burn. Extra heat output and zero toxic CO in the exhaust is worth the effort. I notice that recent models of the Mendip Woodland stove have tertiary air controls - which are needed if the intention is to control the final combustion phase. But do they run hot enough to eat the CO? Will give you a call to place an order soon! Ben 😁

[@lektowoodfuels]

@@bmull81 Hi, Ben! It's rare to see someone as passionate about wood heating as we are, so we're super glad we found you! Our kiln-dried logs are dried to under 10% (peak) moisture at the factory, so I think you'll be surprised at just how consistent of a burn they can give you. Choose birch if you value the aesthetics of a beautiful flame. If a longer burn time and higher heat output are more important to you, then take a look at our oak logs. I'm happy to hear that you liked our Hardwood Heat Logs. They were designed to heat cold rooms quickly and provide a lot of heat for the colder days of the year. But if lowering your heating costs is your main priority, you may want to take a look at our flagship briquette fuel, 8-hour Night Briquettes. They're made of a proprietary mix of softwood bark and can burn for up to 4 times as long as conventional RUF briquettes. This makes them a great set-and-forget solution for situations where you can't tend to the stove. It can also save you quite a bit of money by lowering your wood fuel consumption.

[@autotomk]

Where you guys from???? Not Michigan USA.

[@lektowoodfuels]

Hi, we are UK 🇬🇧 based 😊