When it comes to purchasing firewood logs for your fireplace or log burner, you should be clear about plenty of things to make the right decision. Your decision on purchasing firewood depends on various factors, such as your budget, the available space to store the firewood, the frequency of use, and the environmental impact of your firewood. When you know your requirements and preferences, you can choose the best firewood for you and decide on the required quantity. However, it’s not easy to get the best firewood for your fireplace. To help you make the right choice, we will discuss five important things that you need to consider when purchasing firewood.
Consider Moisture Content
If you want to burn firewood, you should burn hardwood logs that contain a moisture content of less than 20%. On the other hand, if you choose to burn wet wood that would emit pollutants, ash, and high levels of smoke which is not only bad for the environment but also evil for your health.
However, if you choose to purchase wet wood for its cheaper cost, you must season the wood for 1-2 years before using that. To get wood for immediate burning, you will have to purchase kiln-dried hardwood logs.
Consider Volume Rather Than Weight
You should not purchase firewood by weight, instead, consider purchasing firewood by volume. Generally, most firewood companies sell wood by volume. This is because dry wood will have less weight compared to wet wood due to less moisture content. When your preference is to get dry wood with less than 20% moisture content, then why would you purchase them by volume?
When you are purchasing by volume, recognize the volume that you are getting. If a tonne bag or other types of container is loaded with loose firewood, you are going to get 40-60% less volume than the actual volume of the container.
Consider Purchasing in Bulk
It is cheaper to purchase firewood in bulk rather than in small quantities. However, for that, you need to have enough storage space with excellent ventilation. If you don’t have adequate space, it is better to purchase firewood in manageable quantities.
It would be meaningless to purchase firewood in large quantities and leave it out in an open space, allowing them to absorb moisture and rainwater.
Choose Hardwood Logs Species Than Softwood
Hardwood logs burn longer and produce more heat than softwood. Some favoured hardwood logs species that you can use for burning are oak, beech, birch, and ash. However, instead of focusing on more on the species, you should focus on the moisture content and the log’s thickness to determine the best hardwood logs for you.
Consider Environment-Friendly Right Packaging
Many firewood companies offer product packaging of either plastic bags or plastic nets for small quantity firewood. One might be better than the other, but in general, plastic is extremely bad for your wood and the environment. Therefore, you should purchase firewood from a company that offers plastic-free recyclable packaging.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to determine the best firewood for your fireplace or log burner. Consider these above-mentioned things and purchase firewood confidently.
