Heating with wood
- By Elaine Bird
- 30 October 2019
- Sandringham
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Choosing to heat your home with wood is a great, green option. Not only is wood a renewable fuel, but in North West Norfolk it’s readily available.
Considering the amount of work involved in full-time wood heating, it makes sense to burn efficient fires.
Hardwoods are generally better for burning in wood burning stoves than softwoods. As a rule of thumb hardwoods are produced by slow-growing deciduous trees and have a greater density than the faster growing softwoods from evergreen trees. Since hardwood logs are heavier than the same sized softwood log they will provide you with much more heat output – up to 50%. Using hardwood logs means having to feed the fire less often than with softwood logs.
It is best to only use dried, fully seasoned chopped wood logs with a moisture content of less than 20%. Well-seasoned logs make a distinctive ‘clack’ rather than a dull ‘thud’ when knocked together. They will also feel much lighter than an unseasoned log and the harder the wood then the longer the seasoning.
Proper storage is important too, wood should be stacked off the ground with plenty of space between the logs to allow air movement and with the top covered to keep the weather out.
On a visit to Sandringham Sawmill, Manager Paul told me that all the wood they sell is kiln dried and is ideal for stoves and open fires. Their logs are stored in a dry barn and Paul is pictured (left) with six-foot tall Ben at the log store and also by one of their one cubic metre boxes.
Logs are sold in bags, by the box (that holds approximately one cubic metre) or a trailer load of approximately two and a half cubic metres.
Paul can be contacted at the Sawmill on 01485 543641