Ultimate Wood Fuel Battle: Heat Logs vs Kiln Dried Firewood
The UK government has recently passed a regulation that effectively bans the sale of wet wood to the UK public in quantities under 2 cubic metres.
The new law stipulates that all firewood logs sold in the UK need to be certified according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs' brand new Ready to Burn quality standard. The chief requirement of this standard is that all wood sold to end users in the UK must contain no more than 20% moisture. Read our full article on the Ready to Burn standard to learn more.
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What does this mean? It means that you can no longer use wet wood for your domestic fires, those being log burners, wood burning stoves, multi-fuel stoves, and open fires.
you may be trying to decide between heat logs vs quality hardwood kiln-dried logs. Use our guide to help you choose the right product for you.
Types
There are three types of premium hardwood kiln-dried logs to choose from: birch, ash, and oak. Kiln-dried birch logs are wallet-friendly, easy to light, and burn beautifully. Kiln-dried oak logs burn at a very high temperature and last longer than any other type of firewood. And kiln-dried ash logs are the UK's most commonly recommended type of logs, being easy to use and providing ample heat.
When it comes to Heat Logs, there are two main varieties. Hardwood Heat Logs are the flagship kind and Softwood Nestro Logs are a less expensive alternative.
Burn Time
Whilst there is a lack of solid scientific evidence, contemporary reports suggest that there is little difference between the burn time of heat logs and firewood. Obviously, there are other factors that affect how long heat logs burn, such as airflow and log size so this probably isn’t’ the best factor to compare them on.
Heat Output
Lekto Heat Logs have a calorific value of 5,150kWh/kg, compared to an average of 4,000kWh/kg for traditional firewood. Again, other factors will influence the overall heat output of your fire or burner, but heat logs will release more heat than kiln dried logs when you burn them.
Storage
Traditional firewood is often cut to more regular sizes nowadays, so they can be quite easy to store. However, every heat log has the same weight and dimensions, making them even easier to stack away. What’s more, heat logs are provided in packs covered with protective packaging to prevent moisture from getting into your wood. This has the added benefit of reducing the amount of dust and debris that you have to clean up in your storage area as you remove the wood.
Aesthetics
Whilst heat logs are compact and regular, they don’t have the aesthetic appeal of traditional firewood. They won’t create that rustic display when you stack them next to the fire, and they don’t create the classic look of a burning fire when in use. But there’s nothing to stop you combining both products so you get the best of both worlds.
Environmental Credentials
Our heat logs are made from compressed wood that is sourced from sustainable forests. They don’t contain any extra chemicals or preservatives, making them a very natural product. The wood shavings we use in their construction are the by-product of other industrial uses so we are reducing waste.
Try a Mini Pack
Still not sure if heat logs are right for you? Try one of our mini-packs. Each pack contains 10 heat logs which is plenty to get you started and give you a good idea of how well they will work in your fire or log burner.