Wood Density and Its Significance for Firewood Quality
How Does Wood Density Affect Firewood Quality?
Denser woods generally produce more heat when burned compared to less dense woods. This is because denser woods contain more cellulose and lignin, the primary components of wood that release energy when burned.
As a result, denser woods burn hotter and longer, providing more efficient heat output.
What is Wood Density?
Wood density refers to the mass (weight) of wood per unit volume. It is typically measured in grams per cubic centimetre (g/cm³) or pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³) for our State-side cousins.
Put simply, denser woods have a higher proportion of wood fibre and less air space, making them heavier and more compact.
The density of wood influences various aspects of its burning characteristics, including:
- Heat Output: Denser woods produce higher heat output due to their higher concentration of combustible material.
- Burn Time: Denser woods burn longer than less dense woods, providing sustained warmth.
- Ash Production: Denser woods typically generate less ash compared to less dense woods, minimising cleanup.
- Ease of Lighting: Denser woods may require more effort to light initially, but they burn more consistently once ignited.
Choosing the Right Wood Density for Your Needs
The ideal wood density for firewood depends on your specific needs and preferences. For instance, if you prioritise long-lasting heat, denser woods such as our Ecoblaze Premium Hardwood, Oak, or other hardwoods such as Ash or Birch are excellent choices.
For quick bursts of heat, such as when you’re starting a fire, lower density softwoods like pine or spruce are more a better choice.
Understanding Wood Density Values
To better understand the density of different wood species, consider the following examples:
- Ecoblaze Premium Hardwood: 470 kg/m³*
- Oak: 440 kg/m³
- Ash: 420 kg/m³
- Birch: 380 kg/m³
Additional Factors Influencing Firewood Quality
While wood density is a significant factor in determining firewood quality, other aspects also play a role:
- Moisture Content: Drier firewood burns more efficiently and produces less smoke.
- Seasoning: Properly seasoned wood has lower moisture content and burns better.
- Storage: Proper storage protects firewood from moisture and pests.
Wood density is a crucial factor influencing firewood quality, impacting heat output, burn time, ash production, and ease of lighting. By understanding the density of different wood species and considering other factors like moisture content and storage, you can make informed choices to ensure a warm and cozy winter experience.
*Wood Density For Us Means A Better Value Firewood
We source our ‘Premium’ grade hardwood firewood based upon a density value, this means that whatever the species, it will always be a highly dense and fantastic performing firewood. Although the species may vary, it shall always be responsibly and sustainably sourced, as with all Ambiance Wood Burners products.
Firewood FAQ's
Our firewood & logs are all kiln dried. They are cut, split then placed into a special kiln at a very high temperature, which speeds up the drying process massively. This is more convenient than waiting 1 or 2 years for firewood to air dry.
The temperature and air circulation can be controlled so that the firewood is dried consistently at the desired speed until it reaches the appropriate moisture content that makes it ‘Ready to Burn’.
By choosing our kiln dried logs , you can remove the stress of drying the firewood yourself and use them in your wood burner straightaway.
What is the Weight or Stacked Volume of my Crate?
Weight is an inaccurate representation of firewood, because the weight can change according to the moisture levels. This can allow other suppliers to be misleading with their measurement because the customer might not know that what they’re effectively paying for is the moisture content of the firewood. To avoid this, we indicate our firewood measurements by providing the loose volume – a natural pile of firewood as opposed to tightly stacked inside a crate.
We don’t measure our crates by their stacked volume either. The reason for this is because the measurement for the stacked volume is not always universal wherever you look online – some suppliers go by the external crate dimensions. This is inaccurate as the real volume comes from the internal dimensions of the crate.
What is Ready to Burn Firewood?
Ready to Burn is a certification scheme launched by a non-profit organisation called Woodsure. This scheme ensures that firewood is ready for immediate use and safe to burn. Dry firewood burns more effectively and is less damaging to your health and the environment than wet unseasoned logs (also known as ‘green’ logs).
DEFRA have implemented a clean air strategy which means that this scheme has been enforced, and the recent wet firewood ban states that all sales and usage of wet firewood must end or result in a fine.
Firewood must meet the following standards:
- Crates must be sold with dimensions of 2m3 or less.
- The firewood must be kiln dried or seasoned to moisture levels below 20%.
- ‘Ready to Burn’ label must be shown at point of sale – on a crate, pallet, invoice or poster – along with the relevant information.
- If crates are larger than 2m3 then they cannot be labelled as ‘Ready to Burn’, however suppliers must still detail its kiln dried moisture content.
Where large crates do not meet the approved moisture levels, suppliers must provide information on how to properly dry the firewood themselves until it reaches 20% moisture content or less.
What Size Crate Will I Need For My Wood Burning Stove?
This heavily depends on how often you use your wood burner. For occasional burners who enjoy a nice blaze from time to time, a small crate should suffice. For regular users who rely on it as their main heating source we recommend a full or max crate. It’s better to order your firewood in bulk to receive the best value for your money. This will keep your log shed stocked up for months.
Full crates are the ideal option for any home – they are small enough to fit down narrow country lanes and reach any property out in the sticks but are also large enough to keep your home heated throughout the winter. Max crates are the largest size we offer, but there is a limit to where we can deliver this. Check our website for more details regarding this. See our crate selector guide for more information about crate sizes.
Can You Store Kiln Dried Logs In A Shed?
You must avoid exposing firewood to the rain or the damp ground outside. There’s nothing worse than ruining the quality of the logs you just paid for. Keep your firewood dry by storing it in a sheltered storage space or under a protective covering to avoid rain, snow or ice. Make sure that the firewood is kept off the ground to avoid any risk of moisture reaching the logs and ensure the storage area has plenty of air circulation so that the firewood can continue to dry out.
What’s The Best Wood For A Log Burner?
All our firewood is ready to burn and meets our quality standards, but each has a unique property that is suitable for different uses. See our handy firewood comparison guide here.
Our Commitment To Sustainability
In today’s environmentally conscious world, sustainability has become a critical factor for businesses and consumers alike. At Ambiance Wood Burners, we are committed to providing our customers with responsibly sourced, high-quality renewable wood fuels that meet their energy needs while minimising the environmental impact.
We recognise that our business operations have an impact on the environment, and we are dedicated to minimising that impact through sustainable practices. We source our wood from responsibly managed forests, ensuring that the timber we use is harvested sustainably and that replanting efforts are in place.
A sustainable forestry is one where the area of forest grows every year, not decreases.
Our wood fuels are also processed using environmentally conscious methods. Our kiln drying process reduces moisture content to optimal levels, ensuring efficient combustion and minimising emissions. This process also helps to prevent mould and mildew, ensuring that our firewood is in the best condition for use in your home.
Unwavering Commitment to Quality
At Ambiance Wood Burners, we believe that quality is paramount. We take pride in providing our customers with the highest quality wood fuels on the market. Our firewood is carefully selected and inspected to ensure that it meets our stringent standards for quality and consistency.
Our kiln dried firewood is guaranteed to have a moisture content of less than 20%, making it ready to burn immediately. This means that you can enjoy a warm, cosy fire without having to worry about excessive smoke or creosote buildup.
Renewable Wood Fuels for a Sustainable Future
Wood fuels are a renewable energy source that can play a significant role in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. We are committed to providing our customers with access to these sustainable energy sources, helping to reduce our collective environmental footprint.
Our wood fuels are harvested from sustainably managed forests, ensuring that the trees we use are replaced over time. This sustainable approach helps to maintain healthy forests and the valuable ecosystem services they provide.
Ambiance Wood Burners is committed to providing our customers with responsibly sourced, high-quality renewable wood fuels that meet their energy needs while minimising the environmental impact. We believe that sustainability, quality, and renewable wood fuels are essential for a greener future, and we are proud to be a part of the solution.
We understand that our customers are busy people, and we want to make their lives as easy as possible. That’s why we offer ready-to-burn firewood that is delivered to you directly, stacked neatly, and ready to use.
Our ready-to-burn firewood is truly, ready to burn. Simply place it in your fireplace or wood stove, light it up, and enjoy the warmth and ambiance of a real wood fire, no need for additional drying.
Eco-Friendly Wood Fuels for a Greener Home
At Ambiance Wood Burners, we believe that making the switch to wood fuels is a positive step towards a greener home. Our wood fuels are a natural and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, helping to reduce your carbon footprint and minimise your environmental impact.
By choosing our wood fuels, you are not only doing your part for the environment, but you are also enjoying the benefits of a warm, cosy home heated by a renewable energy source.
Why Kerbside is Key: Understanding Our Delivery Approach
Getting your goods quickly and safely is our top priority. That’s why we rely on kerbside delivery as our standard practice.
While it might seem like a small detail, kerbside delivery benefits both you and our delivery partners in several key ways:
1. Protecting Your Property:
Entering your property, even with your permission, can introduce unwanted liability risks. A dropped crate or pallet, a bumped doorway, or an unexpected trip can happen in the blink of an eye.
By keeping deliveries at the curb, we minimise the potential for accidental damage to your personal space.
2. Ensuring Smooth Access:
Not all homes are created equal. Gated communities, narrow pathways, or tricky parking situations can complicate access.
Kerbside delivery simplifies the process, ensuring a smooth handover without the need for special arrangements.
3. Speeding Up Deliveries:
Time is precious! Kerbside delivery allows our partners to complete their journeys more efficiently.
This enables us to keep the delivery costs down for our customers, and for our delivery partners, it helps them to keep their delivery chain moving, ensuring your package arrives promptly and our partners can move on to the next happy customer.
Of course, we understand that sometimes exceptions are necessary. If your circumstances means we would benefit both you, and our delivery partners by having some prior arrangements for your delivery, please put this information in the delivery notes at checkout or select access restrictions.
The palletised goods that our network transport can weigh up to 1,000kg’s, which makes kerbside delivery the safest option to you our customers and our drivers.
If you require additional assistance with your delivery, please contact our Customer Service team to discuss your options.
Remember, kerbside delivery is about ensuring a safe, efficient, and reliable delivery experience for everyone involved. It’s a win-win that keeps your goods protected, gets them to you quickly, and keeps our delivery partners on the road.
Emissions From Domestic Wood Burning
There has been a lot of negative, and quite frankly misleading press recently about the emissions associated with your log fire at home. Emissions from wood burning are a concern, but a combination of common sense and good practice should be more than enough to ensure that one is making a positive contribution to the air quality around us. A frequently misquoted statistic is that ‘domestic wood burning’ accounts for the largest contribution to particulate matter in the air we breathe. This statistic refers to all domestic wood burning, and lumps in Bonfires, Garden Incinerators and Wildfires, among others, to domestic wood burning! Burning Ready to Burn certified wood in a modern ecodesign stove can reduce emissions by as much as 95% – and now, thanks to recent legislation, one is not able to buy or install anything other than fuel or appliances to these standards!
Ensure your Ready to Burn firewood is stored in a dry and well-ventilated area so that it goes onto your stove at the same low moisture content it was produced at. Consider replacing your open fire or old stove with a modern ecodesign stove. Not only will you reduce emissions further, but these stoves are dramatically more efficient – meaning more heat will enter your living room, and less will go up your chimney! Ensure your appliance is right sized to the room it is in. Stoves operating at near full capacity emit far less particulate matter than stoves smouldering along at 30%. Not only will you reduce emissions, you’ll ensure you always have a nice bright flame in the stove!
Avoid using crunched up newspaper to light your fire. While newspaper lights quickly, the ash formed from burning newspaper remains in large fractals that reduce airflow and thus dramatically reduce the speed at which a fire starts. When using slower burning woods (like oak) consider increasing the amount of kindling you use to ensure that you establish a vigorous blaze as swiftly as possible.
In short, fear not, a well-maintained modern stove using Ready to Burn firewood produces extremely low levels of emissions. You’ll not only be helping improve the air quality, but using one of the worlds oldest renewable fuels.
Firewood Crate Specification
Full Crate Specification
| Dimensions | External | Internal |
| Height | 1.20m | 1.05m |
| Width | 1.14m | 1.09m |
| Length | 1.08m | 1.05m |
| Volume | Stacked | 1.2m³ |
| Loose | 2.00m³ |
| Log Length | 25cm (+/- 2cm) / 9.8” (+/- 1”) |
| Log Diameter | 80% with max diameter between 60mm and 160mm |
| Moisture Content | An average moisture content for each crate of under 20%1 |
Max Crate Specification
| Dimensions | External | Internal |
| Height | 2.00m | 1.87m |
| Width | 1.19m | 1.15m |
| Length | 1.08m | 1.04m |
| Volume | Stacked | 2.24m³ |
| Loose | 3.74m³ |
| Log Length | 25cm (+/- 2cm) / 9.8” (+/- 1”) |
| Log Diameter | 80% with max diameter between 80mm and 150mm |
| Moisture Content | An average moisture content for each crate of under 20%1 |
Fire Building Techniques You Need to Try in Your Woodburner
You’ve already got your high-quality firewood and efficient wood burning stove, but have you considered trying these different fire building techniques? Here are five that we recommend for the next time you light up your log burner – because the art of fire building isn’t just for campfires.
1. Bottom Up
Logs are arranged from smallest to largest from the bottom to the top of the pile, with kindling and a firelighter below all of that. Once you light it from below, the flames naturally spread upwards. This is the most effective way to make sure the larger logs catch fire, and therefore the most common method to light a fire in all situations.
2. Top Down
Also known as the upside-down method, this is where you place the kindling and smaller logs at the top and the largest logs at the bottom. The firelighter is added to the top of the pile so that once it’s lit the flames spread down slowly to the larger logs. This is a useful method in larger stoves and for a slow and steady fire.
3. Teepee
Designed to achieve high heat, this is ideal when you need to get the stove hot quicker but takes a little longer to build due to the towering tent shape formed. Remember to start with smaller logs and kindling, and then arrange the kindling pieces and firewood to lean against each other. There are two ways to build this: either build the teepee around your firelighter or leave a gap near the front so that you can place a firelighter inside it after it’s built.
4. Crisscross / Log Cabin
This low maintenance method provides a platform for cooking over flames. Overlap layers of logs and kindling in alternating directions to create a stacked crisscross pattern with gaps between each piece of wood for airflow. Do not make the pile too tall otherwise this will overload the appliance – 3 or 4 layers is best. Make sure to put a firelighter at the centre of the structure, and some extra kindling on top, or for a slower burn place the firelighter on top.
5. Lean-To
Mostly for outdoor purposes, a lean to is designed to shield dry firewood from wind and rain and prevent the fire from going out or smouldering. However, this is a useful technique to bring indoors due to its simplicity to build. You only need one large log, which forms the underlying support for the kindling and smaller logs to be propped at an angle against it.
Wood Burner Maintenance Ready For Winter
Did you feel that chill? We did, and we’re getting ready for winter. It’s time to dust off the old wood burner, but before you start lighting your fuel, you’ll need to check a few things first:
1.
Get in touch with your local chimney sweeping service. It’s important to do this at least once a year, before the woodburning season begins. Chimney sweeps professionally remove built up creosote and soot in the flue. If left unchecked, this can be a health and fire hazard. They’ll also check for structural damage that might cause inefficient burning, as well as wildlife nesting in the chimney – so you don’t end up with roasted pigeon after your first fire!
2.
Deep clean your wood burner from once a month to every six weeks. Wash the interior of the wood burner with cleaning solution and scrubbing brush. Make sure the interior dries completely before the next use, as moisture can impact the fire lighting process and cause an inefficient burn that emits more smoke. Wood burners are made of steel or iron, which is great for handling high temperatures, but must be protected with a heat resistant coating and kept from moisture to that it doesn’t rust. When dusting the exterior of wood burners, use a dry cloth – any moisture will increase the risk of rust. Rust that already exists can be removed with a steel wool brush. Makre sure to remove soot from the glass screen too – you can get most soot off by rubbing the screen with a piece of newspaper that has been wetted slightly and dipped in ash but be careful not to scratch the glass. You can also use a special stove cleaning solution or vinegar mixed with water & lemon juice to get a good shine.
3.
Don’t burn poor quality or damp wood. Not only will this produce excessive smoke, but this will also not be good for the longevity of your wood burner and will cause more incomplete combustion, which leads to more soot and creosote being created. Use fuel with a moisture content of under 20% – a new law introduced in May 2021 states that all firewood sold in amounts under 2m3 must carry the ‘Ready to Burn’ label at point of sale to indicate the appropriate quality checks. Although crates over 2m3 may meet this moisture level, the label isn’t present. All White Horse Energy Fuel contains moisture levels below 20%. If you purchase unseasoned wood, you must air dry it before using it in your log burner, anywhere between 1 – 2 years depending on its density and moisture. Keep firewood away from rain and off the ground in a log store or indoors, with plenty of air circulation to dry the wood out further.
4.
Remove fire remains from your appliance after each use. Burned debris cannot be reused and too much leftover ash can lead to inefficient burning. Let the fire die out naturally – only put a fire out with water in an emergency, as this can cause a sudden drop in temperature and damage the structure of the appliance. Ash retains its heat for hours. to Brush the ashes into in a fireproof metal bucket and leave it to cool down outside before disposing it. Floating embers and remaining heat could be a fire hazard. You can optimise the burning conditions by keeping a 1cm layer of ash to insulate the wood burner – just make sure to remove this at the end of the winter, because ash can cause structural damage if left over a long period of time.
5.
Another important thing to consider, is whether your appliance is suitable, depending on air quality regulations in your area. Contact local authorities to find out whether you live in a Smoke Control Zone and if there are other regulations. This law is put in place to monitor air quality in built up areas, ensuring appliances can produce little to no smoke when burning fuel. To burn certain fuels in this area you will need a DEFRA exempt appliance. Visit www.hetas.co.uk/find-appliance/ to find out which appliances are approved by DEFRA and HETAS.
Beginners Guide To Lighting a Fire in Your Wood-Burning Stove
Even the most high-quality wood fuel needs to be handled properly, to ensure you’re getting the most out of it. If you find your fuel produces too much smoke, burns too fast, or doesn’t burn at all, then follow our fire-building guide to light those logs without fail and get the results you want.
1. Before You Start...
Check inside your stove. If there are already ash remains in there from an earlier attempt, leave a bed of about 1 inch as this will insulate the stove and aid with fire lighting. Any excess ash can be swept away. For more stove tips check out our article on wood burner maintenance.
2. What To Burn
Newspaper might be the default option for starting the fire, but this can cause a lot of ash, which is a hassle to clear up. For a more simple, cleaner choice we recommend using wax firelighters. Natural wax firelighters make the process much simpler, cleaner, and you only need one at a time. Ecoblaze firelighters burn for up to 8 minutes to ensure the flame spreads to the kindling.
Your wood fuel must be dry – below 20% in moisture – to burn properly. Always buy kiln dried or seasoned firewood and kindling, or season it yourself before use to ensure you’re burning fuel responsibly. Look for the “Ready to Burn” label on kilned firewoodsold in any volume under 2m3. kindling must be especially dry for increased flammability is this is what helps to coax a continuous and even burn from those first small flickers.
Hardwood species are preferred for firewood as they have a higher energy density, but sometimes softwoods such as pine and spruce are used for kindling as they dry out faster and burn faster too. Our Ecoblaze kindling is made from kiln dried Birch offcuts, which is a popular firewood for convenience as it’s less dense than other hardwoods.
3. Lay Out Your Logs, Kindling and Firelighters.
The three essential components are firewood, kindling and firelighters. The strongest, brightest flames begin with the smaller pieces of wood before catching on larger logs – kindling should always be a part of the fire lighting process for the best results.
In your stove, place down 1 – 2 firewood logs, several pieces of kindling and some tinder. Leave some space in between logs and kindling for airflow, while still allowing them to touch slightly for the fire to spread from one to the other. For denser firewood (e.g., Oak), you’ll need more kindling to generate bigger flames for guaranteed ignition.
4. Light the Firelighters With a Match or Lighter.
Remember to have plenty of matches or a lighter to hand. Ignite the newspaper or the firelighter, either before adding to your wood pile or lighting it within the wood pile. This must be touching or next to the kindling. Ensure that the paper is lit in several places or hold the flame to the firelighter long enough for it to catch.
5. Leave The Vents Open For The First Few Minutes.
Air vents are an essential component of your stove to supply oxygen for the fire. Some of them are non-controllable, but the ones that you can toggle can be found either above or below your stove door, with a wheel or a handle to adjust it.
Keep the air vents fully open on your stove while doing this – every fire needs a good flow of oxygen to encourage large, healthy flames. Once the kindling is burning, slowly close the vents. Controlling the airflow stretches your fuel further to make the warmth last longer.
6. Add More Logs
Once your log pile is burning more steadily, you can slowly build on your fire. Refuel with 1 or 2 logs every 1 – 2 hours to keep the heat high. Make sure not to overload the appliance, as this can put out the fire or reduce those impressive flames to a smouldering pile.
7. If It Does Start To Smoulder...
Your woodpile needs more oxygen. Open the vents again to give it another dose of air and the flames will regrow. Or if you’re more traditional, grab your bellows, open the stove door and blow air into it.
8. What NOT to Burn.
Wet firewood not only has a terrible heat output, but it will also smoulder and create lots of smoke. There are now laws against burning wet wood and traditional house coal. Avoid glossy paper for tinder as this will release toxins in the ink when burned. Cardboard should also be avoided too as this is often chemically treated. Any wood that has paint on it or wood from old furniture is also off limits for the same reason.
Once you’ve got the basics down you can afford to start experimenting with varying fire-building methods, different wood types, or even combine with briquettes to find the results you want. For more tips visit our firewood knowledge base.
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