Wet wood
What is wet wood? Since the news heavily covered by the media that ‘wet wood’ is to be banned from sale, we’ve had a lot of questions from customers about why and how this ban will be implemented. During these conversations, we found that some customers didn’t really understand what the term means.
‘Wet wood’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the wood looks or feels wet. It’s more a description of its moisture content. Wet wood is sometimes also known as ‘green wood’ or ‘unseasoned wood’.
How can I tell if my wood is wet or unseasoned?
There are some tell tale signs. Dry logs smell slightly different to wet logs, the bark is harder and more difficult to remove, and the logs themselves are far heavier. The only way to be sure though is to test the moisture content using a wood moisture meter. These are available readily on the Internet, and often are in supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl. When you test the wood, it’s best to split the log and test the inside surface. You don’t really need to test every log – just a few from each batch.
What if my seasoned logs become wet?
A seasoned or dry log can absorb moisture. If you leave the logs outside exposed to rain, they will become damp and the moisture content will rise. It can take many months and even years to season logs properly, bigger logs especially needing a long time for the moisture to evaporate. But they can absorb moisture very quickly in heavy rain.
How should I store my logs?
You are best to store the logs outside undercover in a log store which is partially open to allow the wind to blow through to further dry your logs. The more dry the log is, the less energy goes into burning off the remaining moisture in the wood and the hotter the fire can get.
We hope this helps give you some information that will be of some value. Don’t forget, the three most important things you need to do to get the most out of your appliance is use the right fuel, get your chimney swept regularly and learn how to properly use your appliance.
For information on fuel visit www.burnright.co.uk
For information on our services visit www.thelocalchimneysweep.co.uk/services
For our Surrey branch, please visit www.thechimneysweeps.co.uk
Thank you for reading our blog ‘what is wet wood’.
