Monday 15 October 2012

Seasoned Hardwood Logs: Enjoy All The Benefits of a Real Log Fire This Autumn



When autumn arrives, it is time to gather your seasoned hardwood logs by the fireside and cosy up in front of a real log fire. A crackling log fire has a wonderful, homely appeal and whether you have a town house, or a country cottage, it sets the atmosphere and makes your home snug and warm when the temperature drops.
If you have an open hearth, it is important to be prepared well in advance of any cold spell and stock up on all you need to create the perfect log fire including seasoned hardwood logs. Big K sell a wide range of products for wood burning stoves, open fires and other appliances and these products include seasoned hardwood logs such as beech, ash, elder and lime wood sold in easy to store polythene nets.

We also sell a wide range of other winter fuel products for home delivery including smoke free fuel, smoke free coal, anthracite, house coal, instant lighting fuel, kindling, paraffin, firelighters and matches.

Gathering in front of a log fire on a cold winter night is a real treat. Here we shall consider all the benefits of using your open fire this winter and look at the advantages of using seasoned hardwood logs.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products.

Cosy up with a Real Log Fire: The Benefits

Cheaper Than Other Fuel Alternatives – Log fires are cheaper than other forms of heating the home and the room heats up relatively quickly and stays warm and snug until the fire dies out. Seasoned hardwood logs in particular are a great way of keeping the house warm as they burn hotter than non-seasoned logs and are more fuel efficient than freshly cut logs.
Creates A Focal Point – Nothing beats a roaring log fire to warm your interior on chilly autumn and winter evenings. It is also very sociable as you will find it attracts all the family together in one room to take part in an individual hobby such as reading, or family activities such as board games or simply watching a film together.

Mood Enhancing – When it is cold and dark outside, sitting around a log fire is both cheering and relaxing, whatever the outdoor conditions.

Colourful – Real log fires are cosy and colourful and there is something magical about watching the flames crackle in the fireplace. It creates a mesmerising soft glow of red, yellows and ambers and is a joy to watch.

Creates Light – As fire creates light, in the unfortunate event of a power cut in your region, you can still benefit from the glow created by the flames. So there is no need to scrabble around for the candles! Or simply turn off the electric lights and enjoy the firelight.

Eco-friendly – Log fires reduce the need for reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. It also encourages responsible forestry through the sustainable management of forests. As logs are readily available in the UK, they don’t have to be shipped in from other countries, so by ordering seasoned firewood logs from a UK based company such as Big K, it helps cut down on your carbon footprint.

Cooking – You can even cook on your fireplace and make it a family activity. Although do take care and proceed with absolute caution if you intend to do this and make sure that only responsible adults undertake this task. Chestnuts or marshmallows roasted on an open fire are simply delicious!

Top Tips for Autumn

If you are thinking of using your log fire this autumn, here are a few things to bear in mind:
It is always best to stock up on fuel well in advance and one way to do this is by ordering your seasoned firewood logs from Big K as soon as you can. Being prepared means you can light your fire whenever you need to as you will always have the right products to hand.

Choose logs that you can light quickly and easily. Seasoned firewood logs have been ready cut and stored for about a year and this reduces the water content of the wood – this means the logs burn easier and are more efficient than freshly cut logs.

When it comes to lighting a fire, take extra care. Don’t leave children or pets unattended once the fire is lit. And use a metal screen in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks jumping out.

 Never get rid of hot ashes either inside or near the home, as they can present a fire risk. Instead, put them in a metal container and take it outside, away from the house. Other precautions to take are to make sure your chimney is kept clean and inspected regularly by a professional, and to always ensure that your smoke alarm is in full working order.

About Big K

Our Big K winter fuel products, including seasoned firewood logs, smokeless coal, house coal, anthracite, quick burning fuel products, matches and kindling are available for nationwide home delivery.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products

SeasonedHardwood Logs – Environmentally-Friendly Home Heating

If you want to heat up your home in an environmentally-friendly way this winter, using seasoned hardwood logs on an open fire or wood burning stove is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Many householders who have open fireplaces already enjoy all the benefits they bring: it makes the home cosy and warm, cuts the cost of heating bills and reduces the impact on the environment.

In fact, even among those planning a new build, or house extension, several are opting for an open fireplace to become more eco-friendly. Chimneys can be installed in new builds or extensions and can also be added to existing properties and they make a wonderful feature in the home.
However, if you already have a wood burning stove or an open fire and it is ready for use this winter, you would be well advised to start now and stock up on seasoned hardwood logs.

Big K sells high quality seasoned hardwood logs in polythene nets and they contain a mixture of hardwoods including birch, elm, ash, cedar, oak and lime wood. Our winter fuel is delivered nationwide.
Here we shall take a look at how the use of seasoned hardwood logs on your open fire is an eco-friendly way to heat your home.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products.

Eco-Friendly Benefits of Seasoned Hardwood Logs

  • The process of drying (or seasoning) hard wood has been used for centuries and the resulting product can be used on anything: from wood burning stoves to open fires and chimneas.
  • Seasoned hardwood logs may have as much as 40 per cent less moisture content than freshly cut wood, also known as green wood. This makes them more fuel efficient as the energy used in burning the logs is spent generating heat for your home, instead of drying off the excess water.
  • Hardwood logs dried in this way are virtually smoke free, which means there are less deposits of soot or creosote (a tar like substance) in your chimney. This over time, helps reduce the overall cost of cleaning and maintaining the flue.
  • Buying Big K seasoned hardwood logs encourages responsible forestry as all our wood comes from sustainable sources.
  • In addition, Big K is a British based company which only uses logs readily available from the UK. The benefit of this is that our logs don’t have to be imported from other countries so it helps cut down on our - and your - carbon footprint.
  • Open fires in general reduce the dependence on fossil fuels which is good news all round.
  • The use of timber on an open fire also helps lower carbon emissions because wood is a carbon neutral product. This is because the quantity of carbon dioxide it releases when it is burned is equivalent to that of which it absorbed during its lifetime.
  • Seasoned hardwood logs burn hotter and for longer than seasoned soft wood which means that they are more fuel efficient and help to reduce fuel costs in the long run.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs Sold By Big K
Big K seasoned hardwood logs comply to BSI standard P250 and P330. They are cut to 20-25 cm in length and 4 cm to 16 cm in diameter, so they are ideal for open fireplaces, woodburners and a range of other appliances.

How to Store Your Seasoned Harwood Logs
Seasoned hardwood logs that have been stored correctly produce more heat and are therefore more cost effective.

The best way to store them is to keep your seasoned hardwood logs undercover and off the ground, but also allow the air to get to them. If you don’t have a designated log storage area you can buy log stores online, which are available in the form of crates or log bins and allow the air to circulate.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products