Green (or wet) wood is freshly cut logs that have a high moisture content (up to 60% or more). Burning it isn’t recommended – here’s why:

• Hard to Light: The high water content makes it difficult to get a fire going.
• Low Heat: Most of the energy goes into boiling off the water, rather than warming your home.
• Excessive Smoke: Burning green wood creates a lot of smoke and releases pollutants.
• Dangerous: Incomplete combustion leads to creosote buildup in your chimney, increasing the risk of chimney fires.

Due to air pollution and the environmental impact of burning wet wood, its sale is restricted in the UK. Firewood sold for household use (quantities under 2 cubic meters) must be Ready to Burn certified, meaning that it meets strict moisture content and environmental standards. Ready to Burn wood has a moisture content of less than 20%, allowing it to burn more efficiently and produce less smoke and ash.

Seasoned firewood has been naturally air-dried over several months, reducing moisture content to 20-30%. While better than green wood, it still has drawbacks:

• Inconsistent Quality: Drying depends on the weather, storage, and stacking, leading to variable moisture levels.
• Harder to Light: Patches of higher moisture make it harder to ignite.
• Less Efficient: Seasoned logs produce less heat per log compared to kiln dried firewood.

Kiln-dried firewood undergoes a controlled drying process in specialised kilns, reducing moisture content to below 20% (sometimes as low as 10–15%). This makes it the optimal choice for home heating. Benefits include:

• Easy Lighting: It lights quickly and easily with very little kindling.
• Maximum Heat Output: Less moisture means more energy is converted into heat.
• Cleaner Burning: Produces less smoke, for improved air quality.
• Safer: Reduced creosote buildup lowers the risk of fires.
• Convenient: Ready to burn straight away.