Whether you’re getting a log store ready for winter or stocking up for outdoor summer fires, making sure your logs are clean and dry is essential for a good clean burn. As more of us are sitting outdoors (even in colder weather) around a fire pit or pizza oven or snuggling by the fire indoors as we make the most of being at home, the popularity of kiln dried logs has increased over the past few years. But knowing how to manage log storage outdoor is just as important as managing a fire safely.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on 15th June 2021. Today there has been a series of minor upgrades which are designed to improve the readability of this article.
Why choose kiln dried logs in the first place?
Kiln dried logs are the best type of wood fuel to burn for fires. Having been cut and dried, they contain very little moisture – Cozilogs’ kiln dried logs contain 20% or less moisture. This makes the wood easy to burn and helps it burn cleanly with less smoke and spitting. Dry logs are also much easier to store as there is less opportunity for further damp, rot, or insects to get inside. Choosing kiln dried logs is one of the most carbon-effective wood fuels you can get and is the best choice for indoor and outdoor fires.
Maybe it is time to consider buying bulk bags of kiln dried logs?
If you don’t have fires too often, you might choose to purchase bulk bag kiln dried logs, especially if you don’t have a dedicated weatherproof log store or woodshed for keeping logs in. Our bagged kiln dried logs are supplied in hard-wearing plastic bags of woven polypropylene. This tough material is waterproof and thanks to the woven structure, they are very sturdy, making them less likely to rip or tear and let damp in, while allowing breathability to prevent the wood from sweating or swelling while stored.
Introducing dumpy bags
This type of bagged kiln dried logs is often referred to as a ‘dumpy bag’. Kiln dried logs in dumpy bags are also a unit of measurement. For example, you could order 4 dumpy bags of kiln dried logs from your local supplier, and you’d get roughly the same amount of wood in each bag. Dumpy bags are great for repurposing too. You could take them back to your log store and get them refilled each time, saving on new bags, or repurpose them for use in building and construction, or even for holding your recycling.
Log storage outdoor in bags
Storing kiln dried logs outside in bags is ideal for people who lack outdoor space and kiln dried logs in dumpy bags are a great option. However, even with your protective dumpy bag, you need to take a few extra steps to ensure your log supply stays dry and ready to use all year round.
Where will you store the bags of logs?
First, look at where you want to store the bagged logs. Are you considering storing logs outside on a patio, gravel, or grass? Are your bags next to a shed or outbuilding? Does the area where you want to store them regularly have puddles or is it prone to holding water?
Consider buying some wooden pallets and laying those down before storing logs outside in bags. The pallets lift the bags off the ground and stop puddles from forming around the base, preventing water from getting into the bags and ruining the wood. You could also get some old bricks and create small feet or chocks to rest the bags on, just make sure they stay put and properly support the bags.
Protecting the bags
Second, you need to make sure your logs are protected from rain, damp, and frost. Most bagged kiln dried logs in dumpy bags do not have a top cover, so you need to add something to keep the wet from getting into the wood supply. If you’re able to store your logs against a wall, fence, or building, you could create a tarpaulin roof that stretches across and anchors to the fixed structure. Make sure it’s tied down securely, and the water can run off rather than gather in the middle. For log storage outdoor on pallets, you could also tie tarpaulin or plastic sheeting to the pallet with bungee ropes. Just pull it over the top of the bag and secure it tightly to the pallet to keep your wood store dry and snug.
What are the advantages of storing kiln dried logs outside in bags?
Storing kiln dried logs outside in bags is a perfectly fine way to keep your wood, provided you follow the steps above to keep them protected from the worst of the weather.
The advantages of storing logs in bags include (but are not limited to):
- It’s easy to tell when you need to reorder and measure how fast you’re going through a dumpy bag.
- No need for a separate woodshed or store – all you need is some protection from the wet floor and a sheet of tarpaulin to keep them dry.
- Bags can be easily moved around, which is ideal if you decide to change up how they’re stored or bring them closer to the house for easy transport to a log basket or bucket. This ease of movement also makes them easier to handle when receiving a delivery.
- Bags can also be repurposed or refilled with logs to save on new materials and bags each time.
- It’s a great solution for people who lack outdoor space for a permanent log store structure.
- It’s suitable for people who may own a fireplace, wood burner or fire pit for the first time and want to see how much use they get before committing to a bigger log store.
- Secure, tough-wearing dumpy bags are great for storing logs outside with minimal damage, and breathable woven fabric keeps logs dry and free of moisture. and
- Bulk buying savings are available when you buy logs in bulk, such as buying Cozilogs dual bulk bags (which weigh 415kg to 450kg).
Why choose kiln dried logs in the first place?
Kiln dried logs are the best type of wood fuel to burn for fires. Having been cut and dried, they contain very little moisture – Cozilogs’ kiln dried logs contain 20% or less moisture. This makes the wood easy to burn and helps it burn cleanly with less smoke and spitting. Dry logs are also much easier to store as there is less opportunity for further damp, rot, or insects to get inside. Choosing kiln dried logs is one of the most carbon-effective wood fuels you can get and is the best choice for indoor and outdoor fires.
Maybe it is time to consider buying bulk bags of kiln dried logs?
If you don’t have fires too often, you might choose to purchase bulk bag kiln dried logs, especially if you don’t have a dedicated weatherproof log store or woodshed for keeping logs in. Our bagged kiln dried logs are supplied in hard-wearing plastic bags of woven polypropylene. This tough material is waterproof and thanks to the woven structure, they are very sturdy, making them less likely to rip or tear and let damp in, while allowing breathability to prevent the wood from sweating or swelling while stored.
Introducing dumpy bags
This type of bagged kiln dried logs is often referred to as a ‘dumpy bag’. Kiln dried logs in dumpy bags are also a unit of measurement. For example, you could order 4 dumpy bags of kiln dried logs from your local supplier, and you’d get roughly the same amount of wood in each bag. Dumpy bags are great for repurposing too. You could take them back to your log store and get them refilled each time, saving on new bags, or repurpose them for use in building and construction, or even for holding your recycling.
Birch
Birch is a hardwood with many benefits when it comes to fuelling fires! Its flaky bark makes for a great natural firelighter, whether left attached to the logs, or peeled off and placed between them to get the fire going. It lights and heats incredibly quickly but can burn fast too – if using in a wood burning stove, you may want to turn the vents down to slow it down. That said, it is often more affordable than woods like oak and ash, it can produce a great level of heat – and it’s often used alongside slower burning wood varieties.
Ash
Traditionally, ash has always been described as the best wood for burning – and it was the first of the hardwoods to be available in bulk bags or pallets. And it’s easy to see why it’s so popular: it lights very quickly, it burns steadily and with a strong level of heat, and is also a great burner on its own, without needing to be mixed with other woods for a fantastic fire. Ash, like oak, will both burn for long periods and can be stored well over time.
Beech
Beech has a high water content, so must be thoroughly dried before using. Once suitably dry, though, it’s a great wood for burning and burns very much like ash. Beech can be used on its own, although some prefer to combine it with other, less dense hardwoods because it can be tricky to light. Once it gets going, though, Beechwood burns clean and hot.
Mixed Hardwood
Buy your kiln dried firewood from CoziLogs, and you’ll have a choice of either individual hardwood species or bags of mixed hardwood. While some prefer to buy an individual wood variety – for its aroma, its burning properties or for some other reason – others find that a mixture of different hardwoods works best for them. Our mixed hardwood log bags are not only more affordable than our single-species bags, they also provide other benefits. They include a mixture of wood varieties with a whole host of different properties: the ease of lighting, the amount of heat generated, the burn time and more. For this reason, buying a bag of mixed hardwood logs can allow you to benefit from the different properties and characteristics of a variety of wood types.
It’s all about personal choice
You may be looking for kiln dried firewood that burns slowly to last all day or quickly to ensure it’s extinguished before you go to bed. You might prefer as hot a flame as possible or a more moderate heat. You may be happy to use your own kindling or might prefer to choose a species that needs no additional kindling to get going. Whatever your preference, browse our kiln dried firewood range here at CoziLogs to find the type that’s right for you.