Kiln dried logs appear to be, currently, very trendy. Few people seem to realise that air-dried logs are extremely eco-friendly.
So much ‘greener’ than kiln-dried logs
The drying of timber is essential in log production, traditionally produced air-dried logs are seasoned and matured for 2-4 years, this naturally gets of the sap from the tree so the logs burn more efficiently.
Seasoned for 2-4 years
We stack our wood in stockpiles very carefully so that it air dries, we leave the wood to season in dedicated areas, allowing the wind to blow through it. The natural elements (the sun, wind and rain) give our wood time to improve and with age. On average it takes 2-4 years to get the timber down to around 20% moisture level before it’s ready for us to process into your firewood logs.
Air-dried vs kiln-dried
Kiln drying timber, for logs, is far from traditional. Kiln-dried timber is a forced seasoning process, therefore kiln-dried logs are not as environmentally friendly. The kilns themselves are typically big, fossil fuel driven, ovens which are similar to big gas turbines. Kilns requiring fossil fuel are not, essentially, environmentally friendly when compared to the traditional and completely natural process, of air-drying and seasoning logs. This method been used for the last several hundred years!
Kiln-dried logs are sold, as they achieve faster turnaround times and turns stock over quickly, for log producers. A tree can be cut down, split and put in the kiln. 20 days later it’s out again. It’s about mass manufacture and not necessarily delivering a quality product; consumers see that the logs, on sale, are kiln-dried which sounds very appealing, but far removed from the more traditional and zero emissions of natural air drying.
Kiln-dried developments
We conservatively estimate that 90% of timber kilns are currently fossil fuel driven.
There will come a time (if it hasn’t already happened) when a company installs a sawdust burner to create hot air to dry their timber; that then will be far more ozone friendly. Hopefully Bio tariffs will encourage the adoption of burning wood/sawdust, but until that moment comes, kilns will remain predominantly fossil fuel-driven and therefore far less eco-friendly than air-dried timber.
Wildlife habitat
However, regardless of how ozone-friendly and sustainable kiln-drying becomes, there’s one aspect of our business that has accelerated. Mass-manufacture processing is unable to match the natural habitat for wildlife that stacking timber to air-dry for 2-4 years creates. Our timber stockpiles provide shelter and nesting for birds and a wide variety of animals and insects.