Wood Burners and Log Burners - A Practical Guide
Wood burning stoves, also known as log burners or wood burners, are becoming increasingly popular with home owners amidst rising energy bills. When used well they can be a highly efficient heating appliance with very high heat output keeping you and your family cosy all winter.
Essentially a wood burning stove creates optimum conditions to burn wood the most efficient way. They are made of metal (often cast iron), with a door on the front which you open to add logs to the log burner. There is a large range of wood burning stoves available in the UK these days with different features and styles but they all aim to do one thing - provide heat from burning wood.
The kind of combustible materials used in a wood burning stove matters, they are called wood burning stoves for a reason! They are not suitable for use with anything other than logs. For chimney safety, efficiency and warmth always choose kiln dried firewood for your wood burning stove.
What is a Wood Burning Stove and How Does It Work?
Modern wood burning stoves are designed to achieve high combustion efficiency giving value for money to the user, keeping the house warm and reducing emissions. The stoves do this by controlling airflow and introduction of oxygen in the stove carefully to burn as efficiently as possible. The enclosed combustion chamber with controlled airflow also allows for more complete combustion of gasses released during burning wood.
Stoves also have connected chimneys for exhaust fumes such as smoke. This means that the stove sits under a closed chimney allowing the heat output from the stove to stay in the room and not disappear up the open flue.
It's essential to have your wood burning stove installation carried out by a professional for this reason.
Closed appliances like wood burning stoves are typically 70-80% more thermally efficient than an open fire giving around four times more heat to the room with lower emissions than an open fireplace.
Different Types of Wood Burning Stoves Explored
Wood burning stoves come in a range of different shapes and sizes to suit the room-size, style of your home and the space available in the fireplace. Traditional stoves tend to be free-standing, more modern stoves can be made to fit inside the wall (inset), be made of steel rather than cast iron or have large glass doors for showing off the pretty flame effect and glowing embers.
This brief overview will outline the pros and cons of each stove type with details on heat output, common use cases and fuel demands.
Freestanding Stoves
Freestanding wood burners are the most common and traditional type of stove. They sit independently within a room or fireplace recess and radiate heat from all exposed sides. Because the body of the stove is fully visible, freestanding stoves tend to provide strong radiant heat and are well suited to larger rooms or open-plan spaces.
These stoves typically accept a wider range of log sizes and benefit from dense, low-moisture fuel that can deliver steady heat over a longer burn period. Freestanding stoves are popular in period properties, farmhouses, and stone-built homes where consistent heat output is required.
Inset Wood Burning Stoves
Inset wood burning stoves are designed to fit neatly into an existing fireplace opening or wall cavity. By being partially or fully recessed, they take up less floor space and offer a cleaner, more modern appearance while still providing efficient heat.
Because inset stoves rely more on convection than radiant heat, they perform best when fuel burns predictably and cleanly. Log size and moisture content are particularly important, as poorly performing fuel can reduce airflow efficiency and lead to soot buildup on the stove glass.
Contemporary Steel Wood Burning Stoves
Modern steel stoves are increasingly popular in newer homes and contemporary interiors. Steel heats up quickly, allowing these stoves to respond rapidly once lit and begin warming the room sooner than heavier alternatives.
The trade-off is that steel stoves also cool down faster once the fire dies out. They perform best with consistent, well-dried firewood that lights easily and burns cleanly, making fuel quality especially important for maintaining steady heat output.
Traditional Cast Iron Wood Burning Stoves
Cast iron wood burners are known for their durability and heat retention. While they take longer to warm up than steel stoves, cast iron holds heat for longer and continues to radiate warmth even after the fire has burned down.
These stoves are well suited to steady, longer burns and are often chosen for homes that rely on a wood burner as a primary heat source. Dense hardwood logs with low moisture content complement cast iron stoves particularly well by supporting extended burn times and stable heat output.
Small Wood Burning Stoves
Small wood burning stoves are designed for compact spaces such as small living rooms, cottages, shepherd huts, boats, and garden rooms. Their lower firebox capacity means they require shorter logs and careful fuel selection to avoid overheating the space.
Because airflow is more restricted in smaller appliances, fuel quality is critical. Clean-burning logs with low moisture content help small stoves burn efficiently without excessive smoke or rapid soot buildup.
Large Wood Burning Stoves
Large wood burning stoves are built to heat spacious rooms or multiple connected areas. They have larger fireboxes, higher heat output ratings, and can accommodate longer or thicker logs.
These stoves benefit from slow-burning, dense firewood that can sustain heat over longer periods without frequent refuelling. Fuel that burns too quickly can lead to inefficient heat use, while damp or poor-quality logs can significantly reduce performance and increase maintenance requirements.
Choosing a Defra Approved Stove and Other Stove Regulations
Defra regulates the sale and use of wood burning stoves in the UK, particularly in relation to smoke control areas. These regulations are designed to reduce air pollution and protect air quality, especially in towns and cities where population density is higher - a subject covered in the news regularly.
Defra approved stoves, often referred to as Defra exempt or smoke control compliant stoves, are designed to burn wood more cleanly and efficiently, producing significantly fewer emissions than older or non-compliant models.
While smoke control restrictions are less common in Cornwall due to lower population density and coastal airflow, the use of wood burning stoves is still regulated. Choosing a Defra approved stove remains a sensible and future-proof option, ensuring cleaner burning, better efficiency, and compliance with current and potential future regulations.
Ecodesign Wood Burning Stoves
Ecodesign is a European-wide environmental standard that applies to new wood burning stoves sold in the UK. Ecodesign stoves are designed to burn wood more efficiently and with significantly lower emissions than older models, reducing particulate matter and improving overall air quality.
Modern Ecodesign wood burners use advanced combustion systems that reburn gases released from the wood, extracting more heat from each log while producing less smoke. As a result, these stoves deliver higher efficiency, better fuel economy, and cleaner flue operation.
Since January 2022, all newly manufactured wood burning stoves sold in the UK must meet Ecodesign requirements. Choosing an Ecodesign-compliant stove ensures that your appliance meets current environmental standards and is compatible with clean-burning fuels such as kiln dried firewood.
Woodsure and Ready to Burn
The Ready to Burn scheme, administered by Woodsure, sets legal requirements for the sale of domestic firewood in England. Under this scheme, firewood sold in quantities of less than 2 cubic metres must have a moisture content of 20% or less and be certified as Ready to Burn.
Woodsure certification provides independent assurance that firewood meets these moisture standards. Kiln dried logs are well suited to this scheme, as they are dried under controlled conditions to consistently achieve moisture levels below the legal threshold.
Buying Ready to Burn certified firewood helps ensure cleaner combustion, better heat output, and compliance with UK fuel regulations.
Why Moisture Content Matters Legally and Practically
Moisture content plays a critical role in both the legal compliance and performance of wood burning stoves. Burning wood with high moisture content produces more smoke, releases higher levels of particulate pollution, and significantly reduces heat output.
From a legal perspective, selling wet wood for immediate domestic burning is restricted in England. Firewood that exceeds the permitted moisture threshold cannot be sold as Ready to Burn fuel and must not be marketed for immediate use in stoves or open fires.
From a practical standpoint, dry fuel burns more efficiently, keeps stove glass cleaner, reduces creosote buildup in the flue, and helps Ecodesign and Defra approved stoves operate as intended. Using compliant, low-moisture firewood protects both your appliance and your chimney while delivering safer, more consistent heat.
Kiln Dried Logs and Wood Burners
As a company we only stock kiln dried firewood. It is the logical and most economical choice for any customers using wood burning stoves. Kiln dried firewood has a lower moisture content than any other kind of wood such as seasoned or at worst, unseasoned wet wood off the ground.
It's essential for chimney safety to burn dry wood, you produce minimal smoke (important for air quality, health and smoke control areas) and ultimately your home will be much warmer.
When burning wood on a real fire in a wood burning stove you stand to save money by burning kiln dried firewood. The glass door of your stove will remain clear, the logs produce less ash, ignite faster and burn hotter.
Common Wood Burner Problems Caused by Poor Fuel
Many of the most common issues people experience with wood burning stoves are not caused by the appliance itself, but by the quality of the fuel being burned. Using logs with high moisture content or inconsistent burn characteristics can significantly reduce stove performance and increase maintenance problems.
Stove glass going black
When fuel contains too much moisture, combustion temperatures remain low and incomplete. This causes soot and tar to condense on the inside of the stove glass, quickly turning it black. Clean-burning, low-moisture firewood helps maintain higher combustion temperatures, keeping glass clearer for longer.
Excess smoke
Wet or poorly prepared logs produce more smoke as energy is wasted evaporating water rather than generating heat. Excess smoke not only reduces efficiency but can also escape into the room when the stove door is opened, creating unpleasant conditions indoors.
Fire dying quickly
Fuel with inconsistent moisture levels can be difficult to keep alight. While damp logs may appear to burn at first, they often fail to establish a stable firebed, causing the fire to fade rapidly and requiring frequent relighting.
Poor overnight burn
Overnight burning relies on slow, controlled combustion. Logs that burn too quickly or too erratically due to moisture imbalance will struggle to sustain heat through the night. Dense, evenly dried firewood supports longer, steadier burns with less intervention.
Chimney smells
Burning wet or unsuitable fuel increases the production of creosote and tar, which can build up inside the flue. This residue may produce lingering odours, particularly in warmer weather when the stove is not in use, and can increase the need for chimney cleaning.
Choosing the correct fuel allows your wood burner to operate as designed, delivering consistent heat, cleaner combustion, and a more reliable and enjoyable heating experience.
Buying, Storing and Transporting Wood for your Wood Burning Stove
You can order firewood online these days or phone the office. It's easy to find kiln dried firewood locally because the fuel is becoming more and more popular as people discover the benefits.
There are plenty of options to choose from too depending on how many logs you need to burn in a year. Our customer service team can provide assistance if you can't decide what kind of wood to buy.
Conclusion: Getting the Best From Your Wood Burning Stove
A wood burning stove can be one of the most efficient and satisfying ways to heat your home when it is installed correctly, used responsibly, and paired with the right fuel. From traditional cast iron stoves to modern Ecodesign appliances, today’s wood burners are designed to deliver high heat output with lower emissions and improved control.
However, even the best stove will only perform as well as the fuel burned inside it. Using dry, consistent, and compliant firewood allows your stove to operate as intended, producing more usable heat, less smoke, and fewer maintenance issues over time. It also helps protect your chimney, improve air quality, and ensure compliance with current regulations.
By understanding how different stove types work, the importance of moisture content, and the role of modern standards such as Defra approval and Ecodesign, homeowners can make informed choices that lead to a warmer, cleaner, and more efficient home.
For those using wood burning stoves, choosing high-quality kiln dried firewood is a simple but effective step towards better performance, improved safety, and long-term value from your appliance.
