Burning Dry Wood - Information and Key Dates (England)

ONLY BURN | Wood with moisture content of 20% or less.

 

NEVER BURN | Wet wood contains moisture which creates smoke and harmful particulates when burnt.

 

STORE CORRECTLY | Dry it in a sunny, well-aired space for at least two years.

 

SMALL FORESTER | A person who supplies less than 600^m3 of wood. (During the year ending 30th April 2021)

 

BAGGED COAL AND 20% WOOD | Sales of all bagged traditional house coal to be phased out.

 

All wood (for domestic use) sold in volumes under 2 cubic metres to be under 20% moisture.

SMALL FORESTER | Small wood producers have until this date to ensure that their wood meets the 20% moisture requirement above.

LOOSE COAL PHASED OUT | Sale of loose coal direct to customers via approved coal merchants to be phased out by this date.

 

Reasons why you should never burn wet wood. It releases more potentially harmful particulates/air pollution into the air than burning dry wood. It produces less heat (because the energy is being used to burn the water off first).

 

It takes longer to burn, again because the moisture has to evaporate first. And it creates more sooty deposits in the chimney, which could become a fire risk and will mean the stove needs maintaining more frequently.

 

Freshly cut wood can have water content between 60 and 80% and if used in a stove will amount to boiling water. That’s why freshly felled timber needs to be cut and split into small logs and left to dry in a covered but airy store, before being used for at least 2 years.