Frequently
Asked
Questions

Best logs is a delivery only company. Unfortunately, for insurance reasons we cannot allow customers to collect logs from our depot.

Bestlogs deliver to Dublin city and county only.

Kiln-dried firewood has been force dried in kilns rather than dried naturally or ‘seasoned’ over a period of time. The reason for kiln drying is to remove water content and improve the overall quality of the wood. The moisture content will be an average of 20% which is what the stove manufacturers recommend. Kiln drying means your logs are quick to light, burn cleanly and deliver maximum heat output.

You should never buy wood by weight as the wetter it is, the more it weighs. We only sell by volume and you need to think in terms of a volume of energy. For example a cubic metre of kiln dried wood is likely to produce twice as much heat as poorly seasoned wood. In this instance the kiln dried wood would last you almost twice as long, therefore far better value for money.

• There might be visible cracks on the end of the wood and this will tell you the wood is well dried.
• If you bang a couple of logs together they will give a lovely hollow sound if they are really dry, otherwise it will be a dull thud!
• Finally if you have an efficient stove, dry wood will burn cleanly. If not dry enough the glass will go black and there will be build up of soot and tar in the flue or chimney.
• A moisture meter will allow you to determine the moisture content of your logs. Aim for below 20%

Average size logs is 25cm (10 inches), which fit into most stoves and fires. We also provide long 37cm logs which are for larger stoves.

Delivery times depend on the season. In Winter, when it can get extremely busy, delivery usually takes around 2 weeks. Closer to Christmas it can take even longer…so the earlier you order the better. Out of the busy season, delivery is normally  2 – 5 days.

A tricky question to answer as it will depend on so many factors:

• The efficiency of your stove
• The size of your property
• How well insulated your property is.
• How often you use the stove
• How cold it is
• How you use your stove   burning on full airflow all the time or on low heat.

However, this is a common question we get asked so to give you some idea. Assuming you are using the most efficient fuel – kiln dried, then in an average year you are likely to use 3-4 cubic metres of firewood. Remember that you will use significantly more wood if it is not dry because it provides far less heat energy therefore you need a lot more wood – up to twice as much.

Hardwood has a greater density than softwood and contains less water. Because of the density, seasoning and drying hardwood takes longer, but more energy is released during burning. We supply seasoned hardwood logs from the following trees:-

• Oak
• Silver Birch
• Beech
• Ash

Softwood is commonly misquoted as being a worse fuel than hardwood, due to the fact that it burns much quicker. While it does contain more water, being less dense means that softwood takes less time to cure and dry than hardwood. It also tends to produce a stronger flame than hardwood. Softwood comes from the following trees:

• Fir
• Spruce
• Pine

Bestlogs do not supply soft woods.

Softwood logs tend to be cheaper, but burn at a faster rate. Currently, we only sell Kiln dried  hardwood logs, as they produce more heat and last much longer.

The fuel used in the Kiln to dry the logs  is the wood waste and debris from our forests. This wood  is not suitable for our logs but can be used in our Kilns to dry the logs. Our logs are harvested from efficiently managed forests. These logs are obtained as a natural by-product of the thinning process. This is essential to the conservation of the forest, as it ensure there is sufficient light and space for the remaining trees to thrive. On a continuous cycle, felled trees are replaced and replanted, thereby preserving the woodland for future use.