Category: Fireplaces | Published: 19 Sep, 2017

Four tips for heating your home with wood this autumn

Autumn really has come round with a bang this year hasn’t it? September has brought with it much cooler days, longer nights and a chill that seeps into the home.

A great way to tackle these cold autumn evenings is to use wood to heat your home and, let’s face it, there’s nothing more inviting than a log fire or stove on a cold autumn / winter night.

Here are some of our top tips for using wood to heat your house. Enjoy!

Use a quality fireplace or stove

“You think it’s expensive to hire a professional? Wait until you hire an amateur.”

It may seem like a great way to cut costs, but buying a cheap fireplace or stove, and not having it installed properly will only end up costing you more in the long run. Here at ELB, we have a wide range of options when it comes to choosing your first wood-burning stove or fireplace, and we’ll never, ever railroad you into buying something you’re not comfortable with.

Using an efficient wood-burning stove or fireplace means you won’t have to use as much firewood. And if you already have a cheap options, you’ll be amazed at how much less wood you’ll need to keep your home nice and warm!

Look for advertisements online

Using local sites like GumTree or Craigslist is a great way to obtain cheap or free firewood – you’ll be helping someone out too! There are loads of people out there who want to offload firewood they no longer need, so chances are you’ll get a large amount of good-quality wood for either free or very cheap.

Buy in bulk

When purchasing firewood, it’s best to buy in bulk. Not only will it work out cheaper in the long run, it also means you’ll have some leftover wood to make a nice display next to your fireplace or stove.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that firewood is a popular item in the autumn / winter months, and it can sometimes be difficult to find somewhere that has it in stock, especially if you live in a small town or village. Buying in bulk means that you’ll be going to the store less, and you can rest assured that you’ll have plenty of firewood to keep your home toasty as the nights get colder.

Don’t burn water

Did you know that green wood is about 50% water? This means that for every kilogram of wood you add to your fire, you’ll be adding around a pint of water – not great when you want to start a nice warm fire. The way around this is to always check that your wood is fully dry before adding it to your stove.

Top Tip: it’s important to take into account that firewood can take a long time to dry properly. As a  rule, try and give your logs at least one summer to dry properly.

Here at ELB Fireplaces, heating homes with wood is our passion. If you have any questions, contact us today.