Berkhamsted Logs - Firewood & Kindling from Astrope Logs

What the new laws regarding firewood say

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced that from March 2022 wood fuel in volumes of less than 2 cubic metres can only be legally sold if it is certified as ‘Ready to Burn’.

As a Ready to Burn certified firewood producer this confirms that we adhere to certain standards, such as:

The timber we use to produce firewood is from a legal and sustainable source.
We have a complaints procedure in place
We have processes in place to monitor moisture levels in our firewood during the seasoning process and before delivery.
Our firewood has passed moisture level tests carried out in a laboratory by ‘WOODSURE’, a government appointed organisation.
Our firewood will only be sold when it has a moisture content of 20% or less.

The Ready to Burn certification scheme applies to:

firewood in single retail bags
firewood supplied as a bulk delivery in loose volumes of less than 2 cubic metres
wood briquettes in single retail bags
wood briquettes supplied as a bulk delivery in loose volumes of less than 2 cubic metres

We are fully certified under the ‘Ready to Burn scheme’. To view our certificate click here.

Economy Lumps & Off-cuts

Moisture content: Currently 15-20% (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Various, maximum of around 250mm long and 200mm thick

Density: Various, depending on which timber

Recommended for use in: Larger open fires and Stoves, and particularly ideal for fire pits.

This wood is a by-product of our wood cutting process. It is ideal for fire pits, larger open fires and Stoves. There will be some large pieces, very small pieces some odd shapes, and some substandard wood, none of which meet our usual high levels of firewood quality. The odd shapes can make stacking a little more tricky, but its a great way to get some very cheap, bone dry firewood!

Wheel barrowing and stacking service

We offer a wheel barrowing and or stacking service.

Highly recommended if you do not have a driveway to tip the logs onto and saving a parking space right outside your house is difficult. It also avoids any mess on the driveway and obviously the hard work involved in moving it yourself!

We can normally manage to get up and down steps with the use of wooden planks and through fairly narrow passageways. Please send any details that we may need regarding steps or difficult access with your order.

Prices vary depending of what is involved, but as a general guide the cost is:

£15 for stacking only, if we can park immediately next to the stack.
Or £15 to wheel barrow and tip in a heap.
Or £25 for both

Two Year Seasoned Oak

Moisture content: Currently 18-20%. (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Maximum of around 250mm long and 150mm thick.

Density: Very heavy

Recommended for use in: Stoves.

Ease of lighting: This wood can take a little more care to light, but with plenty of kindling and by adding smaller logs to begin with, success is assured. Your care and attention will be rewarded by a very long burn time, and a wonderful bed of red hot glowing embers, which can often last through the night until the next morning.

If you want the fire burning all day with very slow burning logs, glowing red embers and minimal reloading then this is a great option.

Oak has a burn time greater than Ash and Beech.

Beech

Moisture content: Currently 18-20%. (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Maximum of around 250mm long and 150 thick.

Density: Very heavy

Recommended for use in: Stoves and open fires with good draw, pizza ovens and fire pits.

Ease of lighting: This wood can take a little more care to light, but with plenty of kindling and by adding smaller logs to begin with, success is assured. Your care and attention will be rewarded by a very long burn time, and a wonderful bed of red hot glowing embers, which can often last through the night until the next morning.

If you want the fire burning all day with very slow burning logs, glowing red embers and minimal reloading then this is probably the best option.

Beech has a burn time greater than Ash but less than Oak, which is occasionally available. Please check order form for availability.

Birch

Moisture content: Currently 18-20%, (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Maximum of around 250mm long and 150 thick.

Density: Light to medium

Recommended for use in: Open fires and stoves especially if ‘poor draw’ and smoking is a problem. Often the preferred choice in pizza ovens.

Ease of lighting: Very easy, produces a bright flame and fast heat.

Birch is visually attractive with its silvery white bark and clean light coloured wood. It is the ideal choice if you are new to fire lighting or for use in fires and stoves with ‘poor draw’ which are hard to light or tend to smoke. It will light very easily and produce heat fast so if you want the fire alight for just a few hours in the evening this is probably the best option.

Premium Ash

Moisture content: Currently 18-20%, (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Maximum of around 250mm long and 150 thick.

Density: Heavy

Recommended for use in: Open fires with good draw, stoves, fire pits and pizza ovens

Ease of lighting: Starting with small pieces and some of our kindling this wood will light without any problems.

Ash is generally thought of as the best firewood variety. It is a clean light coloured wood with straight grain producing fairly uniform, attractive, easily stackable logs. Ash has a long burn time producing plenty of glowing red embers, which will last for many hours.

If you want the fire burning for long periods with slow burning logs and minimal reloading, then this is probably the best option.

Do you need kiln dried firewood?

The short answer is no. The important thing is that the moisture content of the wood needs to be 20% or below. How that is achieved is irrelevant…. Or is it?

Kiln dried timber will certainly be below 20%, if it has been stored correctly and not allowed to get wet in the rain. However, a large majority of people burning wood to heat their homes, do so at least in part because of the environmental benefits in burning a renewable fuel over a fossil fuel. If the wood they are burning has been effectively ‘cooked’ in an oven fired by oil or gas the environmental benefits are surely out weighed.
Another consideration is where the timber has travelled from; there are many reputable companies within the UK selling kiln dried firewood. However a fair proportion of it has travelled great distances by road and hundreds of miles by sea from abroad, this again out weighs any environmental benefit. I did notice recently on the internet, one company proudly advertising Hardwood logs from South Africa!

Our seasoned firewood logs are sourced and produced locally. They are cut and split at least a year ahead of being sold, during which time they are dried by harnessing the power of the sun in our new solar powered drying facility. This achieves moisture levels generally found in kiln-dried logs but without the environmental damage normally caused. They also meet the new regulations from DEFRA regarding air quality standards which come into effect in February 2021.

It is possible to achieve the low moisture content which is necessary for good firewood using natural, fuel free methods, it just takes a little more time and effort and we are very happy to put in the time and effort needed.

Green unseasoned hardwood

Please call to check availability of your chosen firewood. We offer around 20 – 25% discount off of our Fully Seasoned firewood prices.

Due to new government regulations coming into force in February 2021 all green wood must be sold in volumes of 2 cubic metres or more.

Prices for 2 cubic metres are as follows:

Birch – £190

Beech – £230

Ash – £230

Oak – £230

Moisture content: Currently 30-40%.

This wood is not suitable for burning until it has been dried, or ‘seasoned’.

Ideally it needs to be stacked slightly off of the ground it in a sunny, well-aired space with the top covered for around a year. When you see radial cracks and bark that comes off easily this suggests wood that is ready for burning. To be sure, you could test it with a moisture metre if you have one, testing the freshly split surface gives the best reading.

Size of logs: Our logs are normally a maximum of around 250mm long and 150 thick. However as these logs will be cut to order you can have any size you like. Prices may be slightly higher for very small logs due to the increased cutting and splitting needed.

Density: Various

Recommended for use in: Open fires, Stoves, and pizza ovens and fire pits.

Softwood kindling and Jumbo sacks of hardwood kindling

Our 10kg sacks of softwood kindling are a by-product of a joinery workshop. Softwood is always the preferred option when it comes to kindling and will light extremely easily when used with the eco fire lighters.

Our 15kg Jumbo, value sacks of hardwood kindling / small log pieces are a by-product of our log cutting process. It will light easily with a little care when used with our eco firelighters and is also perfect for re-kindling the embers of a dying fire.

Recommended for use in: Open fires, Stoves, and pizza ovens and fire pits.

Sacks of Mixed hardwood or Ash

Moisture content: Currently 18-20%, (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Maximum of around 250mm long and 150 thick.

Density: Full range, Light to very heavy

Recommended for use in: Open fires, stoves, fire pits and pizza ovens.

Ease of lighting: Easy to medium

Our mixed hardwood logs are made up by a range of hardwoods including Ash, Birch Beech, Oak and Cherry.
The Ash is simply 100% Ash

If you want a smaller amount of firewood, if storage space is a problem, or if the logs need to be carried through your house then sacks may be a better, more tidy and convenient option.

Each sack contains approximately 20kg, which is 15 to 20 average sized logs.

Mixed Hardwood

Moisture content: Currently 18-20%, (as dry as kiln dried logs)

Size of logs: Maximum of around 250mm long and 150 thick.

Density: Full range, Light to very heavy

Recommended for use in: Open fires, stoves, fire pits and pizza ovens.

Ease of lighting: Easy to moderate.

Our loose loads of mixed hardwood logs are the most economic way to buy your firewood. They are made up by a range of hardwoods including Ash, Birch Beech, Oak and Cherry.

The logs will be tipped out where you want them, (into a garage or carport or straight onto the driveway). Alternatively we can barrow and stack them for you, (this service can be added further down this form).

If you want a smaller amount, or if your garage or car-port has space to store a bulk bag then that may be a better, more tidy and convenient option. You are welcome to keep the bag to store your logs in if you wish. However to minimise waste and to keeps costs down we would like to reuse the bag if possible. Once the bag is empty we will collect it on your next delivery.

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Why choose Astrope Logs?