Help - I've bought useless damp logs!

[Anonymum40]

I can't get the logs to burn and I've bought a whole log shed full! Will they dry out over the summer? Should I complain? Any ideas apart from never use this supplier ever again!

Yes they should dry out. Is the shed ventilated ? You are looking for air flow, but protection from rain. Not sure if you any to rearrange them but I'd be tempted to stack them in rows rather than just a big heap on the floor

Personally I'd contact them and if no joy I'd name and shame on Facebook or similar Not sure who regulates fire wood businesses if you want to do it formally.

Wet wood is not supposed to be sold any more as of 2021. I'd complain.

What were they sold to you as? Kiln dried? Part seasoned? If kiln dried and you have paid that price for them definitely complain and look to get refunded/replaced. Otherwise you'll need to season them make sure as a pp has said they are well ventilated. If you don't have one get a moisture meter to check the levels of the wood. If softwood it'll dry by October if hardwood it will take a lot longer.

They should be under 20% moisture

What did they say they were delivering wet wood should be sold cheaper

I always buy wood in the summer as it’s well dried by the sun.

Bought it the other week as we'd run out. Was told it was kiln dried... I think I might buy a small supply for now and leave the rest till next year...

They should be ok for the end of this year. You can buy an instrument from Amazon to measure moisture in logs. They are not very expensive.

This happened to me too. Bought a load of kiln dried wood from an established and reputable local supplier. Couldn’t get them to burn, so measured the moisture in them and found it was a lot higher than it should be. So something had obviously gone wrong with their process somewhere.

I contacted them and they brought me a new load, free of charge. And got to keep the old ones too. Though it took 3 years in the woodshed before they were dry enough to use.

3 years? We scavenge our own wood. I have a moisture meter. Nothing has taken > 18m yet to dry down to < 20%, usually within 12m.

We bought seasoned logs and had difficulty lighting them/keeping them alight to start with. We then moved a large basket full indoors and left them for a few days. They burned much better after that. We now have a system going where we move some into the garage then into the house as we need them (but we don't light our stove every day).

No, you’re right. I’ve been rumbled. I confess, I come on Mumsnet on an evening, to lie about how long it took for some logs to drop their moisture content. I’m just addicted to the adrenaline of posting incorrect log drying timelines, you see. It’s how I get my kicks.

😂😂😂

you Can tell if they’re dry (as in saps dried out not they’ve been rained on in transit) by picking one up. They feel unnaturally lighter than you’d expect when they’re ready. Split them and or bring some inside for a couple of days then try again.