With the nights as cold as they are, it’s a common question to hear discussed. To get the best results from your fire in the winter months, do you burn wood or coal? Burning Wood Do you prefer burning seasoned or kiln-dried wood? The great thing about using logs in your fire is that you can vary the woods you use. Softwoods burn faster and hotter, while hardwoods give out as much  heat but burn for a lot longer. Mixing the two allows you to get the right balance between temperature and need to continue feeding the fire. It’s...

Every year, the Guild of Master Sweeps holds a major trade expo. It’s one of the earliest stops on the year’s trade expo calendar for many companies, ourselves included. It’s also a fantastic place to find out more about setting fires, keeping flues clean, and new gadgets to make it all easier. As one of the companies who came together to create the Woodsure Ready to Burn mark we’re proud to be part of this Expo. It gives us a great way to spread the word and help many more fire lovers to burn cleaner and better. Not to...

It’s just as important to your pet to have comfortable bedding as it is to you. Luckily, for most pets, it’s also much cheaper! Our pets selection includes options for bedding for many of our small furry or feathered friends. Whether the right bedding for them is hardwood chips, hay, or even a mix of the two, we can help. We also offer food for rabbits and guinea pigs. We want to make it easy for anyone who wants to look after their pets! Logs Direct is staffed by pet lovers. We understand the frustrations that can...

Central heating can keep the cold out of a house, but it doesn’t have that same cosy quality of warmth that a good log fire can bring – and it won’t help you mull your wine, either! Here at Logs Direct, we truly believe that one of the most satisfying things to see in the winter months is a woodpile as you return. That’s one of the reasons we offer wooden log stores – it makes it easy for our customers to get that same thrill as they see it. A well-stocked woodpile in winter promises that soon...

On a wintry day, there are few settings as romantic as curling up together in front of a blazing fire. Woodburners and open fireplaces are both very popular for this. Of course, if you really want to take advantage, make sure you’ve chosen the right logs. Nobody wants a fire faux pas during their romantic time together! Most wood you can buy from roadside vendors and the like is ‘wet’ wood. It might feel dry to the touch, but there’s so much moisture locked in there! This creates heavy smoke, which won’t help the mood. Instead, make...

Peat briquettes are becoming more and more popular with fire lovers up and down the country as an alternative to logs and coal – it gives very little smoke and has a unique aroma when burned that many have fallen for. Just as important – it’s very easy to store (we ship it in bales) and is clean and easy to handle; there’s no soot or waste residue. Peat briquettes burn extremely hot, and as a result we recommend only using one briquette at a time – but the upside is that those briquettes hold a lot of...

Some parts of the country were lucky enough to enjoy a White Christmas, while others simply found themselves in the mists. Snow, wind, and rain have been a near-constant presence up and down the UK for weeks now. We hope you’ve kept as warm around the fire as we have! As we’ve said before, the logs and coal we sell are all products we use in our own fires. We know exactly what they can do to lift the mood in the home. They certainly helped keep us cheery through the holidays! Whether you had as good a...

Before you add logs to your fire, it’s important to make sure they’re properly dry. A log should have a moisture level of less than 20%. There are two ways to dry your logs; kiln-drying and seasoning. Kiln-drying requires a kiln, so most people prefer seasoning. But seasoning can take a long time – literally seasons. It takes relatively little time for the ‘free water’ in wood to evaporate. Once it has, the wood will be down to around 30% moisture. It’s only then that the moisture in the wood’s cell walls will really begin to evaporate...

In our continued efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of ‘Ready to Burn’ wood, it’s worth considering what makes ‘wet wood’ an undesirable alternative. Wood sold under Woodsure’s ‘Ready to Burn’ label is wood that has been specifically kiln-dried and fully seasoned to reduce the amount of harmful emissions when it’s burned. This firewood generally has 20% less moisture than what would be considered ‘wet wood’ The Wastefulness of Wet Wood One of the reasons why there’s been an effort to move away from wet wood in recent years is because of the fact it’s a much less...

Logs Direct is proud to support Red Squirrels Northern England, a local charity working to protect Britain’s much-loved red squirrel. Squirrels Under Threat As many of our readership will already know, the red squirrel is under threat, driven out from much of its traditional habitat by the grey squirrel. The situation has been getting steadily worse since the grey squirrel was first introduced to this country. Conservation Efforts Red Squirrels Northern England is a wide-scale conservation charity working to provide red squirrels with a safer habitat across the North of England. As well as donations, they accept and encourage...