As residents across Kent, from Tunbridge Wells to Southborough to Maidstone, stoke up their woodburners ready to enjoy in the colder months, with a swept chimney – a pressing question on every consumer’s lips is simply this: what fuel is best to use in my wood burning appliance?

You can find a guide to different types of wood in a special section on the James the Sweep website by clicking HERE. Simply put – you can burn most types of wood. However, the way you store your wood and the burning method used REALLY DOES MATTER.

It’s too late to store wood ready for this year (the process normally takes two years) and you may need to use readily available logs from a supplier. Even so, your woodburner is a long term investment so make sure that when you do source your wood for future use that it is kept outside in a proper wood store, which is elevated from the ground and also sheltered from the weather elements (rain, wind, etc). As stated, it needs to be kept there for two years to really dry it out.

There are legal implications now for burning wet wood. Buy a moisture thermometer (they are affordable) and check the wood has a moisture content of 20 per cent or less. If it’s higher than that level, it’s too wet so keep storing it until the wood is further dried.

Wood for burning should ideally be about two or three ft in length. Keep the shapes near identical size to allow for consistency. That may sound idealistic but you do want the logs to fit comfortably inside your appliance, so that you can close the stove door.

I’ve given tips HERE on how to light your fuel. Make sure the dry wood burns at a high burning rate. This is the best efficiency method to create a robust, comfortable level of heat that will ultimately save you money.

Never- sorry, NEVER EVER burn other materials in your woodburner. No plastic. No metal. It’s called a woodburner for the simple reason that the appliance is designed to burn wood, nothing else. Also, be so careful in disposing of burnt embers. They can still be flammable. Don’t even touch them until the burnt material is totally cold. Even then, don’t just discard in a bin. Make sure you discard cold burnt embers safely.

Any questions? Ask me. That’s what I’m here for. I have swept chimneys in the wider Kent region for more than 20 years and I am a member of the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps. Call your ‘chimney sweep near me’ now – 07587 134589.