How to Store Kiln Dried Logs

Despite how it may appear and the tendency to worry that your kiln dried logs may end up wetter than when you purchased them if storing outside or in a garage, how you store kiln dried logs to ensure they remain in the same condition you bought them is actually very simple – especially if the moisture content is below 20%, as the kiln dry process changes the properties of the cells in the wood and inhibits their ability to re-absorb moisture from the surrounding atmosphere.

Over very prolonged periods, you may find that logs stored outside may very slightly re-absorb some moisture from the atmosphere, but no more than a few % and we’re strictly talking about the very outside of the logs that are exposed to the humid air, which is completely negligible in terms of performance and heat output.

While seasoned logs will re-absorb moisture more readily during humid conditions, kiln dried logs aren’t as quick to do so, and providing they are kept in a relatively dry place or under cover, even when stored outside, they will be just as ready to burn as when you first purchased them, even months later.

Due to the very low moisture content of our logs in particular – less than 15% –  you can keep them all in the original packaging exactly how they arrived, and not worry about mold growth. The same cannot be said for much of the kiln dried logs sold in supermarkets and large chain stores, where moisture content is very hit and miss, and often stated as up to 30%.

Store Your Logs Under Cover with Good Ventilation

As the best method of storing your logs is somewhere with good air-flow and under cover, open fronted log stores are the ideal solution. If you are considering purchasing a log store, we recommend one with gaps in between the boards for air to pass through (such as our small log store pictured to the right, or our extra large log store), and not an enclosed one – keeping logs in an enclosed space without room to breath will quickly cause damp and mould to develop.