Oak Firewood Prices

Is oak good firewood?

Yes, if it's dry. Oak is dense, so each log lasts a long time and leaves embers that stay hot for hours. It's also one of the slowest woods to dry naturally: freshly felled oak can need two years or more before it's fit to burn, and damp oak hisses, smokes and blackens the glass. Kiln-dried logs skip the wait. Ready to Burn certified logs are under 20% moisture when they arrive.

Oak doesn't like a cold stove. Get the fire going with birch or alder first, add oak once there's a good bed of embers, and leave the air open for a few minutes after loading so it catches rather than smoulders.

Who oak suits

People who heat with the stove for most of the day. On a cold weekend, oak means fewer trips to the log basket, and a log loaded late in the evening can still leave warm embers to relight from. It burns cleanest when the stove is properly hot; a flue thermometer shows you when it's there.

Getting good value on oak logs

Per loose m³, oak usually costs about the same as beech on our tracker, and less than ash. Because each log lasts longer, you'll also get through less volume in a winter than with a lighter wood. If you're choosing between oak, beech and ash, Which Firewood Should I Buy? puts them side by side. The firewood calculator works out how much you need.