Lekto kiln dried oak logs review

Having a log burner or open fire in your home at this time of year is fantastic. The warmth, the sound and the aesthetics of a wood burning stove and fire really make your home feel warmer and more homely. With temperatures outside dropping to near zero degrees in the winter these appliances can make all the difference to your energy bills. Finding a good source of fuels is essential to maximising the heat output from your fire so I’d like to talk about the benefits of kiln dried oak.

This January I’ve been testing kiln dried oak logs from Lekto Wood Fuels. In this review I’d like to talk about the benefits of using Lekto as a fuels suppliers and how their oak logs stack up against other wood fuels on the market.

Why buy Lekto kiln dried oak logs?

Oak logs are known to have a very high calorific value compared to other wood fuels types. This makes for a high heat output and long burn times. Lekto ensure their logs are dried to below 20% moisture content which provides a steady flame without producing damaging creosote and heavy smoke in your chimney. I’ve measured the moisture content of a few logs to make sure the quality was reasonable before testing them in my stove.

As you can see each reading is well under the 20% moisture value that Lekto state. The highest reading was 14.3% and the lowest was 8.4%. The logs were all cut to even lengths, at 25cm each they are the perfect size for my wood-burning stove. This also makes for nice evenly stacked piles of wood.

I prefer to stack my wood indoors as it keeps the wood nice and dry. You may prefer to store your chopped wood outside which is fine but due to the nature of wood, it’s going to absorb some of the air moisture. So don’t be surprised if the moisture content rises after delivery.

Lekto fuel types

Lekto also offer a number of different wood fuels types, including kiln dried birch, hardwood heat logs, night briquettes and pini kay eco logs. So why go for the kiln dried oak?

The kiln dried birch logs may look very similar to the oak logs but you won’t get the same level of heat output and burn times as you would from the oak. Yes, the oak is a little more expensive but you will get more for your money so to speak.

Manufactured logs vs. traditional logs

The manufactured heat logs, such as night briquettes, Pini Kay eco or hardwood heat logs are a great choice but the trouble is, they look manufactured. Some may not be bothered about this but the aesthetics of a fireplace and its surrounding make a big difference to others. Fireplaces or wood-burning stoves can sometimes be the focal point of our living rooms, therefore we want them to look nice. Real wood provides a very rustic, traditional and warming feel to the decor of our homes and many like to emphasis this look.

We like to do this in our home but we also like the benefits that manufactured fuels have to offer. The eco friendly side, the high heat output and the long burn times are all beneficial when it comes to the environment and our energy bills. So what fuels do we prefer in our house?

We actually tend to stock all these types of wood fuels. We keep a number of oak logs in the basket next to the fireplace and stock the heat logs somewhere out of sight. For example some are stored under our stairs and more out in the shed. This way we get to keep our living room looking rustic and traditional whilst getting the benefit of burning the manufactured heat logs.

Buying from Lekto Wood Fuels

Simple and easy are the first words that spring to mind. The website is easy to navigate, theres always a deal to be had, the checkout process is straight forward and delivery is quick. The only thing I would like to see from Lekto in the future would be crates of wood. Currently they only supply boxed wood fuels. Whilst this may work better for some, I do like a bulk order of wood in one container. They do supply large quantities of wood on pallet but these are all individually packaged in cardboard boxes. This does however make for easy storage and logistics around the home.

Conclusion

The kiln dried oak logs from Lekto are a good product and certainly have a place in our home. They have a great heat output and long burn times. I would however recommend buying these alongside some of Lekto’s other products to get the best out of your fireplace.

Buying in bulk from Lekto is always the most cost effective route for heating your home. You can save up to 53% from your order when buying in large quantities. Have a read of my money saving tips post here to get the best deals from Lekto.

Apply my 5% discount code at checkout: WOODCREATE

Thanks for reading. Why not take a look at some of my other reviews: