Good Wood

Buying dry firewood

When you choose a Good Wood approved supplier, you are opting for a trusted supplier who has committed to help you keep your home warmer and our air cleaner.

Our Regional Air Plan prohibits the burning of wood with more than 25% moisture content, so when purchasing your wood, consider carefully where you are getting it from and how you store it.

Green wood that has recently been cut or wood that has not been stored properly or for long enough will have a higher moisture content and will not meet this requirement so should not be used for burning.

Good Wood Suppliers have voluntarily agreed to be part of the scheme and committed to supplying either:

• Dry, seasoned firewood, suitable for immediate use. This is wood that has a moisture content of less than 25% dry weight.

OR

• Green (unseasoned) firewood delivered sufficiently far in advance of winter so that, if properly stored by the user, the wood will be seasoned for use the following winter.

Suppliers will also ensure the customer is fully informed if unseasoned wood is supplied and provide information about proper storage of the wood.

Members of the Good Wood scheme will have a moisture meter available to measure the moisture content to the centre of any piece of firewood and to have the details of this measurement available to customers if necessary.

If customers are unhappy with the quality of wood supplied by a Good Wood supplier, they should contact that supplier in the first instance and discuss their concerns.

Good Wood Approved Suppliers

Firewood Tips

Storage

• Store firewood in a dry place with the top covered.
• Stack wood loosely off the ground, ideally in a criss-cross pattern to allow air to circulate.

Do not burn treated timber

Timber treated with preservatives such as CCA (copper chrome arsenic treatment) must never be burnt. Burning treated wood exposes yourself and your family to its dangerous chemicals and the ash also causes long term issues in the environment.

Arsenic is released into the atmosphere when treated wood is burnt. Significant levels of arsenic has shown up in our wintertime air quality monitoring and this source is from treated timber being used for domestic fires.

Be aware of 'roadside' supply

If you choose to purchase firewood from a 'side of the road' source, you may get caught out with a green load. When wood is difficult to burn, it does not produce as much heat as dry wood, it will be extremely smoky, reducing cost effectiveness and will clog your flue with creosote, and become dangerous quite quickly.

Keep Your Chimney Clean

Remember to keep your chimney clean. If kept clean, this will help prevent chimney fires, and help your wood burner run more efficiently.

Chimney fires are caused by a build-up of creosote in chimneys when wet wood is burnt or wood is burnt at low temperatures. A chimney fire can quickly lead to a house fire.

Burn smarter

Find out more about burning smarter and cleaner: Warm Up Wisely