Fire merchants believe it could be too late to buy dry wood for the winter season

Firewood Direct's Claire Pryde believes it could be getting too late to get dry firewood for your home this winter. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua's temperatures may have just started to drop but if you were hoping to start stockpiling firewood now, local merchants say time has almost run out.

Firewood Direct's Claire Pryde said the earlier the better was the key to having a warm home this winter.

"We like to think we are responsible merchants and we like to know people are burning dry firewood in the middle of winter but they need to get their wood early and dry it themselves."

She said people needed to buy their firewood before Christmas to ensure it was dry come winter.

"Certainly with this colder weather the phone is getting busy.

"We are just flat out now."

Pryde believed councils needed to help educate residents on firewood as it was not fair to assume firewood merchants would have dry firewood when they needed it.

"There are lots of people that haven't had a fire before but they buy a new house and they just don't know."

Blazing Firewood owner Fabien Goldbert spends the warmer months preparing for a manic cold season. Photo / File

After 29 years chopping wood, Blazing Firewood owner Fabien Goldbert considers himself a bit of an expert when it comes to the subject.

He said it wasn't as simple as chopping some wood and placing it into the fire.

"If I got wood delivered in October and I chopped it up, it would then take up to sixteen weeks to dry out enough, depending on the wood, for it to be suitable to burn."

He said if firewood was seasoned and then became wet it wouldn't disturb the burn ability because the heart of the wood would be dry.

"You'd put it in the fire and you'll have some steam happening but then it will be gone."

His advice for those wanting wood now was to shop wisely.

"The foul taste of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price."

Firewood tips
- Get wood early and store more than you think you'll need.
- Split your wood to a maximum of 15cm thickness.
- Stack it properly. Stacking your wood loosely to allow air to flow through the pile will help it dry.
- Store your wood off the ground to protect it from ground moisture. An old wooden pallet is ideal.
- Cover it well.
Source: www.cleanairrotorua.co.nz