If your hardwood won’t catch, it’s almost never the logs. The stove just isn’t hot enough yet.

Hardwood is dense. Density needs heat. So you light with softwood to build that heat, and let the hardwood take over once it’s there.

That’s the whole thing, really. But it’s worth understanding why, because once you do, you’ll never go back to fighting your fire.

We’ve been producing and delivering kiln dried logs for eleven years now, and the same conversation comes round every autumn. Someone’s convinced there’s something wrong with their hardwood. Nine times out of ten there isn’t. It’s gone on the fire too early.

Why won’t my hardwood logs catch?

Put hardwood on a cold stove and it doesn’t burn. It chars. Even kiln dried hardwood will char if the stove and flue temperatures aren’t high enough

Without a proper ember bed underneath and a firebox that’s already up to temperature, the gases coming off the wood never get hot enough to ignite. So instead of turning into heat, they go up the chimney as smoke.

You’ll know it when you see it:

• Smoke still pouring from the chimney long after lighting
• Glass going black in the first twenty minutes
• Heat that takes forever to arrive
• More tar and creosote building up in your flue

None of that means you’ve bought bad wood. It means the wood went on before the stove was ready for it.

What’s the difference between hardwood and softwood?

Neither one is better. They just do different jobs.

Softwood lights easily, gets the firebox hot fast, and leaves you with a good bed of embers.

Hardwood is denser, burns slower, and gives you that long steady heat you actually want on a cold evening. But it needs a hot stove to burn cleanly.

Softwood builds the heat.
Hardwood sustains it.

Get the order right and the stove starts working with you instead of against you.

The pair that does both jobs
Our One Of Each bundle is a bulk bag of each – softwood for lighting, hardwood for sustaining, in one delivery. It’s the most popular thing we sell, and this is why.

What is the top-down fire lighting method?

Most of us were taught to build a fire from the bottom up — paper, kindling, logs on top. It works, but it’s not the cleanest way to do it.

Top-down is better. You stack in layers and light from the top. It’s a bit like building a Jenga tower!

1. Kiln dried hardwood logs at the base
2. Kiln dried softwood logs above them
3. Kindling layered on top of that
4. Natural firelighters right at the top
5. Light from above

The kindling catches, the softwood takes, and the firebox gets hot quickly. Heat works its way down, so by the time the flames reach the hardwood at the bottom, the stove is hot enough for it to burn properly rather than smoulder.

There’s a second benefit too. With the hottest flames sitting at the top, all the gases rising off the wood have to pass through that hot zone on their way out. Most of them burn off before they ever reach the flue. That’s why you get so much less smoke lighting this way.

👉 Check out our kiln dried hardwood & softwood fire lighting bundles

How should I set the air controls?

This is the one people often get wrong, and it undoes all the good work done beforehand.

Most stoves have two or three air inlets:

• Primary air comes in at the base, usually through the grate. You need it for lighting.
• Secondary air comes in above the fire and usually washes down over the glass. It burns off the wood gases and keeps the glass clear.
• Tertiary air, on newer Ecodesign stoves, gives the gases a final go at burning.

Lighting? Open everything. The fire needs all the oxygen it can get to come up to temperature.

Once it’s going? Shut the primary down and run it mainly on secondary. If you leave the primary wide open you’ll burn through your logs far quicker than you need to, and most of that heat goes straight up the chimney.

One thing we’d say firmly: don’t shut the air right down overnight to make the fire last. Starving a fire is exactly what causes the smouldering, the tar and the black glass people complain about. Your stove manual will tell you what your particular controls do — they vary a fair bit between models.

How much kindling do I actually need?

A net of kindling sticks by The Log People

More than you probably think! You can never have enough in our opinion.

A generous double handful, split reasonably fine, is about right for one lighting. Two or three sticks won’t get you anywhere.

The thing to remember is that kindling isn’t there to light your logs. It’s there to burn long enough and hot enough to get the softwood going. Skimp on it and the whole thing stalls.

Natural wood wool or wax firelighters are worth using over the paraffin sort, which tend to leave a smell and don’t do your glass any favours.

Why is the first fire after a break harder to light?

Because the flue is full of cold air, and cold air doesn’t want to go shift.

Your fire needs an upward draught to get going. A cold, unused chimney works against that, which is why a stove can feel stubborn after it’s stood idle for a while.

Two things sort it:

Warm the flue first. Light a twist of paper or a single firelighter on its own and let it burn for a minute before you build the fire properly. It gets the air moving the right way.

Crack a window open, particularly in a newer, well-sealed house. Stoves need air from somewhere, and airtight homes can starve them without anyone realising.

If you open the door and get a puff of smoke back into the room, that’s a draught problem. It’s not your logs.

When should I add hardwood mid-burn?

Wait for:

• A strong, glowing ember bed
• Flames that are stable and lively
• A stove that’s running in its normal range

Put hardwood onto hot embers and it takes almost immediately and burns right through. Leave it too long, let the stove cool off, and you’ll get that familiar puff of smoke while it climbs back up to temperature.

Better to refuel while the embers are still working than to let it die back and start again.

Why does my stove glass keep blackening?

It’s nearly always one of four things:

1. Wet wood. Anything above 20% moisture gives you steam and tar instead of clean flames.
2. Air closed down too soon. Before the fire was properly established.
3. Logs stacked against the glass. They need a few centimetres of clearance or the airwash can’t do its job.
4. Hardwood on too early. Same problem as everything else on this page.

Clear glass after a burn is one of the best signs you’re doing it right.

How do I know my logs are dry enough?

We sell Ready To Burn certified kiln dried logs!

In England, any wood sold in volumes under 2m³ has to be certified under the Ready To Burn scheme at 20% moisture or below. That’s the law, not a marketing line.

Ours are kiln dried to around 15%, which gives a decent margin under the threshold, and they’re certified by Woodsure – WS274/00001 for hardwood, WS274/00002 for softwood and WS274/00003 for kindling.

If you want to check wood yourself, split a log and put the meter on the freshly exposed face. Testing the outside tells you almost nothing.

How much firewood will I need for a season?

Worth thinking about before you’re rationing logs in January.

We went back through our own delivery records to answer this properly. Customers who bought a single 0.9m³ bulk bag, burnt through it and came back for another did so after a typical gap of 66 days.

A burning season runs roughly October to March. That’s six months. Which puts most households closer to three bags than two.

It’s also worth knowing that buying it together costs less than buying it piecemeal — our prices step down as the quantity goes up, and it’s one delivery rather than three. Have a look at the bulk bag options if you’re working out what you need.

A note on safety

Have your chimney swept at least once a year by a qualified sweep. Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a stove – it’s a legal requirement in rented homes in England and sensible in every home that burns solid fuel.

Quick recap

• Softwood raises the temperature, hardwood holds it
• Light from the top, not the bottom
• All the air open to light, then run on secondary
• Use plenty of kindling
• Hardwood only onto a strong ember bed
• Certified logs, under 20% moisture, every time

Our professional opinion

Hardwood isn’t the problem.
Softwood isn’t optional.

Timing changes everything.

Build the heat properly, let the stove get where it needs to be, and you’ll notice the difference straight away. Faster lighting. Cleaner burning. Less smoke. Better heat.

Burning logs should be simple. Warmth without the faff.

Most of the time, it really is just about getting the order right.

👉 See our kiln dried hardwood & softwood fire lighting bundles

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to light a log burner?
The top-down method. Hardwood at the base, softwood above, kindling on top, firelighters at the very top, lit from above.

Should I use softwood or hardwood first?
Softwood first, to get the temperature up. Add hardwood once you’ve got a strong ember bed.

Why do my hardwood logs smoke?
Because they’ve gone on before the stove reached temperature. They char instead of burning cleanly.

Does softwood burn hotter than hardwood?
Softwood gets the temperature up faster. Hardwood burns longer and gives more total heat once the fire’s established.

Should the air vents be open or closed?
Wide open to light. Then close the primary down and run mainly on secondary.

Why does my stove glass go black?
Wet wood, air closed too early, logs touching the glass, or hardwood added to a cold stove.

Can I burn softwood in a log burner?
Yes. Kiln dried softwood is certified and it’s the better choice for lighting. The idea that softwood damages stoves comes from people burning it wet, not dry.

How often should a chimney be swept?
At least once a year if the stove’s in regular use.

About the Author

Sarah Fleetwood is Director of The Log People, a UK supplier of Woodsure Ready to Burn certified kiln dried logs. The business has been producing and delivering firewood for eleven years and delivers on its own fleet across Shropshire, North Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside. She works closely with stove owners and domestic fuel customers, advocating for responsible burning practices, local and sustainable sourcing, and better combustion efficiency.

👉 Browse our Ready To Burn certified kiln dried logs