Storage
In order to get the best from your logs, they need to be as dry as possible prior to burning. We would therefore suggest you keep your firewood under cover in a dry airy environment. It is beneficial if your logs were to be brought indoors, ready for use, a few days before burning.
Getting the Best from your Fireplace
In order to get the best from your fireplace/woodburner, your chimney needs to be in good working order.
To achieve this we would recommend that you engage the services of a professional chimney sweep to clean the chimney, and perform a thorough inspection to make sure it's safe. An accumulation of creosote can cause a dangerous chimney fire, so it must be removed. Creosote is the product of wood smoke and moisture. It can be a serious hazard for homeowners who burn wood. Creosote is formed by burning wood which is unseasoned or burning at a low temperature
You can minimize creosote by burning dry hardwoods, since their lower moisture content promotes more complete burning.
Building a hot roaring fire for a few minutes after each load of firewood will go a long way in preventing the formation of creosote. If lots of smoke is coming out the chimney, it means that wood isn't burning at its optimum temperature. Increasing the air supply should enable the wood to burn more completely.
Keeping your chimney clean will pay off in increased safety and efficiency