Whether indoors or out, we all love to sit next to a roaring log fire. Indoors many people have installed log-burners in their most used living space to ease the winter chills and provide a warm focal point to the room. Outdoors in summer it’s become fashionable to install a chiminea or firepit on your electric patio heater so you can make the evening linger longer as you sit out under the moon and stars. Let’s be honest, wood isn’t cheap to buy, then again it’s not going to cost you an arm and a leg – although be careful if you’re a pirate and you’ve got a wooden leg, arrhhh!
But Is It Wise to Burn Wood?
Burning logs may give you a nice warm feeling emotionally but, in general, environmentalists are against it as it’s considered bad for the environment and air quality. There are 4 main reasons for this:
Particulate matter emission:
Log burners are a major source of fine particulate matter, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and contribute to respiratory issues, especially in densely populated areas. It seems somewhat contrary that big cities like London are fighting hard to reduce particulate emissions from diesel vehicles whilst more and more Londoners are firing up conflagrations in log burners and in their back gardens throughout the year
Carbon dioxide release:
While wood is considered a renewable resource, burning it still releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Of course when you consider circumstances like the early 2025 forest fires in California your average chiminea pails into a smoke of insignificance. We’ll leave it to your individual conscience.
Deforestation concerns:
Although sustainable logging practices are increasingly frequent, the harvesting of trees to produce firewood can still contribute to deforestation if not managed properly. The most favoured woods for domestic fires are hardwoods such as Birch, Beech and Oak, which are much slower growing and harder to replenish than soft woods like pine.
Impact on air quality:
In urban areas, widespread burning of wood can significantly worsen local air quality at a time when medical conditions like Asthma are on the increase.
Can’t See the Wood for the Trees? An IR Heater Is the Perfect Answer!
The move towards Net Zero and sustainability is a top-down worldwide initiative in which each of us play a part in a bottom-up sort of way by following a ‘think Global, act local’ philosophy. If you want to sit outdoors on your patio late into the evening from spring thru’ late autumn, why not invest in an IR halogen outdoor heater. Apart from the environmental aspect we think they have huge advantages:
- Probably cheaper than a firepit or chimenea of similar heat output – IR radiant heating is focused on heating people and things. Firepit heat simply goes up in smoke
- Simple to install on a ‘plug-and-play’ basis
- Instant heat the moment you turn them on – then no need to watch them whilst they burn down
- Selected models come with a motion sensor and turn themselves on and off
- Can be hung over a table, or installed on a wall and beamed down on the table – everybody keeps warm at the same time when eating, not just the side of the table with the firepit
- No risk of the neighbours complaining about smoke
Check Out Our IR Outdoor Heater Range Now for the Best Possible Deals