Sourcing firewood for log burner

[slicendice]

As winter is approaching (sorry...a dour observation, I know, but somewhat unavoidable!), thoughts start to turn again to the heating of one's home. Given the horrendous energy prices we're currently facing, I'm very glad I got a wood burner installed a couple of years ago...although fuel still needs to be sourced! So I'm trying to locate wood that I can use in order to save cash (I was recently made redundant too, so such savings may be getting more and more necessary 😬).

 

The ideal source of wood is when trees are pruned or felled, but unless it's something that a friend or family member is doing, it's unlikely you actually get to hear about it. 

 

Does anyone know of a way of keeping tabs on when/where trees are being felled? I've created a listing on the arbtalk forum that's specifically for this purpose, but it hasn't amounted to anything.

 

 

[Ootohere]

Everything has a value now even off cuts of wood. 

Maybe find a place that collects & trades in pallets, but they might have someone that buys scrap wood already. 

H&S is an issue letting people in to collect stuff as is the councils and disposal and transporting waste, garden waste etc. 

 

Try a local joiner / builder and see if they want to empty bits and pieces of timber waste at your place when they are passing.

 

PS.

Are you in q Control area as far as what can be used as fuel?

As in it being Dry wood if bought, and actually Dry wood to reduce pollution.

Edited 8 September, 2023 by toot

[Breezy_Pete]

Be very nice to your local tree surgeon(s).

One man's commercial waste is another's cheap/free fuel.

[StevesTruck]

The cheap, lightweight, single-use pallets that building materials come on are great because they're untreated. Sites often end up paying to skip them, so it's worth an ask. 

[Sad555]

Burn it while you can,Bristol wants to ban all log burners and fine users.

[Frenchtone]

What about woodyard offcuts?

[Warrior193]

On 08/09/2023 at 20:54, Frenchtone said:

What about woodyard offcuts?

 

On 08/09/2023 at 20:54, Frenchtone said:

What about woodyard offcuts?

Can be a very bad idea to burn treated timber due to the harmful chemicals used.

[@Lee]

It's a bit late in the season now but some people in NI are the ones you need to source old pallets.

 

[Warrior193]

10 hours ago, @Lee said:

It's a bit late in the season now but some people in NI are the ones you need to source old pallets.

 

That is going to be visible from the Moon when it's torched!

[Ranger]

12 hours ago, Warrior193 said:

 

Can be a very bad idea to burn treated timber due to the harmful chemicals used.

Worth asking your local timber yard (as opposed to merchants) most timber offcuts are usually mill waste that’s untreated. It’s not usually treated until it’s in standard stock cuts.

 

[Mickvrs220]

Trouble is now as toot says everything has a value,most places that use any kind of timber sell their waste on by the skip load now ,or use it to heat their own buildings just as the place i work does .

[slicendice]

If I see pallets in a skip or lying outside a house that's having building work done, I'll grab those to use (after asking!)...but usually I only use them for kindling to get the fire going as they may be treated or a bit sappy.

 

Realise that with energy bills being what they are, demand for firewood has increased and therefore it's harder to come by for free.

 

Checking with local tree surgeon may be a good shout...I'll have a Google, see what I can find

[@Lee]

Just waiting on another delivery of something like this from a local farmer. 

It was a fairly mild winter here last year so some of this is still left. If the spiders don't move out by around November they'll be getting cremated. 

 

 

 

[slicendice]

8 hours ago, @Lee said:

Just waiting on another delivery of something like this from a local farmer. 

It was a fairly mild winter here last year so some of this is still left. If the spiders don't move out by around November they'll be getting cremated. 

 

 

If only I lived near a farm! But they're not that common in Manchester! 🤣

Edited 11 September, 2023 by slicendice

[Aspman]

Wood needs to be seasoned/dried  or you'll have poor heat output and probs with kreosote in the lumb.
You've possibly left it a bit late already to get much wood, prices will be going up.
There are plenty of suppliers but really it's expensive to use as a heating source unless you have your own wood.

My BiL uses everything and anything, pine cones are his favourite but he's on an old farm so plenty of old wood to burn.

[Warrior193]

I wonder how long it will be before the clean air Nazis start going round looking at chimneys? 🤔 

[@Lee]

1 hour ago, Warrior193 said:

I wonder how long it will be before the clean air Nazis start going round looking at chimneys? 🤔 

Ours has a mandatory annual inspection by a qualified 'Schornsteinfeger' (chimney sweep). Four years we've been here and he's never had to actually clean it. If there's ever a chimney fire and it's had it's annual inspection then no insurance problems. 

 

[Breezy_Pete]

54 minutes ago, @Lee said:

Four years we've been here and he's never had to actually clean it

Probably has some special software that detects when it's being inspected and...