Show us: your log burners and open fires

[Time Waster]

How long do you dry it? I read somewhere about a 3 year cycle. Iirc it's cut and dry outside one year, split and dry under cover then use for a year. Something like that. Of course reach time you stack it with open sides so the prevailing winds can pass into the stack to dry it. I think there's a lot who just stash their dried wood in any old storage area from shed to garage to old fashioned outhouse where there's a good chance it's taking on moisture.

Always best to get a humidity meter for wood and check. Below a certain moisture content and the burn will not be a good one but will likely be pumping out PM10 or PM2.5 particles. Then again I know people who burn anything including old treated pallets. What they're pumping out could be unpleasant.

I really can't understand the idea that wood burners are a good idea considering how much they contribute to health affecting pollution. Large scale woodburning can be done in a more efficient way but small domestic burners are nowhere near as efficient. Can't we modernise heating away from burning wood?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

We could. But there again you'd have thought we might have engineered a little more energy security than was in fact the case, also.

 

[Time Waster]

I read today that during WWII the lights were kept on despite bombing. They had the capacity to cope should stations get damaged. Good energy security throughout the war. Then afterwards we became a leader in nuclear energy. Now we have such a degraded system that there's plans for supply restrictions and planned cuts apparently. Despite that we've lost the knowledge to have a fully domestic nuclear power supply. Renewables simply isn't able to fulfil our needs.

However despite that burning wood is simply not the right way to go. It's also in our modern world more of a middle class fashion thing. I say again that if you have a holiday home, not a static caravan, touring caravan or a van a solid building, then you must surely have the money to put something better for the environment in. If you're struggling how can you afford to put in a woodburner?

 

[MrGrumpy]

How long do you dry it? I read somewhere about a 3 year cycle. Iirc it's cut and dry outside one year, split and dry under cover then use for a year. Something like that. Of course reach time you stack it with open sides so the prevailing winds can pass into the stack to dry it. I think there's a lot who just stash their dried wood in any old storage area from shed to garage to old fashioned outhouse where there's a good chance it's taking on moisture.

Always best to get a humidity meter for wood and check. Below a certain moisture content and the burn will not be a good one but will likely be pumping out PM10 or PM2.5 particles. Then again I know people who burn anything including old treated pallets. What they're pumping out could be unpleasant.

I really can't understand the idea that wood burners are a good idea considering how much they contribute to health affecting pollution. Large scale woodburning can be done in a more efficient way but small domestic burners are nowhere near as efficient. Can't we modernise heating away from burning wood?

Our wood burner was a feature we put in. Occasional use during winter. We have gas central heating however considering that has tripled in price since we moved in here, you will have to forgive my wood burning. Likely hood is it will be on in evenings only for a few hrs.

 

[raleighnut]

Just been given half a roof's timbers, someone had a single storey extension demolished to build a bigger 2 storey one. The contractors who demolished the old one were told to keep the Slates for reuse on the new roof and were starting to remove the Timbers and chuck em on a bonfire but Scott's mate (Next door neighbour) who was/is Project Manager for the job stopped them chucking the big stuff on and got them to stack it so he could load it onto the van, Lordy'' then used a bunch of the 4x2's for framing on a shed/workshop* in his garden and where normally Scott would have the rest for his logburner he is currently moving to France and letting his house out to fund it so he doesn't want to leave a bunch of firewood but thought of me.
I borrowed his 'chop saw' to cut the Purlins up 10x4's and that made 9 bags worth but the stack of 4x2's have too many nails to risk damaging the £30 blade so I'l do them with my Jigsaw.

This Wood would have been burned onsite on a bonfire.

*He had of course used only the 'Nail free' sections of the Timber

 

[MrGrumpy]

Well got all my ash wood chopped up and stacked in No2 wood store.

 

[MrGrumpy]

No 3 wood store has appeared as I got free gratis on an ash tree that was chopped down . Should be good to go next winter !
Running out of places to keep wood !! Will need storage facility No4 in the new year , for when the big tree in the back garden gets a trim ! TPO ! So had to seek permission !

 

[rogerzilla]

My late father put one in 20 years ago for when "Putin turns off the gas". That's also why I got one.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Sporting new £17 grate from Amazon yesterday.
I'm not anymore.

 

[Jameshow]

Sporting new £17 grate from Amazon yesterday.
I'm not anymore.

View attachment 669939

Grate stuff!

 

[Grant Fondo]

Grate stuff!

Ho ho ho

 

[raleighnut]

No 3 wood store has appeared as I got free gratis on an ash tree that was chopped down . Should be good to go next winter !
Running out of places to keep wood !! Will need storage facility No4 in the new year , for when the big tree in the back garden gets a trim ! TPO ! So had to seek permission !
View attachment 669931

Ash burns as well fresh as it does dry,

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Ash burns as well fresh as it does dry,

This is often said - but - although it will burn when green as ash has a naturally low water content, it will burn much better when seasoned. I've just split some ash I have which I took down last Monday and it reads 28%. I wouldn't burn that as deposits are far more likely on your chimney.
Seasoned ash is a great burning wood, it's one of the woods I would never turn down no matter how little space I had for it.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Ive got loads of Ash now, its what I'm predominately burning in the stove .

 

[Jameshow]

I've got half a tonne of smokeless ovals which seem to be 90% ash!
Really poor and leave loads of ash!