[lagerstarfish]

we'll have a wood burner in a couple of weeks, so I'm in the market for seasoned firewood

any recommendations for a good supplier?

there doesn't seem to be a standard measure for log quantities which makes comparing prices difficult

Big Ed gets his from http://www.sheffieldtreecare.com/logs-2/

also - I assume that logs are cut to a standard length so that they fit in log burning stoves - is this correct?

[tomtom]

Units are often small bags (likenyou see at a garage) and the large 1m by 1m sacks (like the big builders bags).

'Seasoned' is not always the case. Ideally get your wood for the winter in the spring so you can leave it drying all summer (I know that can't happen here..). Prices for my colleagues near/north of Hull ranged from 80 to £160 for one of those large sacks.

Ash is best... pine is semi worthless.

[tlr]

Sheffield Tree Care is a good bet.

[butters]

Chris at Totley Hall Farm is who I used this year and I am very pleased with what he supplied - mostly Ash but a few bits of Oak and something that I think is Sycamore (not sure but it's bloody heavy and burns slowly and it's not Oak).  Call him on 07740 309 244

Price wise you want to be looking at £85 for a tonnie\builders bag and multiples at £80 per bag for split hardwood - I got two and that worked out at roughly 1.8m³. Size wise most of it will come between 8" and 10" logs - some of it tends to be a split a bit big I find so I often end up splitting it again but probably not going to make a huge difference. The most important thing is to have somewhere to store it - needs to be off the ground and dry from above - rain on the front\sides isn't such an issue as long as you can get a breeze through it.

Lastly - top down fire lighting is the way forward - one of those things you wonder why you weren't taught as a small boy.

[lurcher]

One thing worth noting is that most builders bags are 0.8x0.8x0.8  which a lot of suppliers will say is a cubic metre or nearly, when in fact its half a cube!!   You can get bigger bags but that's the most common size.

so if you're quoted £80 per bag that could be £160 per cube!   I paid £100/m3 for the last lot I had from a guy in Calver,  I'll give him a call and see if hes still doing it.

Worth asking what the moisture content is of the wood if you want it for burning now.  Less than 20% ideally .    Get a cheap moisture meter and check what is delivered.   

[lurcher]

Yep he's still doing it just ordered a couple of bags.

He says he may deliver to Sheffield- depends what work hes got on there, may be a delivery/minimum order


he's on 07929 390810

[GraemeA]

Big Marv from Aborist Tree Care is a good bet - he is based at The Works.

[tomtom]

Lastly - top down fire lighting is the way forward - one of those things you wonder why you weren't taught as a small boy.

THIS. try it, its so simple.

Also if you burn just wood don't use a grate/grill, burn on a flat surface/stove floor & only empty out the ashes when they're an inch or two deep. Make up a steel plate to put over the grate if necessary. With this one winter I only had to empty it twice (stove was on on every day) - it burns so efficiently that way. Embers will then bimble along in a nice bed of ashes so to re-light in the morning you just bung a couple of small logs on and open up the air vents..

[lagerstarfish]

thanks guys

I've got just over a cubic meter of good, dry, sunny shelf storage; plus the option of another few covered cubic meters in front of the "garage" door (which is never used)

is ash worth paying a premium for?

I missed out on the cheap stove fans at Aldi (they sold out in a few hours) - any recommendations for stove fans?

[lagerstarfish]

Big Marv from Aborist Tree Care is a good bet - he is based at The Works.

noticed his sign this morning whilst I was training my future spotter (at 5 years old he is getting the hang of taking the piss when I fall off)

[Mike Tyson]

Don't pay more for ash. Most hardwood burns well, if seasoned properly. Moisture content is the key, as someone mentioned earlier.

With regards storage, if it's seasoned all ready just somewhere to keep it dry will suffice, preferably with a nice bit of ventilation. Don't be tempted to whack a tarpaulin over a pile as it will just just become moist and mouldy.

You can go mad and spend a fortune on all this kiln dried specialist stuff, but I really wouldn't bother unless you have money to burn (pardon the pun) We sell a cubic metre for £65 delivered, and that's a proper cubic metre too. For that you want to decent, well seasoned hardwood mix. Ash, Sycamore, Cherry, Alder, Beech, Oak, Hawthorn, Holly, all burn well. Avoid Willow, it's cack as is Poplar for the main.

[lagerstarfish]

so is a cubic meter of logs a well tessellated collection, or is it a trundled bunch that takes up a meter cubed of space?

[butters]

You can go mad and spend a fortune on all this kiln dried specialist stuff, but I really wouldn't bother unless you have money to burn (pardon the pun)

I have a suspicion that a lot of kin dried stuff has just been left to ventilate in a large shed but it is all sold as "kiln dried" because that is what the average punter expects.  Should you tell them the truth it will never be as good as that "proper kiln dried wood" you get from that nice man down the road....   

We sell a cubic metre for £65 delivered, and that's a proper cubic metre too. For that you want to decent, well seasoned hardwood mix. Ash, Sycamore, Cherry, Alder, Beech, Oak, Hawthorn, Holly, all burn well. Avoid Willow, it's cack as is Poplar for the main.

Where are you based? OK for wood at the minute but never hurts to have multiple sources.     

[Mike Tyson]

so is a cubic meter of logs a well tessellated collection, or is it a trundled bunch that takes up a meter cubed of space?

Depends who you get it from! I've seen some neatly stacked and packed into crates on pallets, some just in dumpy/builders bags, and some is just thrown into a trailer or van. I'd always favour dryness, quality of wood and type over neatly cut and stacked presentation.

A lot of tree surgeons do firewood sales as a side line, that's what we do. The bona-fide firewood merchants will sell lots of different stuff, but in my experience most folks like us usually sell hardwood only, and it's usually top stuff but might be a little rough and ready when it comes to size of logs and delivery (basically, we're busy and can't be as accommodating as the people do it for a living)

Oh, and we're based up near Sedgefield, County Durham. So not a lot of help to most on here unfortunately!

[Mike Tyson]

Oh and the top down lighting thing is good too. But if you have a multifuel stove I'd recommend a different/opposite  technique.

Put a layer of newspaper on the bottom, scrunched up in balls, then a few little bits of firelighters scattered about, then kindling in two rows, layered on top of each other like a lattice effect, then coal on top.

Then light the paper, shut the doors and bingo, you're away.

[Steve R]

Anyone tried briquettes? 
-Significantly higher KWh per kg than wood
-arguably lower CO2 contribution compared with buying wood.  (Can go along with this if the wood is kiln dried and/or shipped from eastern Europe)
-arguably work out cheaper than bought wood
-easier to handle, store and burn efficiently(?) due to being homogenous, uniform and lacking any soul.

Whilst on the topic.....Starting with two premises (i)you're mains gas connected  (ii)pay for your wood, I'm convinced wood burners fall squarely into the 'luxury ornament' bracket and don't make sense on a purely economic or practical scale.  When it comes to heating houses, wood stoves running on bought wood can't get near the price per KWh of mains gas.  And that's without factoring in the significant installation and purchase  cost of a stove and flue.  From some rough calcs, I'd say a KWh of heat produced by a stove typically costs between 2 to 3 times as much as from a gas boiler/central heating system.   Range due to variables like quality/price of wood, stove efficiency, etc. Not that any of this matters or should put someone off getting a stove - I like fire and I like wood burners.  Just saying.         

[lagerstarfish]

I also regard it as a luxury

I expect to have collected and seasoned a winter worth of logs for the winter after next

fossil fuels contain carbon that was taken out of the atmosphere when there was a lot more CO2 around

burning wood releases the same amount of carbon as was absorbed by the tree from the modern atmosphere (ignoring transport etc)

burning stuff is fun

gonna go halves on a pallet of those compressed wood heat log things - very low moisture content, innit, so can allegedly be used to help less dry wood burn efficiently

looking forward to finding out what works
 

[tomtom]

Anyone tried briquettes? 
-Significantly higher KWh per kg than wood
-arguably lower CO2 contribution compared with buying wood.  (Can go along with this if the wood is kiln dried and/or shipped from eastern Europe)
-arguably work out cheaper than bought wood
-easier to handle, store and burn efficiently(?) due to being homogenous, uniform and lacking any soul.

Whilst on the topic.....Starting with two premises (i)you're mains gas connected  (ii)pay for your wood, I'm convinced wood burners fall squarely into the 'luxury ornament' bracket and don't make sense on a purely economic or practical scale.  When it comes to heating houses, wood stoves running on bought wood can't get near the price per KWh of mains gas.  And that's without factoring in the significant installation and purchase  cost of a stove and flue.  From some rough calcs, I'd say a KWh of heat produced by a stove typically costs between 2 to 3 times as much as from a gas boiler/central heating system.   Range due to variables like quality/price of wood, stove efficiency, etc. Not that any of this matters or should put someone off getting a stove - I like fire and I like wood burners.  Just saying.         

Yes - you're right, but It's a little bit comparing apples and oranges - as most house have gas CH- rather than one gas fire...

If you get (most) of your wood for free then it works well - or if it's for topping up existing heating.

Also worth mentioning that wood burners are really good for drying out the house.. no condensation problems that you can get from other heating...

[butters]

I expect to have collected and seasoned a winter worth of logs for the winter after next

It depends on how much you value your time at going down that route. While it may seem like awfully good fun to do it once you factor in the time taken to collect the wood, cut it into logs, split it and stack it then (to me at least) it really isn't worth the time and effort required.

[SamT]

but gets you warm three times though.. once when you collect and log it.. once when you split and stack it and again when you burn it!😊

[lagerstarfish]

I expect to have collected and seasoned a winter worth of logs for the winter after next

It depends on how much you value your time at going down that route. While it may seem like awfully good fun to do it once you factor in the time taken to collect the wood, cut it into logs, split it and stack it then (to me at least) it really isn't worth the time and effort required.

It's trees and branches that I will be removing from our garden and next door either side, so I'd be doing the work anyway

[Mike Tyson]

Do some research into what a proper pruning cut is, it is very easy to get it wrong which can lead to problems in the future 

And if it seems like a bad idea, don't be tempted to plough on regardless (I'm sure you wouldn't though). We have to tidy up a lot of work that homeowners have done themselves, or tried to do anyway. Trees are living things, and not structures. If you cut them they will throw out new growth to help repair themselves. There really is method when pruning or making cuts on a tree. I'd be more than  happy to give advice if you are unsure on anything.

[Mike Tyson]

This is a good place to start.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=233#section-3

[sidewinder]

I'm convinced wood burners fall squarely into the 'luxury ornament' bracket and don't make sense on a purely economic or practical scale.

While I do agree with this, in my house we are generally either out in the evenings (wall etc.) or in the living room.  Having installed a wood burner in the living room it lets us have that one room toasty/near uncomfortably warm, while the rest of the house is unheated/heated much less than we used to as with our gch it seems to need to be on in general, rather than being able to heat a single room.  So in a practical sense it seems to be working well with our lifestyle/40 year old boiler and heating system.

[galpinos]

Lastly - top down fire lighting is the way forward - one of those things you wonder why you weren't taught as a small boy.

Does anyone use this in a standard fireplace? I repeatedly struggle getting our fireplace to stay lit without reasonably regular tending and, though faffing with fire is a great joy and spending every waking moment smelling of smoke makes life complete, I feel my manliness is in question.

[tomtom]

Lastly - top down fire lighting is the way forward - one of those things you wonder why you weren't taught as a small boy.

Does anyone use this in a standard fireplace? I repeatedly struggle getting our fireplace to stay lit without reasonably regular tending and, though faffing with fire is a great joy and spending every waking moment smelling of smoke makes life complete, I feel my manliness is in question.

Coal wood or smokeless?

[galpinos]

Coal wood or smokeless?

Wood. Mix of stuff I've acquired, happy clappy stuff from the Unicorn and pikey bags from the garage down the road (probaly the same as the Unicorn stuff but half the price). No dabbled in coal (no storage) and don't have fires that often (images of toddlers falling face first into the fire) but we got a new fire guard for Christmas last year and I REALLY like fire so keen for more evenings in with a fire this winter.

[Simon W]

After seeing it on here I got excited and tried top down last night for the first time. Didn't work for me at all, ended up having to take everything out and do it the usual way after half an hour of swearing and wasting a box of matches.

For me this works every time provided all the stuff is dry -

From the bottom up - 5/6 balls of scrunched up newspaper, optional layer of strips of cardboard, kindling no thicker than little finger (generally use pallets for this), thicker wood around an inch or so and a biggy (2-3 inches) or 2 on top. I either shape it like a tent with wood leaning against paper and kindling or make a tower shaped stack with layers of wood at right angles to each other (like Jenga)!

I have all the vents open when I light it, sometimes have the door just open too. This always works well for me, not like this top down black magic shit!

[Simon W]

Using a woodburner, is top down for open fires or something?

[tomtom]

Using a woodburner, is top down for open fires or something?

Often the other way around. Trick is having your wood really really dry.. I used to light a fire (in a wood burner with a couple of med logs - split) on top of which 3 or 4 bits of kindling - on top of which half a firelighter... I think a chunk of it is getting to know your stove and how it works with the different vent combinations etc.. (there are many ways manufacturers do it..).

Firelighters are cheaper than newspaper too...

[Simon W]

Think you're right about it varying depending upon which stove you have, bottom top seems the way forward for mine. Not sure your firelighters are cheaper than my copies of Metro though!

[butters]

Simon - I know that sense of frustration - mine took quite a bit of fine tuning to get it to work but when it did. 

For reference I have the top layer thinner than finger thickness using newspaper as the initial combustion - that would be second layer kindling for me but I would imagine that firelighters mean that you can get away with thicker stuff. Also as TT points out it has to be really dry kindling - old floor boards are great for this so keep an eye out for any in a skip and have them. 

Edit - just checked and about pencil thickness works for me as a top layer it seems.

[Simon W]

Ha ha, I was swearing my head off! Might give the upside down way another go.............after a few more stress free right way up fires though!?!

[tomtom]

Ha ha, I was swearing my head off! Might give the upside down way another go.............after a few more stress free right way up fires though!?!

Works really well on a solid (no grate/grill) base (as you should always burn wood!)

[galpinos]

Works really well on a solid (no grate/grill) base (as you should always burn wood!)

Hmmm, should I be ditching my grate/ash pan then?

[tomtom]

Works really well on a solid (no grate/grill) base (as you should always burn wood!)

Hmmm, should I be ditching my grate/ash pan then?

If you're burning just wood, then I'd suggest yes. Burn it on the stone/brick or a metal plate... don't clean up the ash either.. the wood then burns in a bed of ash.. grates are designed for coal which needs alot of air flow to burn...

[bigironhorse]

Seems to be loads of freshly cut beech (i think) knocking about on the paths leading to the general cemetery from ecclesall road. Don't know how much trouble you'd get in for helping yourself to a few barrows full?

[SamT]

hmmm .. not there this morning. .. went for a quick look see before the road is closed for the joggers.

[abarro81]

We can't remember where we last bought a big load of wood from... so... anyone got any good beta for cheap/good places that deliver to Sheffield?

[remus]

I've got a number for a tree surgeon who delivered a ton bag to ours for £70, no idea how that compares to prices elsewhere. Gotten through about a third of it so far and seems alright (well seasoned etc.), I'll message you the number.

[Simon W]

We get ours from here.

https://thelogshopsheffield.com/

Not the cheapest but the best quality of places I've tried. Kiln dried logs that seem to last well and knock out plenty of heat.