log burner fuel ?

Legacy_user

we will hopefully be getting a log burner later this year ,:D is there any fast growing tree/shrub i can plant that i can harvest for fuel and can i burn the woody bits of my lavendar bushes ?

janibrown

If you go on freecycle I have seen many posts in my area giving away logs for free you just need to sign up/register and join your local groups then search, not sure what you can burn think dried bits of lavender would be ok but think any wood needs to be dried out or it will give out alot of smoke, sure someone else will be along with more advice soon xx

Farway

Hazel would do the job as it can easily be coppiced, no idea how much you would need

And it all gets too much, then you have the nuts anyway

Greying_Pilgrim

CHRISSYG The fuel that you will need for a log burner should ideally be seasoned wood. Not only does this burn more efficiently, but also it cuts down the potential for the 'tars' (saps I suppose) to cling to your chimmney and risk a chimmney fire. We were advised to get our wood in well before we got our log burner...... we're human, we didn't, but it really is the best advice, because once you've got the log burner, you'll want to use it! If you are getting your burner from a stove 'shop' then they really will give you the best advice, they may also have lists of log sellers in your area.

I don't know how much land you've got at your disposal, I agree hazel can be coppiced and of course willow is another coppice crop - ideal for a log burner because although it is a 'spitty' wood, the enclosed box keeps it all contained and any sparks off your carpet. All wood will need to be chopped and stored for at least a year to begin to get it to seasoned stage, personally we're working on a 3 year cycle ie stuff I'm chopping now won't be used until winter 2014. We did pay for a load of seasoned logs at the start, we look out for 'freebies' now to keep our stores topped up. Personally I wouldn't use the lavender cuttings, but I'm sure some people would, so not sure how to advise on that.

Also, you use far more wood than you think you will, particularly if you're planning on making it a significant contributor to household heating or you are thinking of running radiators off it. How many tons you need each year will depend on how long you have a fire for each day.

Greying

zarazara

lavender clippings are fine also rosemary. As for wood ash is excellent and so is apple but it needs keeping for at least a year after cutting down to season it, greying pilgrims advice is good .

Andy_Davies

CHRISSYG wrote: »

we will hopefully be getting a log burner later this year ,:D is there any fast growing tree/shrub i can plant that i can harvest for fuel and can i burn the woody bits of my lavendar bushes ?

Greying Pilgrim has said most of it already but...

I presume you've got a wood burner because you want it generate heat, although fast growing stuff can be coppiced it's not going to generate as much heat as some nice ash or oak.

Andy

soupdragon10

We had two large leylandii cut down and instead of paying to have them taken away, they stacked the bits in the garden. We now (18 months later) have a large pile of firewood once it's cut up into fire sized bits.

If you've the space you could find out if there are any local tree surgeons who are cutting down - you could offer to take away stuff instead of householder paying out to have it carted away.

System

thanks for the replies -the burner will only be for heating so i intend making brickettes [sp] in the summer and thought about incorperating my dead lavendar in the hope it will release a natural air freshner.

zarazara

if you have a smallholder register number and are registered with the Rural Payments Agency [RPA] you can apply for a Forestry Commision grant to plant native trees,its currently about £1800 a hectare.

TheMoneySpider

slightly off-topic but I got a paper-shredding press a while back. You just sock all your household shreddings in water, put the mulch in the mould and press & compact the water out of it. Once it dries it is a burnable fuel brick.

gamston

paper brick burn ok once dried out
trouble with them is shredding the paper
if u looking at a wood burner, get 1 with a back boiler so it heats the central heating water
for 1 wheel barrow of wood i get about 3 days fire, but i've also gt an oil boiler on my central heating system
i burn any wood i can get, pallets, doors, trees.
for it to work well u need a storage shed for wood, and u need to get wood from anywhere u can