make do and mend for tougher times

Mrs_Chip

Do you know what tree the wood is from Byatt? Depending on what time of year it is cut, Ash can burn almost straight away, or after about 6 months of seasoning, but really the longer the better.

You can sometimes find nets of seasoned logs in garages or garden centres, you could buy one just to try it out?

Whe we go to Cornwall a net of logs lasts us about three nights.

Do read up about burning wood in a stove (is it an all wood version or multifuel) as there is a technique for log burning that gets the best out of them.

[URL="hthttp://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_for_burning.htmltp://"]hthttp://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_for_burning.htmltp://[/URL]

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/how-to-burn-wood.html

Byatt

Thanks Mrs C, I'm not sure, it may be conifer...is that any good? I just grabbed and ran! Even though it said free I still felt I was stealing.

I have got a net of wood from the garage round the corner, also some kindling and some basic bits of wood from the farm shop. I'm hopeful as you can see! I think it's just a wood burner, hopefully the sweep will tell me. It's not huge by any means. I'll study the links you gave. I have had a coal burner before which looked similar to a wood burner.

I'm getting quite excited now. Saw a client with their woodburner on (much, much bigger than mine) and it looked lovely. The cats were all sprawled in front of it!

fuddle

You have every right to be excited I'm sure you've picked up on just how envious I am of you.

Byatt? Have you got a carbon monoxide alarm? Just to be on the safe side ('cos i'm a big worry wort, sorry it's an affliction)

I have them all over the house and take them with me when I go away on holiday :rotfl:

GreyQueen

Byatt wrote: »

Thanks Mrs C, I'm not sure, it may be conifer...is that any good? I just grabbed and ran! Even though it said free I still felt I was stealing.

I have got a net of wood from the garage round the corner, also some kindling and some basic bits of wood from the farm shop. I'm hopeful as you can see! I think it's just a wood burner, hopefully the sweep will tell me. It's not huge by any means. I'll study the links you gave. I have had a coal burner before which looked similar to a wood burner.

I'm getting quite excited now. Saw a client with their woodburner on (much, much bigger than mine) and it looked lovely. The cats were all sprawled in front of it!

Byatt, I have to say that I consider myself a woodstove wannabee but it'll never happen in this home.

I do have a library book out at the moment called The Wood Fire Handbook; the complete guide to the perfect fire by Vincent Thurkettle which seems to be just the ticket for many enquiries. Mebbe in your library too?

On Page 100, in the chapter on seasoning wood, it says:

"The conifers are in general seen as the second-class citizens of the firewood world. There are many good reasons for this predudice as they are slow-drying, full of resins, appt to pop and throw sparks, and, not being very dense, take up a disproportionate amount of room in the woodstore. However, they are very widely planted and should not be rejected out of hand."

He goes on to say that if you want to burn them on an open fire you should use a good fireguard but that for his woodburner he'd happily take old cedar, pine, larch and cypress but would be more reluctant to take spruce, hemlcok, redwood and firs.

Anyway, it looks an excellent book. I shall enjoy it vicariously. HTH.

Oh, and wood should be seasoned for at least a year, preferably several. Wintercut wood will be as wet in spring as it was in autumn, it needs to go through the warmer weather to even start drying out.

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

It's snowing really hard here. The heating is due to knock off in a minute. Don't know whether to keep it on for a few more hours.

It's cold here(not far from Fuddle)but no rain and no snow...I'll regret saying that...

GreyQueen wrote: »

Pops, here's a trad rhyme;

Pease pudding hot, pease pudding cold
Pease pudding in the pot, nine days old.

Now there's a thought, eh? Except on OS it'd probably involve lentils and a day or two in the slowcooker.

That brings back memories:)at least I am using it this time, how often I have purchased it and never managed to use it up...and the bargain ham on the bone is a lovely treat.

What a job I have had to get my YS diced pork into the freezer...It is packed but I have split it up into 11 freezer bags with enough I think for small individual portions so it is has given me quite a few meals:Dif padded out with vegetables from casseroles to stir fry.

I have had a reasonably good/happy week and less troubled but we'll see if that changes when the HA tells me how difficult the future will be when the changes come and what I will have to find incomewise...they are doing home visits to discuss with tennants who are younger than 61 years...I have another 7 years approx to go and of course they can keep moving the goalposts...

Still managed to keep the heating off and its not too bad...for now...

Have chopped up some vegetables, when the meat I have in the fridge has defrosted(I have no idea what it is)I'll put it in the slow cooker along with the veg...I don't mind when the meal is ready(middle of the night or tomorrow)

I can always have porridge or cereal and fruit for breakfast and choose from one of my 31 boxes of cereal:p

Hope everyone can keep warm and are not so troubled...

kidcat

Oh Byatt - I hope you get it sorted soon, am soooo jealous

Fuddle am rather jealous of your snow too if I am honest - I quite like snow!!

Car has had window wedged up but dad is worried it will drop if I drive it - cant see it somehow but he is fond of a bit of drama, am taking it shopping tomorrow so we will soon see

had to collect parcel from Mr T tonight and am stunned at some of the pricing flowers that were clearly dead reduced to £6, surely no-one will pay for them

monnagran

Loving the stories of how to deal with cold callers.
We usually just put the receiver on the arm of the chair and let them listen to our TV for a bit. On one occasion when the TV wasn't on, we sang hymns down the receiver. They didn't linger. Sometimes it's useful living with a vicar.

It's complete and utter chaos at the moment here. All day tomorrow we have a course on "How to deal with challenging behaviour." I suppose it might be helpful but we have only have only had 2 upsets since we have been open. On one occasion 2 young men were nose to nose threatening to carve each other up and the Rev stood between them and calmly told them they would have to go through her first. After a bit of posturing and face saving they slunk off and brought her a bunch of flowers the next week. On another occasion there was a lot of shouting and fist waving, so I put on my best teacher's face and thundered, "That's quite enough of that. Go back to your seats AT ONCE and SIT!" Instant hush. Not only the miscreants but the volunteers were stunned. One of them remarked that they couldn't believe it was me. Anyway, that was months ago and we've had no problems since. Still, it will be interesting to hear what they have to say tomorrow, although I could well do with the time at home.

I'm trying to do the changeover from summer to winter clothes and getting everything washed and put away or washed, ironed and hung up. I reckon to do a bit every day which means that my bedroom floor is awash with clothing - looks like a disorganised Jumble Sale.

And now I must go and iron some clothes for Sunday as I'm obviously not going to have time tomorrow.

I do envy those of you laying in your stocks of wood for the winter.
It's the first time in my life I've not had an open fire or a wood-burner. The WB I had in my cottage was so efficient that it heated the whole house and sometimes we had to open the back door to cool things down a bit. Of course we had no central heating, but we really didn't need it. And we were surrounded by woods so never had to buy any wood. It was great.

Have a great weekend everyone, I'll see you all sometime next week.

mardatha

Yes GQ rones anre gutters but I thought rones were rones everywhere. If that makes sense ! Hasn't snowed here at all has gone to -5.

katieowl_2

GreyQueen wrote: »

Byatt, I have to say that I consider myself a woodstove wannabee but it'll never happen in this home.

I do have a library book out at the moment called The Wood Fire Handbook; the complete guide to the perfect fire by Vincent Thurkettle which seems to be just the ticket for many enquiries. Mebbe in your library too?

On Page 100, in the chapter on seasoning wood, it says:

"The conifers are in general seen as the second-class citizens of the firewood world. There are many good reasons for this predudice as they are slow-drying, full of resins, appt to pop and throw sparks, and, not being very dense, take up a disproportionate amount of room in the woodstore. However, they are very widely planted and should not be rejected out of hand."

He goes on to say that if you want to burn them on an open fire you should use a good fireguard but that for his woodburner he'd happily take old cedar, pine, larch and cypress but would be more reluctant to take spruce, hemlcok, redwood and firs.

Anyway, it looks an excellent book. I shall enjoy it vicariously. HTH.

Oh, and wood should be seasoned for at least a year, preferably several. Wintercut wood will be as wet in spring as it was in autumn, it needs to go through the warmer weather to even start drying out.

OH says too that pine family woods make a lot of tar on the chimney linings which is not good because they can catch fire. We are not 'allowed' to burn softwoods. OH has also been in a house that the chimney caught fire, so I think it might have been the fire brigade that told him

Kate

katieowl_2

fuddle wrote: »

It's snowing really hard here. The heating is due to knock off in a minute. Don't know whether to keep it on for a few more hours.

:j:j:j :j Am I going to get to re-inact the Long Winter*???? Am I??? Am I??? Pretty Please???:j:j:j

Kate


* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Winter_(novel)