Wood wanted radstock somerset

[Bethany]

Hi I am looking for ideally ash or other hardwood. Happy to buy for delivery/collect straight off a job site. Located radsrock area in somerset. Not interested in split and seasoned at £100 a bag.

Thanks

[Doug Tait]

If you haven't done it already put your details here.

 

https://arbtalk.co.uk/recycling

[Bethany]

Done already thanks Doug but I haven't had any replies so I am hoping this post will get a better response.

[trigger_andy]

Good luck 🤣

[neiln]

You're obviously keen Bethany,  keep at it and you'll make some contacts.  I suggest you contact lots of local tree surgeons, better if you see someone working nearby then speak to them.  Speak to neighbours and let them know you are after wood if they are having trees down. Look on Gumtree,search facebook for adsor tip site directories, the one here isn't the only one. Once you've made a contact, if you're convenient for them you'll get lots of wood offered. 

 

Make yourself convenient.  Tell people what access is like, and what you'll take...can you process 6 foot diameter rings, or 8 foot lengths for example or do you want/need smaller pieces?  Take softwood.  honestly, it burns, much of it burns great, some of it is far better firewood than some hardwoods.   I read ads asking for Ash or other hardwood and think, rightly or wrongly, another newbie wood stove owner, doesn't really know what wood they need, nor how to process it, nor what is easy for the tree surgeon to provide.  Put in the add that you have a saw, a splitter and room to stak and dry lots of wood.  What trees are common near you? no....which trees are common near you in residential gardens or other places that tree surgeons are taking them down from?  Take that....even if its willow (god help you if its willow!)  Say which woods you're happy to take. 

Hope you find some of those suggestions useful, and best of luck.

[Bethany]

Thanks for the brilliant reply neiln.  I have softwood, and willow, not sure what's wrong with willow? I am just any tryingto get wood for the winter coming, hence ash which is pretty ready to burn as I understand. Whereas I believe aoftwood is better after a few years seasoning?

[difflock]

Bethany,

There is nothing wrong with Willow, IF it is dry, BUT it has shocking high moisture content when freshly felled,  and then  when dry it will be lower density and therefore require more frequent replacement in the stove. I have burned Willow with no problems. Even Ash needs splitting and drying, but it has a lower natural moisture when felled, and can therefore be burned straight after felling, in an open fire(hence its "best firewood" reputation) where it will hiss and spit as the moisture gets boiled off. Any wood has about 4kWHr of calorific value, based on bone dry weight, but the density obviously varies with species. Softwood actually has slightly higher calorific values due to the resin, but less dense(as per Willow) so gets a bad reputation. Softwood/Conifer is actually easier to light and the finer splintery pieces(IF DRY!) make good kindling. Some woods(Sweet Chestnutt for one) "spark" more than others, but if burned in a stove this is no odds.  All wood dries vastly faster if split and exposed to the wind. Stacking in a tidy hand built fashion will really aid exposure to the drying wind. It is ALL very physical and time consuming and needs space to store both the unprocessed timber and cut/split firewood. It is also very messy/untidy!

Good luck.

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by difflock

[Bethany]

Thank you for the comprehensive reply difflock, that is really useful. Most of what I have at the moment is willow and conifer but luckily I quite enjoy splitting wood

[Big J]

8 hours ago, Bethany said:

Thanks for the brilliant reply neiln.  I have softwood, and willow, not sure what's wrong with willow? I am just any tryingto get wood for the winter coming, hence ash which is pretty ready to burn as I understand. Whereas I believe aoftwood is better after a few years seasoning?

 

Almost any firewood cut and split now (to normal 10" log sizes) will be perfectly dry by September if stacked in a windy place outside. No need to even cover it. A Somerset summer is fairly hot and dry, and some species would take only 6-8 weeks to dry (poplar, larch, spruce etc).

 

Try local tree surgeons. Otherwise forestry companies like myself can supply lorry loads, but you need the storage space and access.

[neiln]

There are many willow and some aren't so bad, I've been put off by some that was very tough to split, the axe bounced off like it was hitting a block of rubber