Help identifying wood

[LeeMills]

Hi all,

I'm new to firewood and purchased a builder's bag from a farmer nearby. It was a mixture of hardwood and I can't tell from what firewood it is.

 

I've submitted some pictures of the wood I have and wondered if you could identify them for me and what I should be looking for?

Thanks for reading,

Lee.

[doobin]

Ash and oak. Possibly beech in last pic. Doesn't look too bad, but hard to tell from photo. If in doubt, purchase your own moisture meter to test them upon delivery.

[trigger_andy]

I agreed. Oak, Ash and maybe Beech. Great mix there. 

[Craigb]

The pale stuff is ash and the bit with the bark on that looks brown in the photos is oak. 

[LeeMills]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the responses - good to know I'm in the right ball-park identifying the trees.

 

I've added a few more pictures of some other logs and where I store them.

 

I've come across a few Forest Longhorn Beetle (so I think) in the wood I have stored on the concrete base away from the house. I'm relatively new to this and still researching, but I've tried to store the wood somewhat away from the house and especially walls, and have raised the wood off the ground by putting pallets. However, my next concern was - will those beetles head to the nearest trees and eat them instead?

 

The concrete base where I store the wood is set back slightly into bushes (a coal bunker was there until recently and it's been knocked down and the concrete base expanded and thought this was a good place to store the wood) but I'm concerned it's too close to living trees.

 

There is a lot to think about regarding wood, but I'm determined to make this work and any advice on what you think about where the wood is stored would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Lee.

Attachments-pics.zip

[LeeMills]

[scbk]

It will be quite a dry spot anyway, but the next job should be build a log shed 

 

 

2 threads to read through, put the kettle on love 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steven P]

For the type of wood I wouldn't get too hung up over the species unless you are being sold say, Oak and receiving say, Poplar. It will all work OK and if the price is good for you then all is good - you will know at the end of winter if the gas and electric bill has dropped more than the cost of the wood if the deal was good (else why bother, go convenience).

 

If you are buying the wood as dried, ready to go then for the beetles, their lifecycle is such that over the winter they are in the wood, emerging in the spring or summer.... so if all the wood is burnt before the weather heats up you should be mostly OK. if it is fresh wood, recently felled, again their lifecycle I think is such that they spend a couple of years in dead wood before emerging - and the same applies - it should all be burnt by the time they would want to come out. Problem might be if the wood has stood in the suppliers for longer, say in the corner of a field for a hew years before being cut and split then they beetles might be ready to go. However the photos show fairly fresh wood, -shouldn't- be an issue - but I am not an expert. 

 

Species - I'd also go for oak (the bark picture in the first set), and ash or beech for the smoother bark

 

 

[LeeMills]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the responses.

 

I've been going through the wood earlier today and found a considerable number of what look like Wharf Borer Beetle - I did think they were Forest Longhorn Beetle, but they look like Borer beetles. I think I've found about 10 since last week.

 

I've also come across two beetles but are black all over - they look just like the Wharf Borer Beetle.

 

I'm concerned if the logs are next to shrubs and trees - will it infect them also?

 

I'm looking online to find something on this, but coming a back a bit thin on answers.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Lee.

[LeeMills]

20 hours ago, Steven P said:

For the type of wood I wouldn't get too hung up over the species unless you are being sold say, Oak and receiving say, Poplar. It will all work OK and if the price is good for you then all is good - you will know at the end of winter if the gas and electric bill has dropped more than the cost of the wood if the deal was good (else why bother, go convenience).

 

If you are buying the wood as dried, ready to go then for the beetles, their lifecycle is such that over the winter they are in the wood, emerging in the spring or summer.... so if all the wood is burnt before the weather heats up you should be mostly OK. if it is fresh wood, recently felled, again their lifecycle I think is such that they spend a couple of years in dead wood before emerging - and the same applies - it should all be burnt by the time they would want to come out. Problem might be if the wood has stood in the suppliers for longer, say in the corner of a field for a hew years before being cut and split then they beetles might be ready to go. However the photos show fairly fresh wood, -shouldn't- be an issue - but I am not an expert. 

 

Species - I'd also go for oak (the bark picture in the first set), and ash or beech for the smoother bark

 

 

Hi there Steven,

I got the wood in March this year - they were huge pieces of wood, which I subsequently split and stacked over the last few months.

He did say it was seasoned, but when I split the logs, the moisture content was betwwen 30-50% for most of it. He's a farmer and no certs on how dry they were.

They wood was stored in a farmer's outside storage you usually see in the UK - they were probably there for maybe 6-12 months? So I fear they may be ready to do and I'm seeing that already. I'm new to this - would I see thousands of these and would they spread throughout the garden and into shrubs, trees, maybe the house? it's got me all concerned now!

Just to add - since splitting them, their moisture content is down below 20%, although there is a number still up to 30%. I reckon most of this will be burnt by end of Winter.

I do have some places in the garden to store wood, but my concen is nearby trees - we have on the top of a hill and the trees for a protective barrier against wind and can't afford to lose them!

Anyway, thanks for your input and would be interesting in knowing what you think to my comments above.

Lee.