Burning Alder?

[bggc]

Hi all,

 

i'v recently picked up a job to dissmantle some Alder, i'm aware of it's water tolerant properties, ie, it grows well on river banks etc, the wood is used for Pier legs etc, but does anyone have any experience of drying it out and burning it as i'v found a Firewood Table that grades it as one of the worst woods to burn.

[Chris Gagen]

Hi all,

 

i'v recently picked up a job to dissmantle some Alder, i'm aware of it's water tolerant properties, ie, it grows well on river banks etc, the wood is used for Pier legs etc, but does anyone have any experience of drying it out and burning it as i'v found a Firewood Table that grades it as one of the worst woods to burn.

 

see how that firewood table burns... alder is not the densest wood by a long way, but it actually makes a fantastic firewood. as usual, get it dry and keep it dry.

[Andrew Reed]

see how that firewood table burns... alder is not the densest wood by a long way, but it actually makes a fantastic firewood. as usual, get it dry and keep it dry.

 

I found just the same, with some I burnt over last winter.

[difflock]

Erm

Actually

Alder was, if I recall correctly, reckoned to be the best wood to make charcoal from..........to make gunpowder with.

So it should burn good:lol:

Though perhaps the added saltpeter & sulphur had sommat to do wi it

[Brett]

drys an unusual orange colour and is very light when dry but burns as well as anything in my stove.

[bggc]

cheers for the replies folks, i think i'll be keeping most of it now!

[Mortimer Firewood]

I did an E A job last year and had 50t of alder out of it sold most of it last season and had no complaints . I would say its very under rated as a fuel wood.

[Stereo]

I think they used to avoid it as it 'bleeds' when cut and they used to think an evil spirit lived in the tree and it was bad luck to cut it. All I can say is that those evil spirits burn pretty well. The key with alder is to keep it dry. You can dry it quickly but a weekend out in the rain and it will soak up the seven seas of ryhe and rot to pieces in seconds.

 

A great firewood but needs to be split and stacked in the dry and not let out again before burning.

[Stereo]

By the way, I coppice it and am nearly ready to harvest a load which we felled a few years ago. If you have boggy land it makes amazing coppice. Grows like a weed. I reckon 2m a year at least once established.

[Mortimer Firewood]

i think they used to avoid it as it 'bleeds' when cut and they used to think an evil spirit lived in the tree and it was bad luck to cut it. All i can say is that those evil spirits burn pretty well. The key with alder is to keep it dry. You can dry it quickly but a weekend out in the rain and it will soak up the seven seas of ryhe and rot to pieces in seconds.

 

A great firewood but needs to be split and stacked in the dry and not let out again before burning.

 

i think you mean elder if you burn elder you invite the devil inthe house .