yaxleylad

Thank you lads for the tips:icon14: Your right Andy it IS very close to truss Farm, although I suspect its not his tree (and he is no way a farmer!). I will ask a few questions around though. Assuming I can find out, would you sudgest just a quick polite word to point out whats happening? Can U clarify what is LPA (not sure of the meaning) I only found out by chance it was protected when I went to needham market for to look at the abatoir plan's cheers Jonathan

There is a large tree (oak) a few yard's from me on the Yaxley/Mellis road. It is maybe 50 to 60 feet high and is listed or protected (the only one in the village apart from a bit of hedging somewhere else) It has a substantial dead branch broken off and hanging directly above the road about 35 feet off the floor? I have several times contacted mid suffolk council (as I understand it they are responsible for its upkeep?) but nothing as been done. I tried to contact the tree oficer, but he didnt reply, left message's etc. Its just I wouldnt like to tink of the branch dropping on a car or bus or something. Should I kep pestering the council or just forget it. Mid suffolk are notriously slow on most things (LEA, planning etc tree care seems the same). Any advice on this? cheers Jonathan

This is what I was considering. Maybe most people dont care if there log's are dry/wet/mangy/mouldy etc just have "cheapest is best" mindset. The same folk probably buy 6 pairs of shite fashion fairy slipper shoes a year instead of pay out for one really superb pair. But good logs mean better flue operation, less smoke and tar, more heat, greater efficiency, lighter to carry indoors even, use one good log instead of struggle with 3 crappie one's? I used the same firewood dealer for 18 months and bought maybe 7 or 8 load's, then the next one was sodden, I thought I shouldnt use wet logs but had nowt else so used them anyway, big mistake, this was what motivated me to get my own logs and know every one of them was dry, no rubish. Any way the flue tarred up in just 6 week's, until there was no draw to speak of. Its been swept (again) A cottage a few yards away burnt down before christmas because he flue caught alight to the thatch.

cord is a pre metric (ie english) imperial measure Its just a word to describe a standard specific volume 4x4x8 feet (128 cu ft) that every one can understand and relate to and hopefully abide by(I find it extremely confusing when one dealer says "one of them trailer ful's lad" another says "however many log's you can get in my pick up, or tractor bukcet..... " another says "whatevr fits in this bowler hatt" If every one uses the same measure (a cord, or if your european, a cubic meter) we all on the same wave length. When theres so many versions of "weights and measures" its hard to compare price/amount. even in tesco's they show the price per 100 grams even if the item weighs 345g so you can compare on a level playing field, I dont know if thats a legal requirement?

"dry" yarkshire wit, luvv itt:wave:

I have been surprised and disapointed at the quality of some fire wood, ie too wet. I was talking to an old boy at a car boot the other day he said a neighbour bought 2 load's off some bloke but demanded they come and take it away again as it was fresh cut and was tarry and wouldnt burn clean. Even my regular supplier as let me down unfroitunately. Is there a viable future for a fire wood dealer who can absolutely 100% guarantee there wood to be dry hard wood's, will people pay extra for best quality dry wood, even if its not huge quantity's?

To be honest Steve I was pleasantly surprised to find a place that still sold proper cords of logs, they have them all marked out with proper posts and tanilise'd rails on the floor. In fact they were a bit on the generous side, more like 5x4x8You can visualise volume, who can visualise "a ton" of whatever speceis? Maybe with the big wagons if theres 3 bays and say 24 tons total a bay is 8 tons, half a bay 4 tons etc? So they lift off the rough amount?

How is it that firewood logs are sold (wholesale at least) by the ton? I aleways thought traditionally any timber should be sold by volume not weight. Your ton of fresh cut logs will be a lot less when its dry. U could stick a load of wet beech in and a ton wont be much at all. But a ton of birch that was cut and stood for a year as logs will give you a bigger amount. Why did this change happen and is it a good or bad thing, I find its confusing same as with every dealer seems to have different criteria for there amounts/loads calculation (whatever fits in my trailer, builders bag, jc b bucket etc etc)

Where are you at ? Do you live near the Eye airfield

Thanks for the replies! I put bricks down cross wise of the wall, about 6 inches apart, then odd and end bits of ply offcuts and split hazel poles as a foundation so the logs arent resting on the ground. I have my eye on an old cutrain side off of a lorry which would cut up nice to make small customised tarp's with some rope and bricks to hold down to make a water proof cover. I have completely filled my normal shed, the rest is in various spots around the garden. The logs are split down to about somewhere between wrist and fist sized (3x3 ish cross section some bigger some smaller) 2 cords is about the same as 8 dealer load's I was getting before so £80 worth would of cost me £440, just a few afternoon's effort to convert them down

Can I ask a few question's about firewood drying please? I saw the post about the log's at a shop for sale with 45% MC. The last load I bought off my regular dealer (South norfolk/north suffolk) was very WET probably about the same MC . When the professional firewood dealers dry wood what is the best way? I have often wondered if a huge mountain of cut and split logs in a yard or even under cover is all that good for losing water-doesnt the logs in the middle have a hard time drying and dont they go mouldy or spalty. I noticed in frnace they had oak in 3 or 4 foot lengths sometimes split 2 or 4 way and then stacked up criss cross and left out for up to 4 years. Also does wood dry out quicker if its in halves or quarter's rather than full round with the bark on? Any way the up shot of this was I decided to do my own wood and got 2 proper cords of oak/ash/birch/cherry locally for £80 and have almost done splitting it all up (totally by hand, I used wedges to split length wise down to 1/2's 1/4's or 1/8's, then crooss cut them on a buck frame, I have a very old disston saw which I maintain myself that cuts better than a snadvik bahco one ) Some of the logs are felled almost a year ago and are already quite dry. Ive just stacked them in walls about 8 footx4 footx12 inches wide with a 4 inch air gap between them. Will this allow enough air flow? I want to be sure my wood is bone dry for next season.