Squaredy

A full artic load of a timber lorry will yield about 42 to 45 cubic metres of split logs loose stacked. So that is from a timber lorry which can carry around 26 tons. A flatbed artic will take about 29 tons (as there is no crane) so half a load of a flatbed is a little more.

Turning blanks surely the way to go. Unremarkable as boards - just knotty softwood, but I think turners may like it due to the symmetrical knots.

Your accountant is the person to ask. But the answer is if it is wholly for business use then that should be fine. If challenged you might have to show how it is used in your business.

Here is a bit of lateral thinking.....how about horizontal waney (or square) edge cladding (Larch or DF) but with short wedges (say 200mm long and 25mm thick tapering down to say 6mm) cleverly positioned where they overlap so that each board is sticking out at the bottom and the boards do not touch. Not sure I have worded that well but what I am picturing will look solid from the side but will be full of air gaps if you look up at it from the outside. Like a waney edge louvre effect. Might need a little bit of inventiveness to get it right but it would give great ventilation and keep all the rain off even when windy.

I meant the risk if the tree is removed. Of course if the tree remains the risk is subsidence, but the OP was asking how to avoid heave if the tree is felled.

Yeah maybe a catch 22. Leave it there and perhaps get subsidence. Remove it and possibly get heave....

I think you are right to be concerned. The tree clearly has been there a long time. The house may well have foundations not very deep. You might get away with felling it without a thought, but it is not worth the risk. Get a professional structural surveyor involved and possibly an arboriculturalist. I would speak to the insurance company first - they may well recommend a course of action. After all, you are trying to ensure they don't end up with a multiple thousand pound claim, so they should be very helpful. My house is also built on clay and is the same vintage as yours and last year we had subsidence caused (in part) by a small apple tree. Your risk as you say is heave not subsidence, but equally destructive.

A bit more detail about the house might help. If it is modern with the correct footings it may well be a non issue.

Would you send a total stranger thousands of pounds on a promise, with no guarantee he even possesses a Lucas Mill? Sounds like you have realised the risk but many many people do not.

I am told this stem is now spoken for. I hope some beautiful items are made from it.

I was today offered what sounds like a really good Walnut stem. I would have jumped at the chance but it is way too far from me even for a nice Walnut. Single stem 15 ft long and 3ft diameter with very little taper. The tree surgeon who offered it to me seemed really nice and said access is good. If you are interested PM me and I will pass you his phone number tomorrow when I am back in work. I have not seen the log so bear in mind I am only going on what the tree surgeon told me.

You need to find out the species, but whatever the species it will make good firewood when processed and dried. You could post a few pics on this thread you will soon get views on species.

Without really knowing isn’t this a job for a firm who specialise in underwater work? There must be divers who specialise in all sorts of underwater challenges. Surely a competent diver trained to use the air saw is the simplest way? And if need be airbags can help bring the piling to the surface so in some ways much safer than normal tree felling. I have a feeling the value of the beams will be far outweighed by the cost of the job. Just as it is with trees above ground usually.

I also have always understood it warps and splits lots. Only seen it milled once - not pretty.

Thank you Nepia that is very helpful.

I have been offered a good few tons of Apple logs 8 feet long and roughly 6 inches diameter. Anybody in need of a load before I mill them all up?

Yes Openspaceman, you are correct, VAT started when we joined the EU. The EU require all member states to levy VAT of at least 15% on most items.

You are so right Rob our tax system is ludicrous. Nonsensical. Utterly unintelligible and so complicated even the experts often don't agree. Here is my suggestion. Scrap income tax and NI completely. make up the shortfall by increasing VAT, but not evenly. High value, luxury goods taxed higher with various different rates. Maybe basic items 5% going up to expensive unnecessary luxuries 100% or even more. I know you may not like that Rob (I also have to do regular VAT returns so I know the pain) but on the other hand think of the time it will save with PAYE and NI! And imagine how much incentive there will be to do well for each individual to know they keep every penny they earn and they only pay tax when they buy stuff. The only high tax payers would be high spenders - high tax payers by choice. Another suggestion along very similar lines - scrap business rates. Instead add a few percent to corporation tax to make up the loss. Business rates are possibly the most ludicrous, unfair complicated and nonsensical tax of them all. I am currently challenging the business rates assessment on one smallish building I occupy, and frankly it is a joke. I was told by one solicitor who specialises in these matters that 40,000 appeals are being submitted each month currently - due to so many assessments being wrong. As you say, of course we need to pay tax, but how did it ever come to this???????

I very much want to believe what you are quoting, I am a bit wary though as the Wood Heat Association are not exactly independent! Perhaps the discrepancy can be explained by the fact the research quoted by the Wood Heat Association is based on data collected in 2009 to 2011. Maybe this is before much of the current boom period in woodburner use.

Mmmm well the governement are using a figure of 38% and say the research shows domestic heating is the biggest pollutor of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-air-strategy-2019/clean-air-strategy-2019-executive-summary#chapter-6-action-to-reduce-emissions-at-home If you follow the link, it is in the first paragraph in Chapter 6. What is the truth? Where do all these figures come from? Maybe this needs to be looked into by fullfact.org? Are the government totally barking up the wrong tree (won't be the first time) or is woodburning really a major problem?

I will get some pics. I never purposely quarter-saw Ash, but when milling logs of course you always end up with a few quarter-sawn boards. They are the most boring ash boards - not like Oak or Alder where you get lovely medullary rays. I suppose the boards would be more stable, but very uninteresting.

Ash boring?????? Well I know what you mean but a lot depends on the log and it has very clear grain so the first few boards and the last few from a log can be stunners. The middle ones may be a little plain. I will see if I can take some photos of some gorgeous boards I have....might convert you!

Well it really depends what you are hoping to do with the timber. A log as small as 6 or 8 inches can be usefully milled, but it won't help you much if you are after 9 inch wide boards!

You can retire whenever you wish, but state pension kicks in around 67 to 70 (depending on DOB). And you can indeed start taking your state pension and still work. Or indeed start taking a private pension and still work. If you delay your state pension it will be increased - not just by the amount all state pensions are increased yearly but enhanced above that by a fairly generous amount for each year you delay. Ideal for someone who is fit and well and really does not want to stop work just because they have reached the age they can take their state pension.

Sorry Stephen I wasn't blaming you, I just pointed out that if you have a fund of £180,000 you will get a lot more than the £1400 per year you stated. If your fund is £180,000 and the fund manager only offers £1400 per year take the fund elsewhere - you have the right to take that fund to any annuity provider you like, and at age 65 you will get at least £6500 per year, increasing every year. Your pension provider of course may not have drawn to your attention the fact that you can shop around when you come to retire, but you certainly can. In fact as another member said you now have a few other options if you do not fancy the annuity route.