StephF

We live in a NP, wanted to build a pole barn, council told me NP have to give you planning permission. They have forms on internet and help, but I've not got round to it so dont know how easy it would be! let us know...

Agree with all above, also make sure it is big enough, I deliver and stack into some stupid stores, mostly too small, roof too sloping so you cant get the wood into the 'roof space', some are too low so you get a right bad back bending etc! some in damp shady spots where no sun or wind gets through the wood, so choose a good open site in sun and wind with floor off the ground. If space allowed I would have a store big enough for at least 4-6 m

Agree 100%, we burn softwood on our Esse cooker, it is brillliant stuff. Sell 2/3 softwood, and its easier to get hold of etc.

I sell 2/3 softwood, people actually ask for it! even though I usually have H/w as well. I think they like to think they are buying a sustainable product, sourced locally(I live in Kielder forest)? its certainly cheaper. I dont mind as it is so easy to process and move around, can throw a 3m length piece of softwood on a processor, but need a crane to lift hardwood that size!

No, just a cold stone northumbrian farm house! takes masses of logs to keep warm, barrow full a day on the Arrow, large basket for cooker and sometimes we have a 3rd stove alight.

Its the largest 'Arrow', we could buy, has been a great stove, does the hot water too, but does not put out as much heat into the very large living room as I would like as it is all going into the heating!(12 double radiators on system, which plumber told me is = to 24 singles).

Burning dry sitka from kielder where I live, cooker around 300 deg, Wood burner with back boiler doing 23 rads, and If I bank up with some oak and Beech any minute now, will still be in tomorrow when my other half is up at around 6am,

Thats good, around here I'm struggling to get £70 for H/W logs this winter as so many have jumped on the bandwagon after last years Big Freeze, and selling it much cheaper. I cant do that as my timber was bought in and road side prices + Haulage means less than £70m is least I'll sell for. S/W going out at £50m, all is under cover and is 20%(SW)-25-28% H/W.

Grants are still available to help the bio mass industry, that is how these new biomass plants have got built and the Chip boilers for schools and hospitals etc. I think it is organised regionally. Around here (NE) you get 40% grants towards anything to help business from a proccesor, training, harvesting/forwarding machines, buildings, a Chip plant, briquet plants, tipping trailer etc. A business plan is needed plus funds for remaining 60% must be in your bank or loan available, plus proof of earnings for next 5 years, past 3 years accounts, proof of contracts etc, H & S policy, Equal Opportunities policy, no sale of items purchased with grant possible for 5 years or grant will money has to be given back etc, they make you jump through hoops!! We got 40% towards a forwading trailer earlier this year, and have had help towards training costs. Northwoods are the people to ask in the N.E, they are very helpful, and may know who to ask in your area.

The grants available tempt 'newbies' to get a processor etc, then they find they cant source volumes of timber/get enough customers, just dont realise how much hard work involved. Why dont the people giving grants realise they are flooding the market, they want (government bodies promoting firewood/bio mass eg: Northwoods) firewood sold seasoned at realistic prices that reflect the amount of work and machinery used/ provide employment, then when everyone jumps on the bandwagon it is impossible to sell at prices that enable you to run your business!!! I dont think the grants are given to the right areas of industry, with enough thought given to other business in an area.

This month steady, but sales up for year as a whole, just over 500m3 so far. Husband has been able to process dry cordwood stacks we covered, so barns full, last year the snow made this impossible.

Sounds bad, my local paper full of the usual 'cheap logs for christmas' ads this week, depressing as they could not run a business selling at those prices year round. If you get some hard weather, hopefully they will run out and you will sell your barn full, better late than never!

We have always stacked if there is a log store, I find most days it is only 1 -2 loads, sometimes none, and it does not seem to make any difference how many loads I get out,6 a day, (9m3, all by hand, no tippers in our yard!). We have never charged as it really is so boring just driving and dumping logs off, that it makes a change to get out and do something. Often the views are amazing, and its good exercise. In the winter we can pile weight on just driving about all day unloading logs. It could also be the pies and chocolate eaten on the move and the bacon butties we buy in town to keep energy levels up

No, its a free service, done because I hate leaving good dry logs in rain or snow , he was a fit bloke and I think he was being a lazy git. I had already come off the road earlier in a blizzard, had to send my 'worker' home early to avoid the predicted ice that evening., and was trying to get home myself before more ice and snow. The evening before we stacked our last load in pitch black in a gale / sleet !

Same here, win some loose some, Tried dressing the truck today with tinsel and wearing santa hats, got £20 christmas tips, then 1 woman phoned in tears as her logs got snowed on before she got home, another man gave me a mouthfull when said I could not stack as normal I explained we were trying to get finished before dark as we had an hours drive and it was snowing heavily at home with ice predicted I got no sympathy. Now I feel like giving up the whole thing!

I found everything impossible, had to get Mum to look after me, dont know how you could cope loosing 2 hands for a few weeks, 1 was bad enough! But it was worth the pain etc, I have no pain now, & no loss of strength in hand or any side effects, if op delayed too long you can get bad nerve damage and serious hand problems in future. Dont know how a climber would cope, I only do ground work and logging.

I have several stove shops that recommend me, and I cant believe after 3years there is no let up in the number of new customers who have had a stove fitted. Also delivered my 3rd load this week to people who have had a green load of conifer dropped off claiming to be seasoned for a new stove, make sure new stove owners have sourced some good dry logs, or know where they can get some, round here a lot of people end up using the kiln dried stuff or compressed sawdust logs as they have given up trying to source dry wood, it is just not available in the quantities needed.

Had my right hand done after a year of agony, about 3 weeks out of action then back to firewood deliveries much to doctors horror, it is 100% now but took a while. Think it was caused by doing too much chemical 'spot spraying' over years using a dosing gun nozzle. Did not enjoy the surgery under a local! By the way I am wearing my bandage in the picture of me on the left, only thing I could do was walking!

Free 2 pints! Im lucky if I get a coffee, and we stack, last 2 pubs have not even offered a drink. I would only sell hardwood on an open fire(less spitting) and try to sell S/W for a burner, S/W burns too fast if they have drinkersthat mess with fire and keep it 'open' and let it burn, then they ask for wet logs or hardwood! All publicans seem to moan about how much wood they get through, and will always buy from a customer who offers them a cheap load, even when you've struggled through 2 hard winters in snow and ice to keep them supplied with lovely dry stuff!!!

Times are really hard for 'pubs', loads are closing and half empty most nights. They are often the best customers if they have a good woodburner, hope you dont loose the business and can persaude him to cut down on lighting the fire..

Made me mad yesterday when the guy on phone says he can get great dry seasoned H/W for £60 1.2 metres! told him to buy it as I am not running a charity, would be loosing money if I delivered H/W for that price! Bet its going in some geezers back pocket and is not legit business etc, refuse to get angry, If H/W £40 tonnes at roadside for green timber, how can you sell it for less than the going price after all the work that goes into it?? Back to thread - sales steady, most days max number of deliveries I can do going out, plenty of dry stuff in log barns!

I have noticed more people being careful with costs this year than ever, I think the credit crunch is really hitting some people. I tell them to buy cheaper if you can find them, there is always someone around christmas with a few cheap (hopefully seasoned) logs around here.

Christmas rush is upon us, new customers and lots have a new stove. As long as weather holds out we should be able to keep the log deliverys going and keep everyone happy. Got hold of an extra 50 tonnes timber this week just in case...

I'm not sure what species he was talking about, I shall have to ask..