Steven P

I guess you have spoken to the home owner, and they are happy with a repair, which kind of negates the insurance thing? From the above, the area needs to be cleaned - so check inside the shed to make sure you arn't going to be washing their prized possessions too. if it was me I would fit a bung in the hole (if only you could find a local hole sized piece of wood to cut to length....) and then seal it with whatever I found that looked good - I have a screw hole in the garage roof sealed with I think a screw, washer and tin of bituminous mastik I had inside the garage. what is the diameter of the hole by the way? Probably too big for that idea but a coach bolt and the largest washers you can find to plug the hole and then seal

The outlaw sorts that and then teaches The Boys new words..... (He was a farmer, visited once, thought he's have a go and gave up) Often for that if you look you can see where the most side branches come out - the knots - select the line of attack from that. Have a go at both ends then lay it on its side and work along it - usually sorts it OK, failing that, bung a stick in where it starts splitting as a wedge to hold the split open, axe hits the split every time then. If I think I will need to go at it sideways I'll take off about 1" to 2" width from the bark so it lays better -and this kind of reduces the pressure ion the log, sometimes that is all it needs... but all depends on the log However the last couple of years I have had some luxury of not needing to collect anything too bad - some I do for the challenge and work out

Rule of thumb I work by is to split everything I can as soon as I can - no good leaving it whole, split it in a years time and then having to wait another 2 years for it to dry. I only do enough for my house generally (and the neighbour, the local Scout group and a couple of friends too) - not a lot, not worth the cost of mechanisation so hand split it all - very few logs escape. What I can't split when fresh goes to the back of the pile for another go in a few weeks, but most split when fresh. As for how long, they dry quicker if split, and it depends on the drying area. I have 1 south facing wall - it is great - along the drive so the wind blows down it too. The garage wall gets evening sun, not quite so quick but the north facing drive wall is not so good at all. I reckon most hard woods are good to go after a winter and summer, some need the second winter (but then I leave them outside till September by then anyway)

To the topic, I would look at a small stove downstairs if you can rather than trying to fit a back boiler to your existing system - might be cheapest option if possible even with chimneys and so on. Next thought would be warm air ducting from the stove - as above if you can manage it. Look to air source heat pump air systems for fancy control systems you might be able to put together.

My view... your dog, your dogs waste, your responsibility. OK if you get permission to leave it wherever but plain rude not to. Walking over a front garden - fine if they ask, but again, plain rude. Most dog owners are responsible - dogs under voice control to return and not chase every passing family, cyclist, runner or walker, they will pick up after them and dispose the waste where they should (and not in any passing bush or tree) realising that no one else will pick up after them, and so on. The few give the rest a bad name

I'm trying to work out the problem here. Is it the power lines themselves, as mentioned above they are less disruptive then burying cables, cheaper, quicker and lets us get power from where it is produced to where it is needed. Is it the substations? Relativly small unless you live next to them but necessary - without them the power lines would need to be a lot bigger and multiple lines all parallel. Is it that one part of the UK can generate green electricty and another can't so they want to hold onto it all, bering in mind the envirmonental issues if the rest of the UK was to then rely on gas, coal or nuclear - this will have a far greater impact Sorry to say but if we want to stop ou reliance on Russian oil then we need to upgrade the UK electricity infrastructure to generate electricity where we can and deliver it to where we need it, and for that we need pylons, subsea cabes, substations, windmills, solar farms and hydro plants. Or we can turn off the Russian oil, put us all on 60A fuses in the house (we usually have 100A) - no shower and making toast in the morning, and defenitely no fast charging electric cars (which we will all be getting by the way), oh and when yuor boiler packs up - it will be electric one then to give you a 3 way choice - tast and cup of tea, shower or heating in the morning!

For any business, how would you find yourself? Where would you look. For example, if I want a pint I would look to the town centre, if I want some roses for the garden, the local garden centre and so on. So where are you going to be found? I guess this goes to your target customer, the latest social media isn't going to get to a retired couple, facebook might not reach the local council. Branding is useful (any business), if you have a vehicle with your details on as it passes I only have 10 seconds to remember your details - so it needs to be clear - your name, and contacts for example, a website I would say is a must though doesn't have to be fancy - contact details and some nice photos - all your other advertising can link back to that, phone number and a contact form (some people prefer to fill in a form rather than talk on the phone). Try a google search "Tree surgeon" and your local area, your page needs to be somewhere visible. As above, word of mouth will get quality contacts from past customers. Are there any particular leafy areas near you - that could be worth targeted advertising - leaflets, or just park the van up somewhere visible at school run time on a quiet day. Newspapers.... not sure if I have read a newspaper this decade or not Oh, contact details.... have a real word physical detail, a land line, an address or your area and not "passing caravaner, mobile phone number: "

Just reading this thread - when lockdown started I had some cash but couldn't deposit it at the bank (dirty money - in the sense of bacteria), so local wasp killer came and I offered him cash - purely since I had it, not for a discount - and he just said "Sorry, I don't do that", simple, till I realised what he was meaning, I explained and he was OK with cash - the full amount. Likewise in a previous life, I was offered a bung, simply said "You'd better talk to 'Dave' about that, he is running the job" - sometimes the simple answer is best. "Sorry, no can do, and the price is still this". As for cash being cheaper - I am not sure depositing cash is cheaper - it doesn't save a round trip to the bank Monday to Thursday between 10 and 3, if they decide to open rather than working but sometimes not having to make that trip to get some cash could be good thing (for example my boys like a £10 note pocket money, 1 cash job a year would save me all their pocket money cash machine trips) - I'm not sure it is a cheaper option

I'd measure that is is long enough before you start - be terrible to get half way through, leaving a tree part cut, 12' in the air. Some tree surgeons would see that as an easy pay day and up the price since it needs to be done. The photos to me look like the tree is more than 7' from the flat roof -edge- and you want to be a couple of feet onto the roof to reduce the accident risk of falling off and to do the job without leaning. Appreciating that everything costs money, but if you can hold off till winter you can get a couple of bare root trees - which arn't a lot compared to something more mature in a pot from a gardening store, might be in your budget to take them out and grow 2 new trees - though you'd need to wait a few years to get them as you want but the end result will be more pleasing on the eye.

If you are going to pay someone to do the work it might be cheaper to fell them and buy 2 new trees to replace them than have someone climb up there and reduce their height..

Reading this I am surprised that a dealer would have stock from a year ago still on the shelf - whether the dealer had it in their store or the wholesaler had it in theirs - sounds like tying money up for nothing keeping that much stock? For the OP, all my other machines use the same fuel (OK petrol in my case), mowers, saw, hedge trimmers, and so on, so it all gets used up reasonably quickly (the mowers work OK with 2 stroke mix, and all the others need it, I just use the same) - might be something to consider Yes, be interesting to see the differences between fuels and cans see what makes a difference

I'm a bit far for him but a load of cherry blossom and I'd take the brash as well - worth sending a note around them and say it's all or nothing if you want it - bet he'd get someone soon enough

Look in the tip sites - link above

90k - if you compare yourself to pretty much all 27 year olds then you are well ahead of them, average being just a little under 25k, and the upper 10% starting at about half what you think is an OK salary for a business owner. So at that, and even at 50k you are well ahead of pretty much all your mates. Again, a 50k desk job will be double their average salaries too. Internet reckons an average business owner - the founder running it day to day which sounds like you are on mid £40ks - - which will have all the stresses you do with staffing, booking jobs, potentially the overheads of an office to keep up and so on. Which brings me to a small question then - to take 90k out of the business, what does the turn over have to be? That might be the answer you want. If you work hard, get a good turn over, then you might expect better rewards, the internet reckons 2% of turn over is decent, ranges from 1% to 10% which would suggest your business turn over from 900K upwards - assuming the upper 10% because the overheads might be less - need tools and vehicles but no expensive city centre offices. Final thought on all of this is how much you are returning into the business - tools, training, advertising, cash for a rainy day,. and so on. Last final thing, I wanted to pick you up on the freelance climbers wages, a day rate, less 4 weeks holiday, plus bank holidays, sick days, money into a pension, insurances, machines, 'company' vehicle and so on - their take home won't be near 57k less tax. That is if they can get work every other day of the year - not sure they will. Same with all contractors, the rate sounds great till you deduct everything and take account that they don't work 200 days in the year

Will the saw clean OK in the washing machine too?

So the way I see it working is that the local tree companies are pretty well set up with what they do with their waste - whether it is their own yard, locals, or wherever. You are unlikely to get masses of offers from them unless they are quite local to you, and your house is nearer than their base. Companies from outside the area are more likely to be looking for somewhere to tip rather than drive a load of logs lots of miles back to their base - and of course that is less work, and you'd get a call if you are between theirs and the job site. Don't think you will be turning them away daily. Remember you are offering them a service and so it has to be worth their while - not many will drive a lot out of their way. However when it works it works well, and build relationships with those that come will lead to more (in fact they might win more work locally knowing they can cut the cost of going to the local tip)

If it isn't nailed down.... leave a single (working) light bulb in the hall I think. Mind 10 years later we are still using the fridge, freezer, wheel barrow (new bucket though), desk chair, curtains, and a couple of light bulbs that were left for us. Ditched the cooker cause it was proper minging.

Fire today, but got coal delivery at the weekend (it can sit in the garage till next season) - I tend to burn a bucket from each sack to make them easier to carry, probably an age thing, else wouldn't have bothered, 19 deg first thing in the coldest spot of the house, no need at all for a fire

Listed as free now - perhaps understanding that retail price doesn't equal the price on the ground? With better pictures and perhaps gathered together into a pile where someone can assess better how much there is he could probably get something from a local. Free and they should go at the weekend. nearly £600 and I suspect the add would be there for a while

£595, the photo's don't do it justice, looks about next door to nothing, there must be more hidden behind the photographer

£6!! I am coming to live near you then, my nearest supermarket breakfast is £6 -each- without a drink, certainly Hagar the cook isn't Gordon Ramsey. Blown over? Crumpled I would guess to avoid taking out the fence

Happens in other industries too where the training is expensive but competition for employees is there. Being honest with the employees gets a return - you get some bad apples but you can ditch them along the way, the good ones you keep. A mate has his own business, first 5 years was constant staff turn over, reducing over time, but after that he had a core team who worked for the business. Money isn't everything but will encourage a disenchanted employee to look somewhere else. Being a decent boss is worth a few ££ in a pay packet, £10 on a random box of doughnuts just because it is a Wednesday is worth many times that. But - as above you have to recognise problems and fix them quick.

So just to clarify why the answers aren't really being serious..... I doubt this is 2 tonnes of wood but.... For a fire wood business: Collect the wood, say 1 hour round trip, 60 miles just to give a figure £30, drivers and mates time, 2 man hours at £15 each way. That is a minimum of £90 expenses to turn up at your house Load the van, very helpful postcode you have given, and the photos show a terrace / row of flats, with limited parking and access via a narrow stair, loading would be another hour I reckon, so that's another £50 of expenses (working 'men' cost more than ones being driven in my line of work, hourly rate is higher). Before they leave give you what you are looking for? £100? Unloading at the other end, just tip, no time required but you do need a yard Turning into logs - a lot of this is small stuff, not sure how a processor would deal with that, might have to be manually cut and split. 2 tonnes of logs would take me 2 or 3 hours manually (for Silver Birch), so say another £50. Where are we at? Say £290 in expenses, add profit for the business, employee NI or contractors rate, insurance, and that turns into £350+ just to collect and make firewood. Now lets put these logs through a kiln or air dry them for a year. Air drying... £25 with handling So need to sell these 2 tonnes for about £450 to make any money at all (with delivery) .. it isn't making a lot of financial sense so far. 2 tonnes will turn into a lot less firewood with waste and what cannot be made into saleable logs. Back to my first comment though, not convinced from the photos that that would create 2 tonnes of logs. So for a domestic user, £100 to hire a van £20 to buy a mate a breakfast £100 for you Collect the logs, load up, dump at their house Spend time making logs and storing them for a year, perhaps add in a new saw chain, oil, fuel, and so on Cost of £250 for someone to collect them themselves in one go See the finances aren't adding up really here. If I lived around the corner and could collect a car boot of logs each time I was passing then my cost would be whatever I gave you for the logs. 1 hour in your garden cutting to car boot length and stacking for easy access. Perhaps this forum is the wrong one for this - though you might get someone local who will take them, might even help you tidy the garden in exchange (rake up the branches and so on) Assuming that you had a tree surgeon take down the tree - 2 or 3 tonnes is a professional job - there is a reason why they weren't biting your hand off to take the logs away even while they had the kit and man power there to do the work Sorry to say, gumtree or facebook adds might be the way to go and get some cash from it, advertising on here and the finances don't add up for most of the members -EDIT- For reference in the first picture there is a stick in the middle - about 12kgs? Pick it up fairly easily one handed, you'd need 150 of these to make 2 tonnes

The watering can confuses me, are you out watering the trees with that?.... I think I said in the last post the I am not convinced that a fast growing tree puts down enough 'tree', so you might get a nice big tree, the energy stored in it won't be as much as a slower grown tree - I think. However it will still be creating a store of energy to burn. On the other side though they should dry quicker than slower growing trees so harvesting to burning in a season and not several seasons? Good and bad points. Interesting post and good to see it working - will see next winter if you are complaining of being cold I guess? (saying that I have just 'planted' 60 willow sticks with the intention of some fire wood in 5 or 6 years time also - planting being "shove the stick in the ground an hour before it rans and hope for the best" - some are surprisingly sprouting!)

What are your running costs for the kit? add in the purchase cost divided by their life, and some maintenance costs, and divide into hours, then add in your wages and mark up for the company / business costs (insurance, advertising and so on) and that will be the minimum you can ask for won't it? For your competition I guess it all depends where you live, a remote area in the South East / London catchment area is going to be a lot more than a remote area such as the Shetlands I think. Final comment, how much can you process an hour - not flat out but at a speed you can do all day, and that will dictate the market rate I think - retail price for a load of local logs, take off 1/3 for their profit to get their maximum costs and then - which are the cost of the wood, drying and processing Not a very useful answer I know but it is quite variable what to charge.... though some one will no doubt say charge till you are near the point where the phone stops ringing!!