Wood for wood burner

[Oobis]

Hi
I have relatively recently got a (beautiful) wood burner and need to save up wood for winter...I wondered if anyone on here 'scrumps' for wood? Obviously I would never take anything from private land without permission, but if there was a damaged tree on a road, is it ok to take it? I suppose technically it belongs to the council? but if I am saving them the bother of tidying it up, is it ok? Very new to this!

[HarrietSchulenberg]

A tree came down in high winds in a road near me about 6 months ago. The Woodburner Salvagers had cleared it, chopped it (chainsaw), bagged it and towed it away before the council arrived to remove it from the road.

I suppose that ethically you're meant to ask the tree/landowner's permission, but the Woodburner Salvagers just act fast.

I don't have a woodburner yet but when I do get one I plan for some full-on salvage missions regarding fallen branches. Not sure I could manage a whole tree.

[Oobis]

Glad it's not just me with Good Life aspirations then :-)

[Maryann1975]

I take fallen branches from the field behind my house all the time. Stops the teenagers fighting with them. If I used the car more I'm sure I would find lots more wood further away from home too, but make do with walking so wood supply is limited. DH doesn't agree with it though, it's not ours for the taking apparently...

[EachAndEveryHighway]

I think branches blown down onto the road/roadside are fine to snaffle, but not on private land, even if it's on a public footpath unless I was pretty sure noone would see me.

[Ponders]

there was a post on our freecycle recently from someone offering chopped up pallets (or something)

might be worth putting a wanted in the one for your area

[Ponders]

this was the message on mine:

Hello, I throw away a lot of old fencing panels and posts as part of my business and was wondering if anyone would like some for firewood. There is a constant supply. Posts cut into chunks are particularly good for fuel. Usually you would have to cut it up yourself. I am looking for several people around the area who would take the wood from me rather than skip it. I understand this would be more appreciate when winter comes. I use it in my woodburner in winter but there is too much!

worth a look

[steppemum]

where do you live ponders???

[Ponders]

Lancashire, steppemum

I have just replied to wood bloke to see if I'm not too late to get some of it (he posted in June so I may have missed the boat)

[steppemum]

shame, too far away.

(completely misses the point that the building work to get the wood burning stove has not actually yet happened )

[WestmorlandSausage]

as a landowner who relies heavily on the wood from our own land for a living I would be annoyed if you were taking wood but you say you don't do that (lots of However, to be efficient for a wood burner the wood needs to be 'seasoned' which generally newly fallen branches aren't.

[filee777]

Don't take too much wood from forests, it's really important that some of it rots into the ground.

[MistyB]

When we lived in Yorkshire, it was embarrassing to admit that you paid for your wood. There was a certain amount of pride involved in getting free wood and some people didn't even share where they got there's from.

When the council come out to clear felled trees, it is perfectly reasonable to ask them if you can have some, they may ask the owners out of politeness. They often chip it before taking it away and this seems like a real waste. The council may also have a place where they leave wood out to be taken.

Garden centers, landscape gardeners and builders merchants are good sources of broken pallets which burn well. We had a truck load delivered free once as it saved the builders merchants having to dispose of them in other ways.

We have also relieved friends of trees that had been taken down in their gardens, saves them disposing of them and us buying the wood. These did generally need to be stored until they were dry though and you have to be a bit careful that pallets / fence posts etc have not been treated as this is not good for the wood burner.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Be careful of burning old fencing as it's often been treated with toxic stuff that you don't really want to be breathing in.

My woodburner fund has just been drastically slashed due to car repairs and the unexpected purchase of new beds for 2 of my dcs. Looks like I'm stuck with a broken gas fire (refuse to even try to switch the thing on) and no effective heating downstairs for yet another winter .

[noyouhavehadawee]

We have a river near us with a barrage and it gets blocked with wood from upstream so the barrage men take it out and its ok for the public to help them out taking it - do you have anything like that near you perhaps? DH is adamant we will never pay for wood mind he spent an hour today with the chainsaw and I think we might have enoughto see us through - I even lit it tonight just for the craick!

[noyouhavehadawee]

We have a river near us with a barrage and it gets blocked with wood from upstream so the barrage men take it out and its ok for the public to help them out taking it - do you have anything like that near you perhaps? DH is adamant we will never pay for wood mind he spent an hour today with the chainsaw and I think we might have enoughto see us through - I even lit it tonight just for the craick!

[RufflingFeathers]

We've got a wood burner. The council were clearing trees from along a river and had left neatly cut up slices of trunk (about 6-10 logs worth each). I was just going to take some, but decided to phone the council to check, and they were delighted - so I took a trailer and got a hefty amount of wood for next winter ! I'd say phone - meant I could take it without worry or having to 'sneak' and do it !