Hello all SFs, having only recently moved back in the last 3 weeks, logs have not been at the forefront of our mind. But it is definitely time to get some ordered now.
Any thoughts on logs please for woodburner and also a ‘cuisiniere’? We want to use both to heat 150m2 and cook (long slow in the oven and use the top too for cooking). Neither appliances will take anything bigger than 25cm logs. Would you recommend buying larger and then cutting ourselves or buying to size?
From the past (a long time) I do remember we got better results from logs with less than 20% humidity and hard wood.
OK, will do. Just wondered if anybody had some thoughts on this. We are in 87 so maybe there is somebody who could recommend? Also, what is the current price for a stere (I know if cut shorter than 1m it doesn’t work out at a stere but am ok with that). Thanks
Varies massively across the different departments. Where we are (no good to you, sorry) it’s around 65 euros a stere but that’s unusually low for wood of that quality. If you’ve not used a woodburner before , you probably won’t know, but if you don’t burn seasoned (dry) hardwood, you can end up with a lot of problems. In addition to being relatively ineffective, as @_Brian says, it will also leave tar deposits on the chimney/liner which can cause chimney fires later and can also damage the liner when the chimney is swept (once a year - insurance requirement)
We found a gem of a man on Leboncoin, our last load was 8 stere at €42 a stere delivered, oak, chestnut and some birch he brings his moisture meter with him and encouraged me to get my own one to check the wood.
I will be ordering again as I want to keep ahead this year, this is is for 35cm logs but he will cut to any length and all our neighbours use him.
If you’re fit enough and have the time and space and cutting and splitting isn’t onorous you’ll save a few euros but it’ll take a fair bit of your time. Also if you go down this route I’d suggest you have the right equipment for the job, cutting bench and log splitter.
I’d look to replace the wood burner with another that takes 50cm logs don’t buy the cheapest buy the best, the ROI will easily cover the cost over a few years.
Where I live a stère is under 50€ but it’s a regional thing.
You may find this interesting
Having had log burners in France before I agree, the resins are to be avoided! Hard wood with under 20% moisture we were working on. The prices per stere which a few have given are well lower than in 87. Our neighbours just paid 78 euros a stere and are going mad about the price. They say it has gone up 45% this year. I could use their supplier but was hoping we could find cheaper… we shall see. Not sure about LBC as I know of a few French who have been bitten using this.
Never had a problem with moisture and easily found a local farmer to supply, the only decision I had to make was 1 metre lengths or cut smaller. Tried cut smaller but it arrived in a tipper trailer and was left in a great big pile. Took days to stack because we had to shift it to stack it. If ordered in 1 metre lengths it came crosswise on a chassis trailer and the farmer and his strapping Polish wife unloaded and stacked the whole lot for me. Once I offered to help but only got in the way so left them to it.
Yeah, we have that problem as our driveway has fruit trees along it making it fairly narrow, and a fairly sharp turn at the end which means they can’t drive the truck very far.
It wasn’t any lack of skill on my part, or strength, simply that swinging 1 metre logs around in a 4 metre space, well, 3 into 4 comes perilously close sometimes.
We’ve just paid €80 per stere of dry seasoned oak delivered but it worked out favourably with our last supplier who retired at the end of last year. One more stere to cut and stack to finish a really good stockpile.
We usually buy it by the tonne cut into 25cms but were unable to find anyone until a friend helped out. We did not know the price before hand but felt beggars can’t be choosers and had to pay. A price was agreed that included a 3rd person to deliver, so felt that the 15 stere worked out about the same price as 8.5 tonnes last year. OH had to cut it though and then stack it. At least we will be able to heat the house and cook during the winter with no extra cost for gas or electric.
We’ll be burning ash logs this year from a tree I cut down a few months ago. Just curious as to why noone else seems to burn ash as the water content green or dry is supposed to be very low. Is it lack of availability?
