mint Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Raining all day here in the southern Charente Maritime. Dog was fed up with the weather, had her usual walk curtailed because it was just too wet.This evening feels cool; OK probably not really cold and probably just a bit of an indulgence; but we have lit our first fire of the winter.Smoked a bit and took a bit of coaxing but here we are, it's dark outside, dog is still fed up and we have a fire blazing in the Godin.What hopes of being careful with the fuel and trying to make the logs last? It's only early September, for heaven's sake!Anyone lit a fire this evening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderhorse Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Thought about it but couldn't on principle. Still only 3rd September... Put some jeans and socks on instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Same here, Thunderhorse. At 8pm, I thought: 'Should I light the wood burning stove?' and then I thought 'It's only Sept 3rd and I can't tell people back home in Blighty that French weather has succumbed to British tendencies'. So the stove remains unlit - for the time being.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I thought about it but I would have to go out in the rain to get the wood, the weather this year has been so weird, last night I was riding in t-shirt at 8.30 and was hot, it was beautiful, today it's like December! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Winter? It's still summer here in Indre. Won't be thinking of heating until at least November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Hell, no. Its HOT this evening, stiflingly hot. Im sitting in t-shirt and shorts just now, with the fan blowing in the corner and all windows open. 10pm and my thermometer says 23 degrees.[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Lucky you! Not only is the fire lit, I don't think the new lot of wood I am buying is "pret a bruler". Not much heat from it and the log, which has been indoors for weeks, is barely alight.Just as well they haven't delivered the 20 cubic metres we'd agreed. Got to get on the blower tomorrow and tell them this is just not good enough.Worst of it is, will now have to source another lot of firewood and I still don't quite know how one tells if the wood is OK or not OK! Gr...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeb Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Well, another nice warm evening in the Midi-Pyrènèes so no fires here yet, but we're heading for the Atlantic coast tomorrow for a surfin'nsunbathin' weekend, and the weather forecast is c**p! Hope the apartment has heating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Regarding firewood, I have taken a heap of rotted oak panelling off my shed, cut the good bits out and refitted on the shed. I now have a lot of scrap wood which I am planning to cut to size and burn on the fire when winter arrives. A lot of the timber has nails left in it, and it would be a lot of work to remove all. My question is can I burn the timber, including nails and clear the nails out when the fireplace needs cleaning? Someone told me that you should take the nails out, but I don't understand why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocccie Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I lit my first fire in July! And another couple in August ... it was really chilly and dank and the only thing for it was a fire and a glass of summat nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]Raining all day here in the southern Charente Maritime. Dog was fed up with the weather, had her usual walk curtailed because it was just too wet.This evening feels cool; OK probably not really cold and probably just a bit of an indulgence; but we have lit our first fire of the winter.Smoked a bit and took a bit of coaxing but here we are, it's dark outside, dog is still fed up and we have a fire blazing in the Godin.What hopes of being careful with the fuel and trying to make the logs last? It's only early September, for heaven's sake!Anyone lit a fire this evening?[/quote]Meant to post this last night but had to finish fitting tiles instead! We are W Charente Maritime rather than south but despite the rain it was still really warm yesterday indoors. 25 degrees last night and 22 this morning at 0730. We have very thick walls that really hold the heat and do not normally need to have a fire until late October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Crikey we never light any fire before November 1st and even then very rarely. Its far colder after xmas up here usually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 We did light a fire mid-August of 2007. The daytime temp had gone down to around 10°C...[:'(]Nothing as bad as that so far this year, although there have been a couple of damp days when I have seriously considered whether I should... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]Lucky you! Not only is the fire lit, I don't think the new lot of wood I am buying is "pret a bruler". Not much heat from it and the log, which has been indoors for weeks, is barely alight.Just as well they haven't delivered the 20 cubic metres we'd agreed. Got to get on the blower tomorrow and tell them this is just not good enough.Worst of it is, will now have to source another lot of firewood and I still don't quite know how one tells if the wood is OK or not OK! Gr...![/quote]You need to insist on either chene (oak) or charme (hornbeam) seasoned and air dried for at least 2 years. Other woods such as walnut or hazlenut are ok but burn very quickly. If you do not ask for the best wood they will sell you any old rubbish such as chestnut or worse. No wood is any use for domestic burning unless left at least 2 years air dried. (left in the open). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="chocccie"]I lit my first fire in July! And another couple in August ... it was really chilly and dank [/quote]Crikey that's awful; whereabouts are you?Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Regarding firewood, I have taken a heap of rotted oak panelling off my shed, cut the good bits out and refitted on the shed. I now have a lot of scrap wood which I am planning to cut to size and burn on the fire when winter arrives. A lot of the timber has nails left in it, and it would be a lot of work to remove all. My question is can I burn the timber, including nails and clear the nails out when the fireplace needs cleaning? Someone told me that you should take the nails out, but I don't understand why.[/quote]Can you burn wood with nails in or should you take them out first? I would like to know this question as well as Linda and Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocccie Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="spg"][quote user="chocccie"]I lit my first fire in July! And another couple in August ... it was really chilly and dank [/quote]Crikey that's awful; whereabouts are you?Sue[/quote] In the Limousin. And I'm not one to light a fire at the drop of a hat, rather than put a jumper on. I couldn't believe it (in best Victor Meldrew voice) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Pat Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I can only say that I've never had problems burning wood with nails, except perhaps extracting them from the grate afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="Cathy"][quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Regarding firewood, I have taken a heap of rotted oak panelling off my shed, cut the good bits out and refitted on the shed. I now have a lot of scrap wood which I am planning to cut to size and burn on the fire when winter arrives. A lot of the timber has nails left in it, and it would be a lot of work to remove all. My question is can I burn the timber, including nails and clear the nails out when the fireplace needs cleaning? Someone told me that you should take the nails out, but I don't understand why.[/quote]Can you burn wood with nails in or should you take them out first? I would like to know this question as well as Linda and Richard. [/quote]I've been burning off a huge pile of oak spars taken from a barn we renovated, bit by bit, for three years. These are full of nails and they burn just fine. Of course the nails end up in the ash and add to it, so you may need to muck out a little more often. Ash wood (frène) is said by many to be the best for firewood, not least because at a pinch it can be burned green and requires very little seasoning.It is possible to properly season wood in a few months, but is requires quite a lot manual labour to turn and re-stack wood. I do a fair bit of this because I get quite a few free trees to chop up and take away. But when buying wood I ask a lot of questions and really only want oak, beech or ash and then with at least a year outside before I take delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 If you're cold do what the poor UK pensioners (is there any other sort) were advised, 'wear another jumper' [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="The Riff-Raff Element"]Ash wood (frène) is said by many to be the best for firewood...[/quote]...or even "frêne," which is very similar, but slightly straighter. [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocccie Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote user="ErnieY"]If you're cold do what the poor UK pensioners (is there any other sort) were advised, 'wear another jumper' [Www][/quote] If everybody did that, rather than sticking on the central heating everytime they felt a slight chill, resources wouldn't be in such a poor state. If the only fuel folk had was wood they'd chopped themselves, they'd think twice about how cold they really felt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Now I've been sufficiently told off! But, and there is always a but, my poor OH is 77 and I am told that cold is definitely dangerous to the elderly!Anyway, as long as he's still fit enough to light the fires, he can have as many as he likes as far as I'm concerned.[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Ignore the comments Sweet and have as big a fire as you both want.Much nicer than putting on a pullover...................[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Bugsy, what a lovely fire! And, yes, I'm warming my hands in front of it already!Thank you, Bugs, love you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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