Hellworld Thread (4 Viewers)

[Lili Marlene]

How do you mean seal up? Like stop all the drafts in the house?

Yeah AFAIK. You need to basically know how all the ventilation in your house works and be controlling it properly, you can't have weird drafts or anything like most old houses have or it doesn't really work. I believe it's possible but I remember looking into it before and seeing we had to do a lot of other stuff before making that step.

 

[flashback]

Yeah AFAIK. You need to basically know how all the ventilation in your house works and be controlling it properly, you can't have weird drafts or anything like most old houses have or it doesn't really work. I believe it's possible but I remember looking into it before and seeing we had to do a lot of other stuff before making that step.

I've become a bit obsessive with the heating system ever since last winter here.
I have to work from home, and going for walks and swims all the time doesn't work, you just end up cold. So I'll be insulating the place like my life depends on it.

Facing into the first winter anyway, so we'll have to tough it out a bit and hopefully have some cash saved up at some point later.

 

[magicbastarder]

I did a bit of measuring last night out of curiousity.
In the region of 6KG of wood to heat the place for the evening and through today a bit too, as the chimney breast tends to keep the place warm enough for the morning. Mostly writing that down here to extrapolate further info later

was also thinking earlier that there could be a relative glut of ash wood on the market in the next year or two, too.

 

[ann post]

@admin

Home heat/greening/chat thread?

 

[ann post]

was also thinking earlier that there could be a relative glut of ash wood on the market in the next year or two, too.

Hah! for sure. I built a woodshed over the last year out of pallets and fence posts. When you mention the ash you have me thinking i should extend it ASAP.

 

[magicbastarder]

i'm eyeing up the chunks on the right there, what are your plans for them?
lidl have a planer thicknesser in at the moment, if you've money to waste.

 

[ann post]

i'm eyeing up the chunks on the right there, what are your plans for them?
lidl have a planer thicknesser in at the moment, if you've money to waste.

I probably do have money to waste right now to be fair. I've been setting those aside to redecorate the office room with - will have to check that out in the morning!

 

[magicbastarder]

i wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, i remember they had a lathe under the same brand and with the same general look, and it looked lethal.

 

[ann post]

@magicbastarder BTW I'm cutting more of that aspen/poplar over the next few months (the trees are already fallen, just main chainsaw is having a moment) if you want a bit set aside its no bother at all. I have an electric handheld plane that'll get me through this one anywhoooo

 

[magicbastarder]

cheers, i think i've enough to work with at the moment - my wife was complaining she can't get at the firewood for all the turning wood sitting on top of it...
i've heard poplar isn't good to work with? going to be taking down/coppicing an alder which has gotten a little big in the garden (probably 30 foot) but have been likewise warned the wood is not great.

 

[ann post]

cheers, i think i've enough to work with at the moment - my wife was complaining she can't get at the firewood for all the turning wood sitting on top of it...
i've heard poplar isn't good to work with? going to be taking down/coppicing an alder which has gotten a little big in the garden (probably 30 foot) but have been likewise warned the wood is not great.

It's not great - but I have it from the garden for free and for that reason i'm working with it. It's kinda furry with not too defined grain. Almost dust like off the chainsaw.

 

[Cormcolash]

@admin

Home heat/greening/chat thread?

You're in it, Hellworld thread

 

[flashback]

@ann post how much land are you able to grow all these trees in?

Like, I wonder what the minimum viable amount of land you'd need to able to be self sufficient in that way.

 

[ann post]

@ann post how much land are you able to grow all these trees in?

Like, I wonder what the minimum viable amount of land you'd need to able to be self sufficient in that way.

IT DEPENDS.
Most of what i'm using intially came from two fallen 25 year oldish pines here, then one or two more fell since in storms and branches come off from time to time. I think i'm getting through less than one tree a year though. I took lower branches off a few of them last year just get some light back in here and that did nearly a whole winter. Maybe, at guess having about 10 pines in a long term rotation would cover it.
They really suck up the light though, you could do it in an acre so long as you are prepared for that to be dark grim acre. Mostly pigeons hang out there, the robins and stuff are really not fans.

 

[flashback]

IT DEPENDS.
Most of what i'm using intially came from two fallen 25 year oldish pines here, then one or two more fell since in storms and branches come off from time to time. I think i'm getting through less than one tree a year though. I took lower branches off a few of them last year just get some light back in here and that did nearly a whole winter. Maybe, at guess having about 10 pines in a long term rotation would cover it.
They really suck up the light though, you could do it in an acre so long as you are prepared for that to be dark grim acre. Mostly pigeons hang out there, the robins and stuff are really not fans.

So doing it with hardwoods just isn't a goer in your opinion then, no?
Or you'd need a good chunk more space to be able to do that.

 

[ann post]

So doing it with hardwoods just isn't a goer in your opinion then, no?
Or you'd need a good chunk more space to be able to do that.

Hardwoods would be better - those aspen/poplar grow almost as fast as the pines though as an alternate. Basically this is UTM's place and he planted the back part with various native bits over the years, and front bit with pines because they were trendy (this is regretted) - so they are coming to end of life and falling to bits and thats why they are prime mover for firewood here, essentially it is literally falling from the sky here. The hardwoods other than the aspens will barely be harvestable in my lifetime

 

[magicbastarder]

i have a vague memory of hearing 2 acres (or is it 2 hectares)?in a ten year coppice cycle should be about enough. will see if i can find a source - would obviously mean you're burning the cuttings from a fifth of an acre a year.

 

[flashback]

i have a vague memory of hearing 2 acres (or is it 2 hectares)?in a ten year coppice cycle should be about enough. will see if i can find a source - would obviously mean you're burning the cuttings from a fifth of an acre a year.

There's a lad on youtube who I like who talks about this kind of thing now that I think about it.

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No one else gets asthma from running a stove then? I'm bollixed by them altogether.

 

[magicbastarder]

that looks like maximus ironthumper?
i can't help but thinking that he lives an incredibly ineffiecient lifestyle at times.

 

[flashback]

that looks like maximus ironthumper?
i can't help but thinking that he lives an incredibly ineffiecient lifestyle at times.

It is yeah.
I like him. He does his own thing, learning as he goes sort of deal. I dunno how efficient any of it is. I think his general modus operandi is: I'd rather do it myself, cheaply if possible.

Which stuff were you thinking wasn't efficient? He's got some class of a Russian ATV that uses several gallons of petrol to start up and idle for a minute or two. That's probably not the most efficient thing on the planet alright.