Are the trees cut down just for firewood?

The Kameeldoring and Mesquite trees are protected;

we only use trimmings, thinnings, dead trees and

wood which has fallen from the tree.

There are laws in Mexico that now prohibit

the taking of live trees, and to preserve the health

of the trees and provide a sustainable fuel source,

only trimming or thinning is allowed by law.

The Sekelbos are sometimes coppiced but because

this bush is particularly invasive then yes, in certain circumstances the trees are cut down for firewood.

The origins of our orchard woods, Apple, Olive, Walnut,

Almond, and a few others are trimmings, thinnings

 or simply removal of aged trees that have stopped

producing enough fruit or nuts to be commercially viable.

When the trees are removed, normally new trees are

planted (unless the farmers decide on a different crop).

All these woods are a by-product of the

agriculture industry in California.

Don’t forget that firewood is a crop and needs to be

planted, taken care of and harvested.

What is the moisture content?

ZERO! for the African woods – which means

you are getting pure wood, no water.

The American and Mexican woods

have a moisture content between

5% and 15%,

the French woods are about 14% -

this amount of moisture is quite

acceptable because it further enhances

the flavour/perfume of the wood.

What length are the logs?

The African logs are twelve inches long

(30cm) and have a diameter from three to

five inches (8cm to 13cm).

Generally the American and Mexican woods are eight

to ten inches long (20cm to 23cm), with diameters

from three inches to five inches (8cm to 13cm).

The French logs are ten inches long

(25cm), with diameters from three inches

to five inches (8cm to 13cm)

How long will the sack of logs last?

This is a difficult question – there are so

many variables:

does your chimney draw well?

what are the weather conditions?

are you burning coal also?

do you want a roaring fire?

is it for heat or for an effect?

will you be using the wood inside or outside?

do you have a woodburner or an open fire?

If you would like to contact us with your

specific requirements – we will try to

give you an educated guess

(Note: we have used a single sack of

logs in a night but we have also used

a single sack for three days burning!)

How many logs are there in a sack?

Again, this is quite difficult – it depends on the type

of wood, the size of the pieces and how well the

sack is packed. All our sacks are hand-packed

and we try to get as many logs as possible

into the sack.

All the sacks do weigh 20 kilos (44lbs).

What size are the sacks?

The African sacks are twenty four inches tall by

twelve inches wide by eight inches deep (60cm tall

by 30cm wide by 20cm deep).

The American and Mexican sacks are

thirty six inches tall by twenty

four inches wide (92cm tall by 61cm wide).

How do I make a fire?

In the centre of the fire basket crumple several

sheets of newspaper, arrange smallish pieces

of kindling wood over the newspaper in a

pyramid shape, light the newspaper and once

the fire takes a hold on the smaller pieces of

wood put on larger pieces still in a pyramid

shape, then pour a glass of wine, sit back,

enjoy the heat and dream into the flames!

Important Note: because the

African/American/Mexican

wood is so dense and dry do not skimp on

kindlers – if you normally use six kindlers,

then use ten

Does the wood smoke?

When you first light the fire some smoke will

occur but as the flames and the heat build up

your fire will be virtually smokeless.

Will the logs spark?

Hardwood logs generally do not throw out sparks,

however there is always a possibility that the odd

spark will occur and if you are leaving the fire

unattended for any length of time a fireguard

should be placed in front of the fire.

How long will the logs last?

The logs do not have a sell by date! – the longer

you keep them the better they get.

What if I’m not in to sign for my logs?

Our Couriers do need a signature for the logs.

If you are not going to be in then maybe you

could have them sent to a neighbour, relative,

friend or your place of work.

All you need to do is tell us your specific

requirements and leave the rest to us!

Can I cook with this wood?

Yes, most definitely.

See our

“Cooking with Firewood”

web page.

Can I store the wood outside?

If you do not have enough indoor space to store

our logs, don’t panic!

Our wood can quite happily be stored outside,

because the wood is already seasoned,

the cells have closed up and although the wood

maybe wet to the touch it does not

affect its’ burning properties.

However, if you do stand the logs in a puddle,

over time, they will absorb the water – but all

you have to do is lift them out of the water,

let the air blow through them for a couple of weeks

and they are ready for burning again.

Ideally, if the logs are to be stored outside –

place the logs on a pallet, stack them and cover

the top of the stack with a tarpaulin or something

similar – this will keep the worst of the

weather off the wood.

How large are the logs?

The logs are split into fairly small pieces,

between three inches through to five inches

(8cm-13cm).

We believe that this is the best size for the logs

to give the most heat output.

Bigger in this case, is definitely not better!

If you have huge pieces of wood, instead of the

logs burning and giving off good heat all their

energy goes into igniting the wood and by

the time the log has really got going most of

the heat has gone up the chimney!

Telephone: 01555-880000

Mobile: 07858-933275

Email: info@druidswood.co.uk

Web Site by: Magnolia Osram

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