Gathering fallen timber for firewood

[CobyRupert]

You can usually judge the BTU value of wood by its weight, not counting the water in it. Dead and or punky wood usually weighs almost nothing and has similar BTUs. It’s sometimes hard to control in a woodstove as it wants to burn instantly like paper (if dry).

Also, standing dead trees are some of the most dangerous trees you can cut. They are often unpredictable, and subject to snap their holding wood, or be hollow inside and have no holding wood, or have upper limbs that snap and fall and make you late for dinner (aka widow makers).

 

[TnAndy]

I think most insurance companies will write a policy for homes with wood stoves and the ones that will do NOT hike your rates quite a bit. Most I have seen are about $2-$3 a month, so around $36 per year. That's pretty reasonable. Most just require it to be permitted and installed by a licensed/certified installer according to local codes.

I had mine with Erie for many years, and they never asked. I switched to Farm Bureau of TN 3 years ago (needed some farm coverage Erie couldn't cover) and they never asked. Our primary heat is wood, one stove in the living room, one in the basement, and a wood cook stove in an 'auxiliary" kitchen/meat cutting room off the back of the garage.

 

[Diggin It]

FB here refused to even discuss a quote without doing an interior inspection. I told'em to stuff it.

 

[oosik]

What in the world are we talking about here. A "permit" for a wood stove. Installed by a "licensed/certified installer". You would be laughed out of the store if you were to ask those questions around here. If you were to need help on the instal - the store may be able to recommend somebody that could help. Some of those wood stoves can get pretty heavy/bulky. Is this another one of those - east or west of the Mississippi deals, again.

I've been with State Farm since 1965. They knew I had a wood stove - then a pellet stove. There was never a premium increase because of that.

 

[Diggin It]

Is this another one of those - east or west of the Mississippi deals, again.

Thought I read somewhere they were outlawed in OR and maybe CA.

 

[oosik]

Diggin It - - you could be correct there. Probably pretty tough to have a wood stove in the Seattle or Portland area. Those "west siders" can get pretty tough with their requirements.

 

[Peter 315]

You need a inspection in my town for a wood or pellet stove . Its 50.00 and the fire department does the inspection. So its good and bad if your kids slept over a neighbors house and the stove was installed wrong and something happened........

 

[CobyRupert]

You need a inspection in my town for a wood or pellet stove . Its 50.00 and the fire department does the inspection. So its good and bad if your kids slept over a neighbors house and the stove was installed wrong and something happened........

So....the fire department or inspection agency assumes liability if the stove or chimney then catches the house on fire? Seeing how they collected money and certified it?
.....yeah, I didn’t think so.
That just proves it’s a shakedown.

That happened here. County collected their “inspection” fee, and a week later the general store caught on fire. What was the money exchanged for?

 

[Molalla1]

Thought I read somewhere they were outlawed in OR and maybe CA.

:laughing: . . . Not Oregon.

 

[DMW]

I'm in an area of increased urbanization, even with a burn permit, the neighbors will still call the FD about smoke from brush piles. Chipper only goes so big, then everything else is firewood. End up burning a lot of marginal wood, creates lots of creosote. Monthly chimney cleanings are almost a must. The nylon rod kits do an excellent job going around 90 degree bends. Fiberglass rods are not as flexible in my experience. Takes under an hour with a shopvac and cordless drill.



25-30 years ago planted thousands of saplings on a 4 acre property, that was mostly an overgrown apple orchard, and to establish treelines along road frontages. The poplars are starting to die off from age, green ash are dying from emerald ash borers, maples are starting to grow into the drainage tile, there are some nice trees that are getting too big with a lean towards buildings. Probably average 10-20 trees a year in the 6"-8"range, biggest has been a 44" maple. Lots or trees to remove, so they become firewood. The cheapest way of disposing of them, is to use them as heat.