Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Hi,

We have just moved to Switzerland and face our first winter. Can anyone advise best place to buy wood (we live in Vaud) and also is there a specific way of storing it? How to you avoid getting insects in the wood? I ask this as we had some wood left in the house that was full of termites, perhaps because it was old wood?
Thanks
Jen

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Hi - I shall be watching this thread with interest. Here in the Neuchatel Jura I suspect that wood (beech and ash) is much cheaper than by the riviera.
The price per stere (1 cubic metre) will be cheaper for fresh wood which will have to be stored for one year- or for older ready to use wood. The price will also depend on the length you want it (we buy ours cut into 33cm lengths).

Where exactly are you in Vaud? How much do you need? and would you be prepared to pay for transport?

Anyway - would be interested to hear from others about the price of a stere (m3) for a/ fresh wood b/1 year old wood (ready to use).

Now I am really concerned about those termites. Are you SURE they were termites??? In which case I'd get a specialist to come and inspect for any infestation before it spreads. Must say I've never heard of termites in Switzerland.

Do you have a covered area to store it? Beech or ash are very hard and should not suffer any kind of insect infestation.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

If the "Termites" looked like the creepers on the image below, they're Earwigs. If they actually are Termites, call an exterminator tomorrow.

http://www.englishforum.ch/data:imag...KgF3AN79aD/9k=

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

What image below?

Is this your house or are you renting? If renting, perhaps call the agent and share your concerns. If it is your house, check with an expert asap.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Err... that one :msnblush:

http://amcoexterminating.com/images/pests/earwig.gif

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Maybe the OP meant this:

http://www.kendalluk.com/WLICE1.gif

This is the Alpine termite, which likes to eat wood, but is equally happy to munch its way through stone, which is why many of the mountains in Switzerland are so ragged.

Best not to bring alpine termites into the house, if you can help it.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

I was in a bar having a quiet beer at the weekend, when a termite came up to me and asked "Is the bar tender here?" :msnshock:

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Oh, earwig go again.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Simple solution to this, Go get yourself an axe, happy hunting.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

You need wood at least 1 year old, if it has not dried out it will burn fast. Softwood, pine etc, burn faster than sycamoore, beech etc.

This institution (west of Payerne VD) for recovering alcoholics, cuts stores & sells wood logs, and delivers logs, (Cut into 25 or 33 cm lengths)

http://www.lepi.ch/contact.html

Map: http://map.search.ch/menieres/clos-q...rvice,anzeigen

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Around this end of Vaud, La Cote, there are a number of farmers who sell it. Perhaps you may be able to buy small quantities at Landi as well. If around Nyon, there is Chez Boum Boum, the farm that runs the dechetterie in Signy that sells it, and another farm in Chavannes de Bogis, on the big S curve that goes through the village, sorry don't remember the name.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

when you buy the wood here, do they pre-season it for you? don't really want to buy wood now and wait a couple of years before i can burn it.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

It's both, you can get new wood or aged wood. New wood you have to putnin your basement for a year. New wood is cheaper though. You have to ask which one you're buying.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

probably want to put it outside to let the breeze dry it out rather than in the cellar.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Yeah, my cellar has a little extractor fan...doesn't matter much in a slow, one year long evaporation.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Don't put it in the breeze though - put it on the side of th house that is the least exposed to prevailing winds - prevailing winds mean prevailing rain.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

yeah. this is how the swiss seem to do it. stack it a side of the house that is sheltered from the rain.

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

And stack so that the younger side is upwards, i.e. the "outer side" of the log is facing upwards to better from rain, if you don't cover it with a tarp that is...

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Very interesting thread. For those of us who are interested in having a very occasional fire (like maybe a log or two once or twice a month) but not interested in storing a bunch of wood, is anyone aware of an online delivery service? Do any of the grocery chains offer small logs or bundles to be delivered with the regular grocery order?

Re: Best place to buy wood for fire
 

Serious, they eat the mountains? How big are these things. This is stuff sci-fi films are made of. The local will be reporting on this soon. Headline. '500Kg termite attacks alpine cows'.