Firewood, Log Supply & Wood Chipping in Darlington

Wood that's freshly cut can hold well over half its weight in water, and burning it in that state wastes much of the heat simply boiling off moisture rather than warming the room, while producing more smoke and creosote build-up in the chimney or flue. Since May 2021, firewood sold in England in loads under 2 cubic metres legally has to be certified "Ready to Burn," meaning it's been verified at 20% moisture content or less. Properly seasoned hardwood typically takes somewhere in the region of eighteen months to two years to reach this point when air-dried under cover, softwood considerably less.

We can supply logs at various stages, freshly cut if you're happy to season them yourself over time and have the storage space to do it properly, or seasoned and ready to burn if you want fuel you can use straight away. If you'd like logs left over from a tree removal job we're doing for you, just say so when you book, we're happy to leave them rather than taking everything away.

Branches and smaller timber from tree and hedge work get chipped rather than wasted, and the resulting wood chip makes a genuinely useful mulch, suppressing weeds, retaining moisture in the soil beneath, and gradually breaking down to add organic matter back into beds and borders. Fresh chip is best used on paths and areas not immediately next to young or tender plants, since freshly chipped wood can draw nitrogen from the surrounding soil as it starts to break down, while well-rotted or aged chip is gentler and more suited to use right up against planting.

Firewood, however well seasoned when it arrives, needs proper storage to stay that way, off the ground, under cover, and with reasonable airflow around it rather than stacked tight against a wall with no ventilation. We're happy to advise on storage if you're new to burning wood, since even well-seasoned logs left out in the wet will pick moisture back up and burn poorly.

Different timber species burn differently, denser hardwoods like oak and ash generally give a longer, hotter burn than softer woods, while faster-burning softwoods are useful for getting a fire going quickly but burn through faster. Where possible we can let you know what species you're getting, since a mixed load from varied tree work often gives a good balance of both.

Firewood demand naturally picks up through autumn, so ordering ahead of the coldest months rather than waiting until you're already through your existing stock generally means better availability and more choice on quantity and species. We can also arrange a standing seasonal order if you'd rather not think about it fresh each year.