Ed Wallrock and Alice Shaw of Lymington Firewood
A cutting-edge, high-tech machine that creates seasoned firewood is now up and running in the New Forest.
It is one of only 17 in the world and it cuts, splits, cleans and dries the timber for use in fireplaces, log burners and fire pits.
Ed Wallrock and Alice Shaw set up Lymington Firewood near Boldre after installing the FuelWood system in a large barn.
Off-cuts are used to power the drying process which can turn damp Ash into seasoned logs in five days – rather than a year.
A boom in log-burners has driven demand for quality logs that are the right size and burn well.
The start-up business delivers within a ten-mile radius of Lymington and sells through farm shops and other outlets.
Ed Wallrock and Alice Shaw of Lymington Firewood
Ed said: “The machine is superb and has transformed the way logs are produced – making it quicker and simpler.
“The product at the end is logs of a correct size for the old coal fires you find across Lymington in people’s houses, and for wood burners.
“They have right angles which create lots of surface area and that is better for burning and also enables easy stacking.
“All the logs are kiln dried and the heat is created by burning the off-cuts and there really is no waste.
“Kiln dried wood has a very low moisture content, of 20 per cent or less, making it easier to ignite and producing a hotter, more efficient burn. It produces more heat per log making it ideal for home-heating or cooking.
“It also burns more cleanly, producing less smoke, soot, and tar build-up in chimneys. This reduces the risk of chimney fires and makes it better for indoor use.
“The sawdust we produce is excellent for equine use and is completely safe because we use only mineral oil on the chainsaw.
“Our logs are sourced from sustainable woods and forests and we can use any type of tree though Ash is our primary product.
“This is our first sustainable season and demand is rising. We also anticipate demand in the summer months because of the increased use of firepits and fire-powered hot tubs.”
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For more information contact Ed Baker at Deep South Media on 07788392965 or ed.baker@deepsouthmedia.co.uk
