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  Phil Voice December 4, 2010 at 10:56am

  I burn oak logs here - cut from our own woodland - and the area I split the logs accumulates an awful lot od wood chips and bark.
  
  I dry the bark and the chips and they make excellent BBQ fuel or for re-igniting a sleepy fire first thing in the morning.
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  Eric Barker December 4, 2010 at 3:49pm

  When for instance I reconstruct a lawn, I turn it over completely with a mini excavator, then run the machine over it until compacted, then level the uneven bits. I then fix my bucket rake attachment to my digger and grade right through, thus using everything that was there from the start. No waste, no imported materials unless absolutely necessary to build up levels. I also use recycled road stone and drainage gravel. See demo on my web site: www.ericbarkerlandscapes.com
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  Charles Langford December 5, 2010 at 9:48am

  Eric,
  
  Do you not get settlement issues doing this when the turf you have buried finally rots away?
  
  
  
  
  Eric Barker said:

  When for instance I reconstruct a lawn, I turn it over completely with a mini excavator, then run the machine over it until compacted, then level the uneven bits. I then fix my bucket rake attachment to my digger and grade right through, thus using everything that was there from the start. No waste, no imported materials unless absolutely necessary to build up levels. I also use recycled road stone and drainage gravel. See demo on my web site: www.ericbarkerlandscapes.com
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  Charles Langford December 5, 2010 at 9:51am

  Be careful what you burn Rowly. Creosote in sleepers, arsenic in tanalised timber, not sure I would want those in my fire!
  
  ROWLY HILL said:

  I don't throw away rotten wooden fence posts or sleeper offcuts. They all get cut up and then chopped into firelighters for one of my old ladies who has a wood/coal burning rayburn.
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  Anne Macfie December 5, 2010 at 12:30pm

  I had a problem getting the nursery to take back plastic plant pots after use and the plastic recyling plants don't want them 'because they are the wrong kind of plastic'. I really did not want to throw them away as they would stay in landfill for hundreds of years so now I take them down to the local allotments for them to use and they are really appreciative. The other option would be to clean them, stack them according to size and then advertise them for sale on a local site and get a few pounds towards some more plants.
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  Eric Barker December 5, 2010 at 11:49pm

  Reply to Charles Langford. Hi Charles, yes, I take this into consideration and make sure the compaction ratio is consistent throughout the whole process. Because the whole area that has been completely "turned over" The whole garden will settle at the same ratio. Of course, as we construct this garden, we take into consideration, areas of soft and more firm patches of the ground and compact, but because we dig deep, it has a more consistent settlement. We sort of spread the load evenly. It is something that we have done for many years and I often return to previous clients and check how things are. I have not yet seen any problems in 20 years and have not had to be called back to rectify anything. I have video's of jobs that I have done and often just go back to see for myself how they have stood the test of time. I am quite proud really, because it proves my theory right even though it was just entirely my own theory in the beginning. So, it has proved the test of time ? I like to monitor my work and have a kind of relationship with my clients. They see me as a friend and not afraid to just call me up at any time for some advice or just, "when will you be in the area again" Pop in for a coffee ! I find that most of my clients are like this. It is not just a business, but a way of life for me. I hope you feel good about the way i have answered you question ? kind regards, Eric.
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  Charles Langford December 6, 2010 at 7:37am

  Kitchen manufacturers are another good one. There is a company near me that produce oak, ash and maple kitchens and use softwood for the carcasses. All the timber is kiln dried. Just got to be careful not to pick up the MDF they also use!
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  Charles Langford December 6, 2010 at 7:40am

  Eric,
  
  Looks like your have done your homework and are very conscientious about your work. Please don’t take my question the wrong was I wasn’t criticising I was just curious.
  
  
  
  
  Eric Barker said:

  Reply to Charles Langford. Hi Charles, yes, I take this into consideration and make sure the compaction ratio is consistent throughout the whole process. Because the whole area that has been completely "turned over" The whole garden will settle at the same ratio. Of course, as we construct this garden, we take into consideration, areas of soft and more firm patches of the ground and compact, but because we dig deep, it has a more consistent settlement. We sort of spread the load evenly. It is something that we have done for many years and I often return to previous clients and check how things are. I have not yet seen any problems in 20 years and have not had to be called back to rectify anything. I have video's of jobs that I have done and often just go back to see for myself how they have stood the test of time. I am quite proud really, because it proves my theory right even though it was just entirely my own theory in the beginning. So, it has proved the test of time ? I like to monitor my work and have a kind of relationship with my clients. They see me as a friend and not afraid to just call me up at any time for some advice or just, "when will you be in the area again" Pop in for a coffee ! I find that most of my clients are like this. It is not just a business, but a way of life for me. I hope you feel good about the way i have answered you question ? kind regards, Eric.
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  Charles Langford December 6, 2010 at 7:41am

  Guess the older it is the less there would be. Makes logical sense. I just speak from experience I stuck a 30 year old gate post on my fire and we had to evacuate the house because of the smell!
  
  
  
  John www.acegardenservices.co.uk said:

  Would the arsenic still be there in really old trellis ?
  
  
  Charles Langford said:

  Be careful what you burn Rowly. Creosote in sleepers, arsenic in tanalised timber, not sure I would want those in my fire!
  
  ROWLY HILL said:

  I don't throw away rotten wooden fence posts or sleeper offcuts. They all get cut up and then chopped into firelighters for one of my old ladies who has a wood/coal burning rayburn.
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  Ofer El-hashahar December 6, 2010 at 8:45pm

  Me too love green,
  In fact I think that It is so important. No I am not fanatic at all, but since I moved to the uk I decided that what I want to do is to market green ideas and products.
  
  So for the fire we sell online the hay logs. the idea is that it made from hay that could be left in the fields- so same co2 is created anyway. As the logs are only have 10% humidity compare to 20% on dry wood, they are effective and cleaner so less smoke is created. It also means less chance for chimney fires. ( I am also a fire man and saw few of them).
  
  on the green side it is more renewable too. We used it at home. I love the smell of hay.
  
  you welcome to visit our site to read about hay logs.
  
  I actually came back few days ago from a week in israel ( to the uk) and it looks clear to me that the weather is effected from global changing- perhaps the term global warming is not exact cause in the uk it get the opposite effect .
  
  In israel it was 30c and a third very dry year that cause to lots of fires.