Wood for fireplace...how I stay fit

[Julian]

We have a nice high efficiency wood burning fireplace that can heat the whole ground floor. So I am always gathering and splitting logs (have a log splitter). The house behind us felled a couple of trees and said I could have the wood, so I've been chain sawing and wheel barrowing logs through the ravine. Exercise to get me in shape for wake surfing!

 

[Julian]

And getting rounds that big into a wheel barrow ain't easy!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

That will get anybody into shape!! But the payoff of a warm home at almost zero cost is well worth it.

 

[beachbum]

Log splitter... best money I ever spent...

 

[Julian]

Yes indeed! I was watching craigslist for a long time and finally saw a 22 ton model for sale for $500 and I snapped it up!

Now this is the ultimate in log splitters!

 

[farrelltravis]

Cutting wood is hard work!! I have been clearing an area for a while now. I bet you can't tell what I was doing right before this pic was taken!

 

[eastcoaster]

Yup lots of work. Here is what I use every winter. Need to move about 150' and load through basement window and stack. Just installed a couple of ductless mini split heat exchangers. These things are so effecient and heat so well I will probably burn less next year. cie

 

[Julian]

I spent all morning yesterday with a neighbor wheel barrowing more wood from another neighbors yard.....needed the advil this morning!!!

And I re-lit the fireplace yesterday evening as it got cold here again.....

@eastcoaster how many cords is that?? I probably burned 1.5 cords this winter here in NC....which is a lot!

 

[eastcoaster]

Julian that is 4 cord. My house is a little under 3000 sq ft and really well insulated. I can usually heat the place for the winter on 4 cord using my wood stove in the basement, but not this year. I just ran out over the weekend and it is 12 today!

 

[Dough]

I split wood to stay in shape too! Not for home yet, maybe by winter I can get one put in at home. This is for camp fires.

 

[Zarrella]

so...I guess my beer belly can be blamed on my gas fireplace....lol

 

[Murf'n'surf]

@Dough holy smokes!! You be doin' it old school with the axe !! Now that's a work out!!

 

[Julian]

I started with an axe and maul, then found a splitter on Craiglist! Sure got lots of exercise with that maul, but I would never have been able to split some of the logs I've split with the 22 ton splitter! I split half a cord of wood on Saturday! One more cord, and I'll have my stock back up to enough for next winter (4 cords).

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Where do you find the time???? Your wife must let you do what you gotta do without a song and dance.....

 

[jdiaz78]

I have been using a wood burning stove for the last three years and it has been great. The stove is in my finished basement, but heats up the whole house. I have it pretty lucky because a tree cutting services drops off oak trees in my driveway when they cut them down. I just have to cut it up in my lengths and use my splitter.

 

[eastcoaster]

jdiaz that is a sweet deal. Im paying $185 a a cord in 8 ft lengths or $225 cut and split

 

[Julian]

Where do you find the time???? Your wife must let you do what you gotta do without a song and dance.....

She like the wood burning high efficiency fire place perhaps more than I do! Keeps the house nice and toasty! I probably spent 3-4 hours splitting wood...like a double gym trip.

 

[Dough]

Yup, no splitter for me! Just for the campfire though.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

She like the wood burning high efficiency fire place perhaps more than I do! Keeps the house nice and toasty! I probably spent 3-4 hours splitting wood...like a double gym trip.

Nice! I wish my wife enjoyed how the outside of the house looked. I'm always racing to get the yard work done but I could spend 16 hours a weekend outside. I enjoy working around the outside.

 

[Julian]

Both my wife and I enjoy working in the yard and gardening....but we're a little challenged learning what works here in Raleigh as the herds of deer eat pretty much anything......had planned to put some deer fencing in over the winter, but didn't get around to it. Now skylights are priority #1.... and boating season will begin soon!