how do I stop a log fence rotting?

[little blue duck]

we have (ahem) "trimmed" some conifers and as a result have absolutely tonnes of wood!

I am slowly sripping down the branches, shredding the leafy bits before composting, these will eventually mulch the veg garden over the winter.
The remaining trunks & braches will be cut down into logs for burning.

How long will they take to season - ie be safe to burn?

And secondly, I'd like ot make proper use of some as either stepping-stone-type chunks, or as some kind of fencing.
My o/h is very dismissive of this & insists they will just rot.
Can I e.g apply varnish or something to reduce the chance of the wood rotting (or re-growing)

thanks folks

[Davie Crockett]

Conifers are soft wood and sap rich, which means they burn well but at the expense of producing a lot of tar (Creosote) and soot which can condense in your chimney and build up until it ignites in a chimney fire. If your chimney isn't lined, it will also stain through your brickwork eventually. Generally speaking to reduce volatile oils condensing, it must be seasoned for at least 2 years before burning, but it will burn hot and fast.

I would recommend burning it in a garden chiminea rather than your house.

With regards to using it for fencing, it will rot very quickly unless you can tanalise it or use another means of preserving it. It would probably last a couple of years untreated (depending on size) which if it's free is still saving you money!

[little blue duck]

thanks DC

I meant to burn on a chimnea / bbq - we no longer have an open fire ... And I thought I might be able to flog some to the neighbours!

[KathyLauren]

We season all our firewood for two years before burning it. It burns really well then, and our chimney is always clean. We still get the chimney swept every year, but the sweep always reports that it was in good shape.

Some woods are naturally resistent to rotting. There are untreated red cedar fence rails around here that are 70 or 80 years old. While they show their age, they are still sturdy. Other woods need protection. Varnishing or other surface treatments will offer some limited protection. But, if moisture gets into a crack n the finish, the wood will still rot. Preservatives embedded in the wood will give better protection. Outdoor stains do this, as does pressure treated wood, though the latter is not an option for DIY-ers or for organic gardeners.

The old-timers around here used to char wood before inserting into the ground as fence posts. I can't vouch for this myself, but it does seem to work. You would have to judge the amount of charring carefully. Not enough and it won't be effective. Too much and it will lose its strength.

[gregorach]

The old-timers around here used to char wood before inserting into the ground as fence posts. I can't vouch for this myself, but it does seem to work. You would have to judge the amount of charring carefully. Not enough and it won't be effective. Too much and it will lose its strength.

Oh, it works - archaeologists have found charred posts from the Iron Age.

[greenorelse]

That's quite interesting, about the charring. Any more thoughts, people? Best woods to do this with, experiences etc?

[MKG]

I've read somewhere that gopher wood treated with pitch is pretty effective. And we have that on the best possible authority.

Mike

[KathyLauren]

That's quite interesting, about the charring. Any more thoughts, people? Best woods to do this with, experiences etc?

I don't know if you have western red cedar where you are, but that is the standard outdoor wood here because it is naturally decay resistant. The folks I talked to would have used either cedar or douglas fir.