Good Wood Scheme and Suppliers

When you choose a Good Wood supplier, you're opting for a trusted source of dry firewood that will burn well, keeping your home warmer and our air cleaner.

Firewood with a moisture content of more than 25% and treated timber is prohibited to be used for firewood in Nelson. Green wood that has recently been cut or wood that has not been stored properly or for long enough does not meet this requirement.

Council’s Good Wood Scheme participants have agreed to supply Nelson householders with either:

• Seasoned firewood, suitable for immediate use and can be stored away immediately . This is wood that has a moisture content of less than 25% dry weight.

OR

• Green (unseasoned) firewood delivered sufficiently far in advance of winter so that, if properly stored by the user, it will be seasoned for use in the winter months. Wood will take between 4 and 12 months to season, so ideally this would be before Christmas for the following winter. You will need to allow this wood to season (dry) properly before storing away.

Be aware of 'Roadside' supply

If you choose to purchase firewood from a 'side of the road' source, you may get caught out with a green load. This will be difficult to burn, it won't produce as much heat as dry wood, and it will be extremely smoky.

Likewise, if you have cut down a tree, stack it and allow it to season for 12 months before burning. Cut it into suitable sized pieces for your wood burner as well. Chunks that are too large will not burn properly, meaning less heat and more smoke.

Don’t Burn Treated Timber

Timber treated with preservatives such as CCA (copper chrome arsenic) must not be burnt. Burning this in your wood burner exposes yourself and your family to dangerous chemicals created when this wood is burnt. Arsenic is also released into the atmosphere when treated wood is burnt.

Monitoring our air quality has shown significant levels of arsenic in our wintertime air. The only source is treated timber from domestic fires

Good Wood Suppliers

• BAY FIREWOOD
• BUYRIGHT FIREWOOD
• QUALITY FIREWOOD
• RICHMOND WOOD
• WAI-ITI WOOD SUPPLY
• When preparing to light your fire leave a bed of ash, put scrunched newspaper in the bottom, add small bits of kindling, then add larger pieces of dry wood as fire catches hold.
• Light newspaper in several places. Have air control fully open to keep your fire burning brightly, unless reloading you should keep the door closed.
• Look after your burner – follow the manufacturer’s operation and safety instructions. Clean your flu every autumn and replace any damaged parts.
• Please note that burning things like wet wood, plastic, rubbish or treated wood*, is prohibited. It can create polluting toxic fumes and damage your burner.

*Treated wood: Treated timber, plywood, particle board, MDF or painted timber.