Dave West, Joint Managing Director of WL West Timber, gives his expert advice on milling.

Those of us that are privileged enough to live in the countryside here in the UK have an amazing resource all around us, our wonderful trees. They are aesthetically pleasing, they help to stabilise the ground and, most important, they lock up carbon and breathe out oxygen. But they are also a resource for timber.

We should respect trees, they have been growing for decades, some for hundreds of years, and they are not just another commodity. They are unique, a one off, with no two being the same.

So, if you have trees on your land that you would like converted into usable timber, we can do that for you, but there are a number of things to consider.

Can you just fell a tree on your land?

No, you can’t necessarily decide to fell a tree on your land as you may need a license. You should use the Forestry Commission’s website to find out if you need a licence or not, in some circumstances you may not need one. But if you fell without a licence, you may be liable for a fine, so we advise checking this prior to be better safe than sorry.

Some trees and woodland are also protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or by being in a Conservation Area. Therefore, it is an offence to carry out works to a protected tree, or remove it, without the approval of your local council. If you do, you could be prosecuted and fined.

If a tree is removed or destroyed, you may also be required to plant a replacement, although there are some exceptions for trees that are dead or dangerous.

Is your tree worth sending to a sawmill to make usable timber?

The tree really does need to be a certain size for us to get a usable amount of planking timber from it, so ideally 50cm diameter and above at chest height when the tree is still standing, or measure diameter at mid-length, if already felled.

If the tree is a durable species, and in the UK we are talking realistically about oak or sweet chestnut, log sizes of 40cm diameter and up can be used for fence material or cladding. It should also be born in mind that transportation must be considered. Is the tree accessible? How easy is it to load on a lorry? The more logs you have, the more economic. You may think your tree is extremely valuable, and it certainly is from an environmental point of view, but the value of a single tree can quickly be wiped out by the cost of transport.

We can come to your property and inspect and measure your logs, after they have been felled. We will measure diameter and length, and from that we can calculate the M³ volume of the log. It is this that we then work out the sawmilling cost from.

But what do you want us to cut out of the log?

This brings a whole new list of questions, including:

• What species are the trees? We have already discovered that there are two main durable species in the UK, oak and sweet chestnut. These can both be used internally or externally. Pretty much all other species are only able to be used internally.

• What do you want to do with your timber? Joinery, fencing, beams, cladding and flooring - this list is extensive, so give this full consideration when you make the decision to fell the trees.

• Remember, that if you are intending to use the wood for joinery or other internal use, the timber needs to dry. For oak this means for every 27mm (1”) thickness, the planks needs to air dry for one year. This will bring the moisture content down from around 55-60% to approximately 26%. At this point, the timber can be kiln dried to 12% +/- 2% moisture content. If you want 54mm (2”) thick planks, then you need to allow two years for air drying and so on.

• Following on from the point above, where are you going to store the boules (French term for planked log) to dry? Do you have the ability to unload the logs on your property?

• You will also need to allow for the fact that the boards will shrink during the drying process. Using oak as an example, boards will shrink by 7% in the width and 0.5% in the length.

How does a sawmill mill logs?

At WL West Timber we use some pretty impressive machinery to cut logs of different sizes, with different outcomes of timber. Explore more below.

How big can the logs be in ordered to be milled?

We have the capability to mill a log up to 1.9 metres in diameter and 8 metres long. We would agree with you what length you need your logs cut into, with the minimum length being 2.5m. We would then crosscut the logs with a chainsaw, if they need crosscutting. After discussing what thicknesses you would like, the logs are loaded onto our sawmill and our experienced sawyer will cut the log into plank, beam, cladding blanks or whatever you require.

How long does it take to cut logs on a sawmill?

The time to cut each log can vary from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the shape and size of the log, the thickness of the plank, or if we are cutting beam.

How do you air dry the planks?

Would you like us to strip the timber? Oh! I’ve forgotten to tell you about that. When we air dry the planks, they need to have air flowing over the surface of the plank, so once milled, we reassemble the log with timber strips between each board, these are spaced along each board at 46cm (18”) centres. This enables the log (or boule – French term) to breathe and dry.

How much timber will I get after milling?

Usually the recovery from the log (this is the amount of timber by volume after milling) is around 65% of the original volume of the log. With 35% being a waste product, that’s offcuts from the log and sawdust from the milling process.

Why should I use a professional sawmill?

There are a number of key benefits to having your logs professionally milled:

• No need for you to buy specialist equipment/tools

• Safe and professional environment for milling

• At WL West Timber we can mill very large logs that would be impossible to mill onsite

• Faster milling time

• Our experience and expertise allows us to maximise the timber yield and your potential profit (whether you plan to sell the timber or use it yourself)

• Ability to mill to your bespoke requirements

All of this may seem very complicated, and I suppose it is to a degree, but it’s bread and butter to us, almost a second nature.

Milling services in West Sussex and surrounding areas

From your tree(s) you may be able to create a new family heirloom or make a profit by selling the timber. Our expert team can help you decide what to do with your logs, as well as possible. From cladding to fencing and beyond, just ask us!

Email sales@wlwest.co.uk or call 01798 861611 for expert milling guidance today.