Our last big task before our home construction can begin was to burn four burn piles left by removing some trees last fall that were either in the way of the build or posed a future danger to our home.
We went out to do the burns a couple weeks ago but we were greeted by tons of snow and piles too wet to burn. This last weekend (April 28th) we made another trip out and we were much more successful.
First lesson learned was that burning these piles is a lot of work. It took us the better part of two days to complete the task. That was two days of being constantly in smoke and getting really close to a hot, hot fire to adjust things and keep things burning.
The good news is, that we survived the experience and I only had a minor heat rash to contend with.
Now we are just waiting for final approval on our building permit and then to get our builder on site and construction can begin. My guesstimate is around the middle of May.
Tips and Tricks: When trying to light a pile of damp wood there are a few things you can try. Gasoline does get a quick flame, but it goes out just as quickly and may not get the burn actually going. We used a propane torch and were able to really get some wood burning. This is a technique we would definitely use again the future.