About Buying
Firewood
We get many calls
from people either with questions about buying their seasons
supply of firewood or what they can do after recently purchasing
wood they were less than happy with. There are a few things you
should know about wood and the laws regarding selling firewood
that will help you make the best decision when making your
firewood purchase.
Selecting a Firewood Dealer
When selecting a firewood dealer you should take several things
into consideration.
Get References!
If you haven't worked with a particular dealer before, they should
be willing to offer you references of customers they have
delivered wood to before. If they're not willing to offer you a
list of customers, those customers may not be happy ones.
Know What You Are Buying
Be smart when you talk with a dealer and know what kind of wood
you need before you make the call. Some things to consider:
What is a cord?
A cord is a measurement of wood that when neatly stacked and rowed
equals 128 cubic feet. This stack measures 4 feet tall by 4 feet
wide by 8 feet long or its equivalent (which means stack it neatly
any way you like as long as it equals 128 cubic feet).
Is one wood better firewood than another?
Different woods have different qualities. Oak creates a lasting
fire and splits easily. But oak may be expensive and other woods
may work just as well. Some woods are less dense and have
different splitting and coaling qualities. Here is a short
comparative list.
| Species
| Ease
of Start
| Coaling
Quality
| Ease
to Split
|
| ash
| fair
| good
| yes
|
| beech
| poor
| good
| yes
|
| cherry
| poor
| excellent
| yes
|
| dogwood
| good
| good
| yes
|
| elm
| fair
| good
| no
|
| gum
| fair
| fair
| no
|
| hickory
| fair
| excellent
| yes
|
| locust,
black
| poor
| excellent
| no
|
| maple,
sugar
| fair
| excellent
| yes
|
| oak,
red
| fair
| excellent
| yes
|
| pine,
white
| excellent
| poor
| yes
|
Firewood Species Based on Air-Dried Standard (4'X4'X8')
Cords
| Species |
Btu/Cord |
| black
locust |
26,500,000 |
| hickory |
25,400,000 |
| hophornbeam |
24,700,000 |
| beech |
21,800,000 |
| hard
maple |
21,800,000 |
| red
oak |
21,700,000 |
| yellow
birch |
21,300,000 |
| yellow
pine |
20,500,000 |
| white
ash |
20,000,000 |
| white
oak |
19,200,000 |
| soft
maple |
19,100,000 |
| black
cherry |
18,500,000 |
| white
birch |
18,200,000 |
| sweetgum |
18,100,000 |
| elm |
17,700,000 |
| yellow
poplar |
15,900,00 |
| hemlock |
15,000,000 |
| red
spruce |
15,000,000 |
| fir |
13,500,000 |
| white
pine |
13,300,000 |
| basswood |
12,600,000 |
| Species |
Relative
Amount of Heat |
Ease
of Burning |
Ease
of Splitting |
Production
of Heavy Smoke |
Production
of Sparks |
General
Rating |
| ash,
red oak, white oak, beech, birch, hickory, hard maple |
high |
high |
high |
low |
low |
excellent |
| soft
maple, black cherry |
medium |
high |
high |
low |
low |
good |
| elm,
sweetgum |
medium |
medium |
low |
medium |
low |
fair |
| basswood,
yellow poplar |
low |
high |
high |
medium |
low |
fair |
| yellow
pine |
high |
high |
high |
high |
low |
good |
| white
pine |
medium |
high |
high |
medium |
high |
fair |
| spruce |
low |
high |
high |
medium |
high |
poor |
Is the Wood Dry?
The more moisture in your wood, the less heat you will get from
it. It takes energy to burn the water out of wood (it may make a
hissing sound). This is energy that should be used in warming your
house. Generally, the dryer the wood, the more you'll pay for it.
Some indicators of dry wood:
- Color - look for grayness
- Bark - a sure sign that firewood is dry is bark that is
falling off the wood
- Checks - as wood dries it will begin to split on the ends
- Touch - fresh cut wood may feel wet on the end
What Size Do I Need?
Know what sized wood your woodstove or fireplace can use. Most
dealers will cut wood into certain lengths (for example 18").
To get special lengths you may have to special order it early or
pay a premium.
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