Firewood thread..........

[redtailgal]

I saw several folks discussing firewood, and thought it might be cool for it to have its own thread.

Here is what I know :

We heat with our own wood. We have sold wood before, we fill our dump truck with split wood, take it to location, stack it there, and collect payment after it is stacked. We make a tight stack because it is the right thing to do.


Wood is never gonna stack at the same "amount" twice. My husband can get alot more wood in a cord than I can, for instance.

For many states, the FIRST time the wood is stacked to form a cord, is the measurement. So if he stacked it and it was a full cord at his place, then he loaded it and broguht it to you, legally it is a full cord no matter how you stack it.

On the other hand, if that wood is in a random pile, and he throws it in the back of a truck and delivers it, the first time it will be stacked is at your house, so your stack would be the legal measurement.

I have no idea how anyone would enforce this "first stack" rule. Fortunately in some states, there is a buyer protection clause that says there should be no more than 10% "shrink" when the wood is restacked.

Also, in many places it is illegal to advertise wood in measurements other than a ric and a cord. Alot of states also have laws prohibiting importing wood from another state.

The main problem with buying wood site unseen, is that you have no idea if the cord was properly stacked, leaving yourself wide open to get ripped off.

If you have to buy firewood, check your local regulations (the ag extension office could help). Go look at the firewood, if its being sold as a cord or ric, it should be already stacked (if its not, you may be getting ripped off), take your tape measure and measure it. It is properly stacked without large "air pockets"? If its not stacked, offer a 30 percent down payment with the balance due once you have a full cord or ric of stacked wood (try to be there when the wood is delivered and stacked). Be sure to check the wood quality, pay attention to the bottom of the stack. Is the wood properly seasoned? Is the bottom of the stack rotten? What kind of wood is it?

Firewood creates hard work, the cutting, loading, splitting and stacking. People that sell firewood deserve a fair price. However, the consumer deserves to not get ripped off. Sadly, selling firewood is a very easy way to take advantage of and rip people off.

What are your thoughts, methods, experiences?

 

[greybeard]

My thoughts are thus:

Hardly anyone around here will sell you a cord of wood anymore, for the simple reason, that there is a set and long standing definition of a cord, and vendors can't "cheat on that set definition very easily. A rick is less defined and some vendors sell by the "rack" which is just a metal frame of varying dimensions that they sell from. There does need to be a set standard especially in areas where firewood is a commonly used product. But, a rick, is a face cord, which is simply a fraction of a cord--or the length and height of a cord, but only one "row" in depth--what you get in a rick or face cord is what ya view the "face" of a cord of firewood. A cord of course being a stack four feet high, eight feet across, and four feet deep. Since most people want wood of about 2' length, that means it takes at least 2 rows to make up the 4' "deep" part. Like anything else, vendors who experience higher costs in production, have found they can maintain historic prices, but decrease the volume or quantity and make more $$, instead of just raising the price on a full cord. Uninformed buyers think they are getting a full cord, when they are actually getting much less--often only 1/2 as much.

Your method, seems as fair as any I have heard, as it is true that a stack of non-uniform objects will never stack out the same twice in a row. Stack it into a cord--great!1 Tear it down, restack and it may be less than the prescribed size. Do it a 3rd time and the buyer may think he got a bargain becase it stacked out at his home-- more than the standard LWH.

Then there's the 'bundles' of firewood I see at conveient stores. About 5 'sticks' 18" long for around $6. That, is the way to make some money.

 

[Stacykins]

Our solution: buy a load of whole logs, cut, split, and stack it ourselves. Easier to know what you're getting in that form, but not a viable option for everyone. Costs less, but that is made up in 'sweat equity'.

 

[greybeard]

Since we built the new house, we don't have a use for firewood, but if I did, I would still be using hurricane wood from Hurricane Ike blowing down about 30 of my mature white and red oak trees. Hurricanes put lots of firewood vendors out of business for awhile--people pay to have someone come cut up and haul off the fallen trees, so anyone with a fireplace or other wood burner get not only free heating but make $ for their efforts as well. (I'd rather pay than have another storm come thru tho--it was a pita last time)

 

[redtailgal]

Yeah, that usually when we end up selling ours. Everynow and again, the dead wood will just get ahead of us and we will sell off what we dont want to stockpile.

Lol, right now, I believe we are find for a decade or so.

Wood heat is great......it heats you up several times before you even light the fire!