How many years ahead are you (pls fill out the poll).

[Backwoods Savage]

We really do not know how far ahead we are. Probably 7 years, give or take. Our problem is that since we remodeled and super insulated this old crate that we really do not burn much wood at all. When we bought the Fireview we went from burning 6 or more cord per year to burning 3. Then came the remodel and an addition. We figured with luck we'd burn about the same amount which is 3 cord. Not so! Last winter we burned somewhere around 2 and have not yet went through a cord this winter. Time will tell what the rest of the winter will be like and how much we'll burn. So far we've put up another 5 cord this winter but it is not yet split or stacked. One party was coming after a cord of wood but has not yet. Not sure how much other will be sold either. We'll keep cutting.

 

[num1hitter]

Ive got about 3-4 cords stocked up for next year on my 6000 sqft lot. So I need to find another place to started piling up my future stock.

 

[TimJ]

You forgot to mention most of your stack is LOCUST.....you lucky bugger, you!

That oak, having that long to season, will be great stuff. While locust is the ultimate wood (in my personal journal of woodburning), I put white oak right up there in a tie with some others for second. I love the smell of white oak burning.....one of the best.

Scotty, been up to this man's place many times and have known him for 30 years, so when I tell you that locust is cottomwood who you going to believe

 

[iskiatomic]

I have some good news, bad news going on. My neighbor to my right passed back in Sept. About 6 weeks ago the son in law and I are talking and he tells me, the house is going up for sale, there is alot of great firewood for you back there, take what you want before it sells.

So far I have pulled out about 3 cord. It was much nicer working back there before the thaw, now I have a big sloppy, muddy mess. The house was just listed yesterday, a family just looked at it.

Looks like I am going into overtime, to pull out as much as possible, where the hell is Poor Doug when I need him?

Alot of hardwoods, red and white oak, ash, yellow and white birch, elm, also have maple and yellow tulip.

KC

 

[tigeroak]

This is my first year burning in the house and so far we haven't burnt a cord yet. So at this rate I am 4+ years ahead. I started cutting 2-3 years before we got the stove.

 

[fabsroman]

Good news for you. Sun is not required at all. Many times we stack wood where there is no sun or very little sun. It dries just as well. But we do try to stack it where it will get wind and this is why I've always said that wind is more important than sun. Give it air circulation and it will dry well.

I also do not understand why you won't have that 20+ cord until you get the shed. Even those with sheds will usually let the wood dry outside and then move it into the shed. Get the wood, then build the shed is my advice.

Yeah, we have a really good amount of wind here, along with lightning. We are at the top of a huge hill. Must be one of the highest points around, and it is one heck of a climb in any direction for me to get back home after I head out cycling. Split a piece of one year red oak just the other day with the new Fiskars and it had the nice hollow sound when knocked together and it was substantially lighter than the green white oak I had just been stacking from the truck. Don't have a moisture meter yet, but this stuff seems to be in pretty good shape after only a single year. Have the moisture meter in my Amazon wishlist for the next Amazon order to qualify for free shipping.

As far as not having the 20+ cord prior to the shed, the reason is divorce. My wife puts up with a lot from me with my projects, but I think taking up the entire driveway with wood would be about the end of it. Don't get me wrong, the driveway is 200 feet long, but the parking pad is only about 2 cars deep, which requires us to move cars around all the time as it is now. Once I get the side area graveled over, then I'll be able to stack more wood on the driveway. Reason for stacking it in the driveway is because I don't want to be in the same situation as another poster on here and have to move 20+ cords once we start building stuff (e.g., shed, addition, kids playset, patio) in the backyard. Thought is that we are going to use around 3 to 4 cords per year, so if I cut, split, stack, and season 10 cords or more a year and then put the leftover in the shed, I should be way, way ahead in short order. Also, don't want to be "that guy" in the neighborhood.

There is usually a method to my madness. Also want the shed so I can start working on building a splitter and then a car/wood hauler. Gravel on the side area is the first order though right after tax season.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

I started scrounging in late July 2011, two weeks before my furnace was delivered, and put up 10 cords. Did not install the furnace until summer 2012 when I finally had the time AND motivation to get it done. Trust me, once it gets cold outside and your fingers and toes are numb, you will burn that wood real quick no matter how nice the stacks look or how much work you did to get it. Right now, I am working on replenishing what we have burned so far this year. So far, so good. Have almost all the racks full again and might be looking for a load or two just to dump in the driveway. I should be 2 to 3 years ahead. This mild winter has also helped a lot, but it is going to start to get cold here at the end of the month.

Oh yeah, and once you see the savings on the heating bill and get to walk around the house in your t-shirt and shorts, you will throw wood on the fire left and right. Our savings has been pretty astonishing.

To be perfectly honest i can't wait to start burning my 'own wood'. I bought some last year 'seasoned' but it was high 20's moisture. This year mine will be high teens - bring it on.

 

[blwncrewchief]

About 3 years right now. Was 5+ but gave away allot in the last year or so. Gives me a good excuse to get more wood. Got about 5 cords piled in the yard to split, 3 cords or so waiting to be brought home to process and I have some clearing to do on the property. Oh, property is currently 3.4 acres.

 

[katwillny]

We are about 2 years ahead and thats only due to space limitation. I have a small property and close neighbors and small children, 5 children that share our yard so i dont want to take away from their play space. There is plenty of "free" wood nearby that I can scrounge up. I will continue to scrounge in the spring to replace what was used the previous winter. Keep at it, pile grows fast once you start.

 

[jdp1152]

I'm not sure honestly. Wood is for supplement/ambiance, but I'm adding another insert with a much larger firebox soon so I'm not sure what I'll consume next year. Last year I went through two cords in my insert and open fireplace....obviously the open fireplace chews through it pretty quickly. This year, we've burned almost a cord and am considering picking up a 1/3 cord of Kiln dried to carry through the winter and burn a little bit more during the daytime rather than use an electric heater in my office (work from home and keep the house pretty cold except that space).

I've got at least 4 cord C/S/S. About half of that is Red Oak, the rest a mix of Ash, Norway Maple, Sugar Maple, Apple and some various unknowns added in. I'd count a few cords of willow, but that's only quartered and I'm giving it away as fast as anyone will take it. Probably have 5-6 standing dead Ash left to come down at 4-5 very large red oaks as well. Most of those will require a service due to proximity to the house or power lines. I assume that most of that will last me several years, but I really enjoy cutting and splitting firewood. Gives me some quality alone time outside, but next year I've promised the wife I'll spend more time on home improvement projects as we originally planned.

I've got 1.5 acres...half hardwood, half white pine. If I thought the wood would dry on the back of my lot in the woods, I'd set up some stacks back there and keep on going so I could see what this three year seasoned talk is all about, but I don't think there would be enough sun to keep it dry during the summer months. Fall, Spring, and Winter are plenty windy...summer not so much. I've seen a few neighbors with stacks in the woods and the rot on em is pretty heavy. Previous owner did the same and most of the wood was mulch and useless.

 

[goosegunner]

Over five years right now. I have 30 cord split and stacked, 5 cord in rounds unsplit and I started my winter cutting last week. I will probably ad just another 10 cord this winter.

gg

 

[bogydave]

At current burn rate
2.85 years ahead, (1 cord short of 3 yrs)

If we get a warmer winter then I'll be 3 yrs.
Was mid 40s with rain past few days, that reduced wood consumption.

 

[Bret Chase]

You forgot to mention most of your stack is LOCUST.....you lucky bugger, you!
.

my task this weekend is to drop an entire stand of locust,,,, probably 4+ cords of locust.. I don't know if it was the brewer's brine or the road salt that my town's highway department puts down in the winter, but the whole stand is dead, as is most of the locust within a half mile of my house...

as to the original question... I've probably got 4 months of wood... but I have had some significant unplanned events...

 

[scroungerjeff]

If these weak winters continue, about two years ahead since I burn just under three cord a year if its cold. The stuff I have saved is primo white and red oak and locust with some hickory. I have little land so that is likely where I will stay. The irony is I now have access to over a dozen acres of oak and hickory but no place to keep it. I love cutting and splitting too. I might have to make a deal with a local farmer.

 

[corey21]

Not real sure yet maybe 3 years ahead.

 

[Mr A]

I go through 8 cord a year and have CSS 24-25 cords for next year and on. Depending upon species my wood MM's around 10-15%. My usual process is 1 year in rounds, 3-4 CSS. Being ahead gives you flexibility. This year I didn't make any rounds yet, but I got time

We may have a new contender for Firewood King here!

 

[Standingdead]

We may have a new contender for Firewood King here!

Lol, not even close, but thanks! Over in the firewood hoarders club posting there's many fellas with 20+ cords. It's kinda different for me, I live and work on a farm and heat with an indoor wood boiler. I only run my oil burner backup occasionally just to keep it in working order (so far about 1/16th of a tank this winter). Oct-Dec is relatively a slow time on my farm where I can go cut and split 5-6 hours a day.

 

[wishlist]

With what I"ve cut this winter I"m a good 8 years ahead. It was alot of work but it sure is a nice feeling and yes I have that mental thing going where I walk out and just look at the wood stacks.

I read every single post in this thread and realized not one of you is my neighbor! My guess is most of us notice other people's wood piles when we are driving around and unless the wood stacks are buried in some deep underground bunker all my neighbors do the " get it as you need it " plan.

 

[northwinds]

Maybe I should of asked how many acres folks have to store their wood as well. Someone burning 4 cords a year and is 3 yrs ahead, but only has 1/3 of an acre to store it on is more of a nut than some others.

I had 15 cord on 1/3 of an acre and definitely had a subdivision reputation as the crazy wood guy who splits by hand. People would drive by the house and stop to talk
while I worked with the maul. I also lost some of the wood to people who thought they needed the wood more than I did because I had so much. Now I'm tucked away on 2.8 acres out-of-town, and the same amount of wood is invisible to the public.

 

[Bster13]

For folks with a moisture meter and many years ahead... do you find the moisture content stabilizing after so many years the wood has sat out drying? Where is the sweet spot?

 

[ohlongarm]

I have a 5 acre field filling up...........rows stacked everywhere. Been cutting and splitting for 10 months and don't intend to stop. Lots of oak and hickory going to be burned in the primo state.
I will burn any dead BTU now as long as it is dry............won't waste a thing. Been thinking about cutting and stacking some sassafrass. It all makes heat and good heat if used at the right time.

Now if you just had a decent woodstove you might be onto something,smokedragons don't count.

 

[holland_patrick]

I have some good news, bad news going on. My neighbor to my right passed back in Sept. About 6 weeks ago the son in law and I are talking and he tells me, the house is going up for sale, there is alot of great firewood for you back there, take what you want before it sells.

So far I have pulled out about 3 cord. It was much nicer working back there before the thaw, now I have a big sloppy, muddy mess. The house was just listed yesterday, a family just looked at it.


Looks like I am going into overtime, to pull out as much as possible, where the hell is Poor Doug when I need him?

Alot of hardwoods, red and white oak, ash, yellow and white birch, elm, also have maple and yellow tulip.

KC

What about patrick you could pm him

 

[tfdchief]

3 to 4 years. Just don't have room for any more than that. I wish I did.

 

[McKeznak]

Can you add a 0 to your poll? Or a "Don't wanna tell" option. I'm brand new to this, and the only wood i have is what came with the house (about 2 cord and I'm through half of it) I won't even have enough for this year, looks like I'll be turning the oil on in a month or so.

 

[WeldrDave]

Can you add a 0 to your poll? Or a "Don't wanna tell" option. I'm brand new to this, and the only wood i have is what came with the house (about 2 cord and I'm through half of it) I won't even have enough for this year, looks like I'll be turning the oil on in a month or so.

It happens, I'm behind the 8 ball as well, got lucky after the storm, just got to play catch up in the spring and summer. You can get great inspiration from the "Firewood hoarders club" check it out, some "BIG" dogs in that crowd!