Finding trusted seller

Do you have a way to pick the wood up yourself? If so I think that's the best way. I mean yea I would ask them before then when you arrive split a piece and check. If it's truly dry I know It wouldn't bother me to show it.

Bonanza_living said:

I hope this is the appropriate place for my post.

What is the best way to find a someone who is honest about the condition of their "seasoned" wood?

We do not know anyone who buys wood around us or has enough wood for us to buy from them. Our connections are limited but we need to find good wood for this burn season soon.

I see listings on craigslist but have no idea the true quality of the wood.

For those of you who sell, would it be offensive to ask to see the wood before hand in person?

Anyone have suggestions for a place in southwest Washington? Thanks

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Check your local corner stores / community papers for ads. Or place an ad at the stores.

bob

You have a moisture content meter? Check a few splits before buying.

It's all going to be crap. BTDT, as have many other members. Best bet is to find some dimensional lumbar (construction debris, easier than pallets) or better, some compressed bricks. You probably won't find truly seasoned wood for less than the cost of the bricks. I've found good stuff to burn at wood processing plants (lumbar yards, wood preservative places, cabinet/furniture makers, fence posts, etc). Some pallets are oak. These are great if you can find them--typically used for real heavy materials (masonry, large sections of pipe, etc).

In my opinion, trying to buy "seasoned" wood is a fool's errand. Around here, you can look at the pics of the ads on CL and can even tell from the crappy cell phone pics that the wood is not seasoned or dry; it's obvious.

If I was in the market to buy firewood, I'd focus on getting what I paid for quantity-wise and species-wise; in other words, if I pay for 3 cords of oak, I want 3 cords of oak wood. How seasoned it is would be irrelevant, I'd just season it myself.

Of course, in my case, talk is cheap: I'm well into my 4 (or 5) year plan as we speak......

Honestly, if you are looking to buy dry honest seasoned wood, you most likely are not going to find it. It just truly does not happen, unless its been aged for 2-3 years, and you are gonna pay top dollar for it. Most sellers are selling stuff split just a few months earlier and tossed into a large pile. Anything you buy is still gonna be wet. If you are buying, buy "seasoned" (it's not) early in the spring with the intent to season it further on your own for at least a summer.If you are buying oak, keep it for 2. Now with that said, you can still find honest dealers in your area, in respect to the amount you are purchasing. Deal with local dealers or tree services, who you will be able to follow up with if there is an issue.

I sell a lot of fire wood every year. I do not deliver it is stacked by the face cord usually by July I have 60 face stacked in rows with some air space between rows. Buyers see what they are getting and I tell them when it was css. Up to them if they buy or not. It is all dead standing ash that I cut so not a lot of moisture to begin with. I am always honest with them so I get return business. Plus I could care less if they don't buy if they don't somebody else will. Have had plenty of times when I sold it all in the fall and started hauling fresh css wood up and people would buy it to burn that winter even though I told them I wouldn't burn it

madtrapper said:

I sell a lot of fire wood every year. I do not deliver it is stacked by the face cord usually by July I have 60 face stacked in rows with some air space between rows. Buyers see what they are getting and I tell them when it was css. Up to them if they buy or not. It is all dead standing ash that I cut so not a lot of moisture to begin with. I am always honest with them so I get return business. Plus I could care less if they don't buy if they don't somebody else will. Have had plenty of times when I sold it all in the fall and started hauling fresh css wood up and people would buy it to burn that winter even though I told them I wouldn't burn it

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It would be cool to see a pic of all of your stacked rows, lol! (I actually like the look of stacked wood.)

We have legitimate sellers in our area and here are some questions to help find them:

1. How long has your wood been cut, split, stacked?
2. How do you stack your wood?
3. What types of wood will your delivery contain?
4. Is your 'cord' legitimately 128 cubit feet stacked?
5. What type of vehicle do you deliver with?
6. What is the moisture content of your wood on a fresh split face (likely only a legitimate kiln dried operation will be able to answer this)

If you get acceptable answers to all these and the delivery they bring is different, deny the delivery before it is unloaded and do not pay them. Do not contact them again. It is absolutely not poor form to look at the load on the truck and take a few minutes to split a piece to check. Also, any dealer that will not or cannot answer the above questions is not someone to buy from. Furthermore any dealer who is irritated by you asking questions or checking is also not someone to buy from.

Finding a legitimate firewood dealer is like operating your stove. Someone can tell you the steps but you need practice and an 'eye' for what the fire is doing. There is a component to this in finding a firewood dealer as well. If you don't get a good feeling after chatting with them or they bring your delivery and can't look you in the eye, something is likely up.

FTG-05 said:

In my opinion, trying to buy "seasoned" wood is a fool's errand. Around here, you can look at the pics of the ads on CL and can even tell from the crappy cell phone pics that the wood is not seasoned or dry; it's obvious.

If I was in the market to buy firewood, I'd focus on getting what I paid for quantity-wise and species-wise; in other words, if I pay for 3 cords of oak, I want 3 cords of oak wood. How seasoned it is would be irrelevant, I'd just season it myself.

Of course, in my case, talk is cheap: I'm well into my 4 (or 5) year plan as we speak......

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Absolutely right, I got very lucky my first time ever buying firewood. Wound up with wet, heavy wood all other times. Will only scrounge now

I would not buy from someone who wouldn't let me check the MC with my own meter before the truck gets unloaded.

If the guy on the phone says it's XYZ percent and yes you can check it with your own meter before the truck is unloaded, I go ahead and order. If the guy says no, it's XYZ percent and i don't have time for you to check it yourself, I just want to drive up, take your cash, pull the dump lever and drive away, I don't order from them.

Once you have placed an order, start praying. You aren't going to know how much is in that seller's cord until you stack it yourself. If you have followed the above, it will be XYZ percent, and you will probably get at least 75cf of wood in that 128cf box, but most(*) of the engineering tables about BTU/ cord are based on 85cf of wood stacked into the 128cf box. A forester will fit 95cf of wood in the same box.

Much better deal to buy green wood from a forester and season it yourself. It costs less per cord and you get more wood in every cord.

Poindexter said:

I would not buy from someone who wouldn't let me check the MC with my own meter before the truck gets unloaded.

If the guy on the phone says it's XYZ percent and yes you can check it with your own meter before the truck is unloaded, I go ahead and order. If the guy says no, it's XYZ percent and i don't have time for you to check it yourself, I just want to drive up, take your cash, pull the dump lever and drive away, I don't order from them.

Once you have placed an order, start praying. You aren't going to know how much is in that seller's cord until you stack it yourself. If you have followed the above, it will be XYZ percent, and you will probably get at least 75cf of wood in that 128cf box, but most(*) of the engineering tables about BTU/ cord are based on 85cf of wood stacked into the 128cf box. A forester will fit 95cf of wood in the same box.

Much better deal to buy green wood from a forester and season it yourself. It costs less per cord and you get more wood in every cord.

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Good points. Also, even if these sellers "test" for moisture content, they are probably doing so incorrectly. For correct measurement, wood needs to be tested on freshly split piece and also as close to room temp as possible. Frozen wood may read out as being dry, but could be way to wet to burn when unfrozen. Allowing wood a day or two indoors should bring it to room temp.

Everyone who sells wood in my area welcomes sales where you pick it up. Many of them will also deliver. Can't imagine they'd object if someone came by, looked, and then wanted it delivered. "Seasoned" around here usually means it's been stacked a month or two, not fresh cut yesterday. You get seasoned wood by buying it two years ahead. There's a firewood store, where you can get wood any week of the year, and they have a seasoned choice that is industrially dried, but now you're paying twice as much. If you need wood right now, look for that kind of store.

Wood heat is basically about planning ahead, having what you want when you need it. The right size, seasoning, and all that. Other than that store, no one around here sells enough that I could use the same seller every year. I've used six guys in six years, all honest, all reasonably priced, five of them competent. I do a lot of easy scrounging (don't have a truck or power saw). Next year's wood has been in my sunny driveway seven months already.

You've had a lot of good advise here.
All I'll say is: Best of luck buying wood that you can burn in the same season.
Those days are long gone.

Well maybe a bit more;
Seasoned wood is a term used much too much and abused.
Dry wood is better termed as drier (than?) when buying.

This is a good site to find others buying in your area.
Yet I will bet, none burn what they buy this season.
Well, unless they know how to expiate the process. And even then it has to be early in the year.

You're buying you wood for next year, you have to understand this.
I have a system to burn in the same year, BUT, I have to buy/scavenge early or it doesn't work.

Time is the key ingredient in which ever way you wish to proceed.
Even my system takes time.

The woodlot gives us all we need for firewood most years. Last year because of heavy snow--many many feet in a short time--us and pros couldn't get out to harvest. We bought CSD for the first time in a couple of decades.
Forget "seasoned" firewood unless the seller kiln dries, then it is pricey. The definition of seasoned with or without your moisture meter varies.
So, get your order for only green wood in winter, stack in spring, ready to burn (except oaks) for next winter. Done. No accusations of "bad' seller.
And remember wood scrounging, or harvesting, or asking arborists to drop spare wood off is great for your psyche and body. It gives you the chance to get man tools.