BucksCoBernie said:
Im running low on seasoned wood. Being a first year burner I guess i used more than i anticipated. I have a few cords on hand but they wont be ready until next year and I really want to avoid the oil man.
I've must of called about 10 people with "seasoned" firewood ads on craigslist. 6 of them never bothered to return my call, 2 of them told me their "seasoned" oak was cut early last spring...I have some maple that was cut last spring and its no where near ready to burn so I doubt your oak will do any better. I did talk to 1 guy who has red oak that was cut in the fall of 2008....its about 16 months seasoned. I figured that would probably be better than anything else ive come across, but that guy hasnt called me back after I asked him if I can stop by and test a few splits w my meter (he's a few miles away) before he went through the trouble of loading it and having me refuse it because its not what he told me. I told him Im not breaking his balls, im just being careful with what im purchasing.
Does anyone know a reputable firewood seller in Bucks Co. or close by?
Condolences. I was where you are a few years ago, and it is maddening until you learn the way this all works.
I don't know about Bucks County specifically, but he bottom line here is that basically nobody has truly seasoned wood -- by our definition -- for sale. It would have to have been *split and stacked* at least a year ago, and what dealer has time/room to do that? The very, very rare dealers/suppliers who do, if you can find one, charge an arm and a leg for it, and they're unlikely to have any left this far into burning season.
It's really not even worth your time to phone these people on Craigslist up and ask. The definition of "seasoned" where I am, and most of the country from what I read on this forum, is big logs that were cut down some months ago but not cut to firewood length and certainly not split, never mind stacked. Folks aren't trying to cheat you, that's just the old-fashioned pre-EPA stove idea of "seasoned." They really don't know any better, and you can get into some terrific arguments about whether or not wood really needs to dry for a year or so before burning it. I know people here who don't even cut down a tree from their own woodlots until they're running low on firewood. The big old cast pre-EPA smoke dragons will just about burn dirt, it seems.
You really only have two options here. One is if you can find somebody offering "kiln-dried" firewood. It's late in the season for anybody to have any still available, plus they will charge you more than an arm and a leg for it. You won't save any money over the oil man.
The other possibility is finding some home owner with a big supply stashed away for his own use who might be willing to sell you a cord or two, or trade a cord for two cords of green wood you arrange from a supplier. You could put up some notices on local bulletin boards and/or cruise the streets for a few miles around and go knocking on likely doors. And you'll need a truck to go load it up yourself.
The last option is labor intensive, but will work. If you get busy with the maul and split the stuff you have into near kindling size-- like 2 or 3-inch splits, it will burn reasonably well if you put it into a good hot stove, say 450 or more. Red Oak, if that's what you've got or can get, burns this way very well, and it's easy as pie to split. You won't get as much heat out of it as you would with dry wood, and you'll need to check your flue for creosote every couple weeks.
But you can limp through the rest of the winter that way if you really, really are determined to avoid putting $$ in the oil man's pockets. Been there, done that. It's not a lot of fun, but it works.
A final suggestion. Don't bug sellers like the Craigslist guy about coming over and measuring the moisture content, etc. Just find out what he means by "seasoned" and decide whether you want it or not. He's not lacking for customers, so why should he bother with some Mr. Fussy Noob brandishing a moisture meter? And think of it this way. You're going to need more wood for next winter and beyond anyway, so if you take a chance on that 2008-cut red oak and it's not burnable this year, you can stash it away for next and you won't have lost a dime.
Most of us who are dependent on buying firewood have been through this whole routine the first year, so your frustration is very familiar. The sad truth is that there simply is no way to buy actually seasoned firewood any time of year unless it's from a neighbor with an oversupply. So don't fume and drive yourself nuts, just chalk it up to the very steep first-year learning curve.
