Full cord? Really?

[jaydee]

Hello,

I'm a newbie, trying to get a wood supply well before next winter. I just ordered my first cord.

It's hardwood, mainly oak. I didn't want to have to stack it twice, so I stacked it loosely to dry over the summer.
The pieces have some cracks along their sides, but needs more time to dry, I believe. The wood guy says they will need the summer to be ready.

Here's a few pictures. Width: 5 feet Height: no more than 44 inches Number of stacks: 7 (including the half-height one)

So, did I get taken? I'm thinking so. And if so, by approximately what percent?
I am trying to get an established contact, and this guy has been in the business locally for years and years.
I didn't feel comfortable insisting that he stack it for me. That is a lot of time for which he's not being paid. Either he's honest and we continue our business or I look elsewhere, for someone who will deliver/stack or pick up where I can see the stock and designate what I get.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[gzecc]

looks a little shy. How long are the splits?

 

[jaydee]

16 inches

 

[LLigetfa]

Looks like a cord to me, assuming you are not measuring the height from the ground but rather from the stringers. If they were stacked 4 feet high, you'd need 24 feet of well ranked row. You have 30 feet plus that half stack so that makes up for being shy of 4 feet high and the end stacks being loose.

 

[fossil]

If the numbers you gave us were accurate, I think you did just fine...looks like a generous cord to me. Rick

 

[jaydee]

Thanks for your responses. Yes, the measurement is from the stringers and is accurate.

The wood seems like top quality and I was really hoping I could trust this guy. Now I feel more at ease going back for more of the same. Which leads me to a second question, I guess: here's a photo of one end piece. Some have more cracks, some less, but overall, there is some cracking showing that drying is in process. Dare I hope that after a summer in the sun, I can use it this winter? I've been reading so much about oak being slow to dry...

 

[Slow1]

I agree with the calculation on the amount of wood - sounds like a pretty good deal.

As to how dry it is... I don't think anyone can really tell from a picture.

If you want a really objective measure, get a moisture meter then split one fresh and measure the middle of the fresh face.

If you want to go by the "time since split" you need to know from your seller (who seems honest enough) when these were actually split and first stacked. Then you can start counting from there - generally oak is a minimum of 1 year, with 2-3 years being what folks around here seem to recommend. There are those that will argue that stacked as you have in a sunny and windy location can indeed dry wood out (even oak) in one summer - I have my doubts.

If you want to be more creative in your approach you can knock two together and listen for the 'baseball bat' sound, or try blowing bubbles through the split (I'm actually serious on this one though I've never tried), or...

I like the objective measure here - get the moisture meter and it takes a lot of guesswork out of it. Then again - if you don't have any other options available when it gets cold, is it going to change what you burn anyway?

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Your tarp is going to collect water (and mosquitos)..., but the cord looks pretty good

 

[jaydee]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies.

The tarp is going to get shaken out daily if it gets wet. I have enough mosquitoes here! The tarps are on top now because it's threatening to pour, but they'll be removed.

Yeah, I guess I can get a moisture meter. But I'm not sure what it will tell me at the moment, as I can tell by feel that it's still got a ways to go. There were a few well-seasoned pieces in with this lot, and the difference is clear.

Right now, I'm trying to decide what tupes of wood to buy. If oak stays wet too long, I don't want to have to struggle through my first winter with wet fuel. Probably it would make sense to buy a variety of woods...but I probably only need 4 cords!

In this area, the choice seems mainly to be oak, hickory or "campfire wood" which is a mix of tulip poplar and pine. You can get other woods, but they are usually mixed together.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Try to get some ash or birch if you can. Order for next year as well. If your wood is marginal, just make sure you sweep and inspect often - that's the key, as long as the wood isn't sopping wet

 

[iceman]

the splits look small in size so you will have a good chance of it being ready this year

 

[oldspark]

I would definitely get some of that "camp fire wood" to go with it so you can mix and match, you really do not need the tarp till this fall. Oak does not start that well even if it is dry so a little mixing with other woods well make life a lot better.

 

[Nixon]

Try this site to see what You actually have .
http://maine.gov/ag/firewood.html
It comes in handy at times .

 

[jaydee]

thanks for your responses. I will try to get other wood. Found another person in the area who's motivated to sell and says he has very well aged wood. So here's hoping. Will definitely stockpile and plan for next year while I'm at it.

 

[maplewood]

I agree with the volume - it looks like a good cord. And well split - a lot of buyers have to re-split, but yours looks fine.
I wouldn't have put the tarp on the ground.
It should be fine by this fall. Are you going to leave it there and bring it inside a small load at a time as you need it, or move it all before burning season?
How much are you paying? Up here East of Maine it's about $200-250 / cord delivered.
I get tree length for about $130/cord. Mostly white or red maple.
Happy burning.

 

[wsorg]

Looks pretty good to me.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum jaydee. I hope you aren't flooded down there.

You have plenty of answers on the volume of wood but what I first noticed is the fact that this wood is fresh cut. I also think perhaps you are putting too much faith in the ends cracking. That can really give you a false sense of security. I cut wood during the winter and just stack it up until spring. Wood that I cut in January will already be showing cracking on the ends by March! Just remember that the wood will definitely dry on the ends of the splits first and it can happen rapidly.

For the wood you have I would not feel good knowing I had to burn it the following winter. Some will say it will be fine and perhaps for them it will be. Some have never burned good dry wood either and if they ever do, they will be hooked for life on burning dry wood. There is a huge difference.

If you buy more wood that you plan on burning next fall, you'd best stay far away from oaks. Ash, cherry, birch, etc. would be some candidates to consider. Whatever you do, do it quickly.

Good luck

 

[oldspark]

Backwoods brings up a good point about the cracking, when I stacked my wood back in March and the weather conditions were sunny and windy it had some serious cracks in just a week or so.

 

[jaydee]

Thanks...you guys are great.

The stacks and the black plastic beneath it are on a slope, so the water will drain off, not collect. I'm trying to kill the grass while I dry the wood - two birds with one stone, so to speak. Plus I figured it would gather a bit more heat from the sun that way.

This cord was $175, which came to a bit more with tax. However, others in the area are asking anywhere between 120 to 250 per cord.

This oak may end up being saved for next year, based on what I'm hearing. The plan is to let it sit out over the summer and then put it nearby in a wood rack with cover that I will be building once I'm off for the summer. A rack based on a design I saw on this forum.

I'm really hoping that the other person I'm in contact with is for real when he says he has aged, truly dry wood that has been drying for over a year. He says he has a mix of oak and cherry.

 

[jaydee]

well, so much for the guy with dry wood: part of it was not fully dry, part of it was rotted on the outside and some was perfect. (the parts that are cherry wood are a nice color) He said it would be a full cord, but it turned out to be a half cord. A deal was struck to reduce the cost, but I won't deal with him again.

I'd rather deal with the first provider, who I know (thanks to you) gives a cord when he says it's a cord.

 

[Steve Foss]

I've burned a lot of oak over the years that I split and stacked the previous spring. Mostly, if the splits are smallish, it's cross-stacked and protected from rain with a top but no sides and put in an open location, it's good to go by October. Yours seems to fit all those criteria. I like to pull the top covering off when it's not rainy to let wind/sun act even more quickly. It's of course worth noting that summers in Georgia are a lot more humid than they up up here on the Canadian Shield, and that will slow down the seasoning process.

I do also very much like to lay in a supply of white birch or ash, also well seasoned, for getting a nice bed of coals to lay those first oak splits of the day on. The birch and ash are about medium on the heaviness/BTU scale, and an armful of that stuff followed by oak the rest of the day has been an excellent recipe for me. When I've been in oak country (I'm not right now), I generally like to lay in about 4/5 oak and 1/5 lighter stuff (not including kindling).

Sounds to me like you have found one good woodseller, the one who sold you the first bunch. See if he's got any lighter wood for sale to go with the oak. If not, and he finds out you want some, he may very well start supplying it.

Have fun with it. Wood, there's nothing quite like heating with it.

 

[jaydee]

thanks, I just ordered the lighter wood: poplar/pine is what he has.

I'm getting discouraged about having enough wood ready to go by fall, though. I hope what happened to you with your oak happens to mine, and that it dries in time. But I can't count on it. Like you said, there's a difference of locale and humidity.

I was going to hold off on getting a new backup conventional system (the current one is old and not worth replacing, plus the heating half "died").
With the wood situation kind of dicey, I think it's prudent to go ahead with a replacement, to be sure of available heat.
I'd rather burn wood, but I don't want to be stuck the coming winter with only two small electric space heaters, wet wood and no other way to heat the house. Drat.

 

[rdust]

First year is always the toughest, 2009-2010 was my first year. I had all my wood split/stacked by May of 2009, all of it was pretty decent except for the oak which still isn't ready. I only burned a 1/3 cord of the oak since Dennis(Backwoods Savage) hooked up with a cord+ of dry wood in March to get me through.

Since spring of 2009 I've processed 20 cords give or take, I'm now pretty much 3 years ahead so I can cut 4 or 5 cords a year and not have to worry about less then perfect wood again.

Do you have ash or locust down your way? If you do get as much as you can, I started with two cords of ash and it saved my butt!

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Now what the hell'ya gonna' do with a cord of Oak kindling??

 

[jaydee]

Now what the hell'ya gonna' do with a cord of Oak kindling??

Huh?