Its been a cold Dec and Jan here in the east. Just wondering how everyone else's wood supply is holding out.
How's your wood supply so far?
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BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
We have been consistently 10-15 degrees below seasonal temps for the last two months.
In the last 60 days we have had 9 days at or above seasonal temps. All the rest have been 10-15 degrees below the normal temperature.
In the last 60 days we have had 9 days at or above seasonal temps. All the rest have been 10-15 degrees below the normal temperature.
cmonSTART
Minister of Fire
cmonSTART said:
Im with ya. I only have half a cord of my nicely seasoned hardwood left. After that, I have one remaining cord of Aspen I took from downed beaver trees on my father in laws land. My 4-5 cords for next winter is seasoning nicely though! Its good to finally be ahead the noob curve
Almost out... It's my first year so I didn't know how much I needed or that I should have it ahead of time. I had about 3 cords I bought this fall as "seasoned" wood. This spring I hope to get one of those "grapel loads" I've seen that have 7-8 cords that needs to be cut and split. Anyone else do that or does everyone just cut there own?
Dakotas Dad
Minister of Fire
Overall, wood supply looks good, but like most, our average daily temps have been 7-9 degrees lower than average for a couple months. 40-42 is our average high for Dec-Jan-Feb, so far more than 1/2 way through our "heating season" we have only had 4 days above the average. My "wood use plan" kind of revolves around the fact that at 35 or so, my high efficiency heat pump starts to be the better choice.. but since we have only reached that point about 6 days since Nov...
The good thing is I have "upped" my annual plan, ( I had planned 3 cords based on a couple friends use and what I saw here the last half of winter last year.) Stacking 4 cords for each year now, and am good for next year and half way through C/S/S 12-13 now.. hope to get 13-14 done by the end of this spring.
The good thing is I have "upped" my annual plan, ( I had planned 3 cords based on a couple friends use and what I saw here the last half of winter last year.) Stacking 4 cords for each year now, and am good for next year and half way through C/S/S 12-13 now.. hope to get 13-14 done by the end of this spring.
Running pretty low, but with a little more scrounging should make it through. Next years stack, however, will be more than enough. Had a lot more time on my hands last fall for splitting and stacking (the new splitter helped speed up the process also).
Huskyforlife
Member
Got 2 cords seasoned stuff left which should be sufficient for the rest of the season. 2 cords unseasoned (just cut and split), and another 4 cords sitting in rounds and log lengths that I need to process and stack (the record amounts of snowfall we are getting here is delaying this work).
stejus
Minister of Fire
I'd say 2, maybe a little more. Have total of 5 cords for this season so 3 more left. Last season I got away with 4 cords.
Gone through a couple cords so far, with about 2 left in the shed and 3 stacked undercover outside. We'll make it easily this year, as we don't much burn wood during the mild temps above 50F.
If I were in the climes where some of y'all live, I'd be in serious trouble. As it stands, what passes for cold here in Alabama will be just about done in a few weeks. Still, I burned everything I had put by last summer because it was my first year in a while that I've burned wood. I finally broke down and went to see the local firewood jobbers along the highway. Apparently, I was the only guy who had ever shown up with a moisture meter. That sure opened the door to negotiations, and I was able to get a little less than a face cord for $120, red oak. Next year, I'm going to be building my annual surplus.
Around 2.5 cords burned so far. I have about 1/2 cord left in the garage and 5 cord remaining stacked. Most is good enough to burn as it was standing dead elm and walnut tops cut 6 or more years ago.
Big Al
New Member
About a cord left. Planned to use two (we only burn 14hrs a day peak season) so we're right on track. Started having small nightly fires in October and had the last nightly fire in May last year. Been loading the stove twice a night the last two months. Got a nice cord of maple and ash last week and we're getting more wood delivered soon for next season. There's always some dead stuff mixed in that we can burn late spring if we run low.
WidowMaker
Member
That sure opened the door to negotiations, and I was able to get a little less than a face cord for $120, red oak.
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Damm, you drive a hard bargin...
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Damm, you drive a hard bargin...
Big Al
New Member
WidowMaker said:
But isn't a face cord just 1/3 of a cord??? (might be wrong on this) I guess you would pay a premium for truly seasoned stuff, but around here full cords can be had as low as $185-$200
lowroadacres
Minister of Fire
We are working on our last four cords of seasoned wood right now with some marginally seasoned wood in reserve if needed.
We also have several standing dead trees within fifty yards of the house that will add up to about three cords when cut and split. Only about a cord and a half of that will be ready from the top to burn right away. The bottom half of the trees will need the summer to be ready.
We have 6-7 cords seasoning for next winter.
We also have several standing dead trees within fifty yards of the house that will add up to about three cords when cut and split. Only about a cord and a half of that will be ready from the top to burn right away. The bottom half of the trees will need the summer to be ready.
We have 6-7 cords seasoning for next winter.
Started with 6 cord, used about 3 so far. Last year I used the same amount of wood by now, but I started burning a month sooner this year and it's been colder, so I think I may be getting more out of my wood. I fully expect to have over a full cord left by April, depending on how brutal March ends up being.
In the local parlance, a "face" cord is 1/2 of a full 4x4x8' cord. You'll also hear sellers refer to a "short" cord, which is pretty much whatever they choose it to be and get away with. Some just go by the pickup bed load, which of course depends on the size of the bed. Then there is the method of stacking vs. piling it up in a heap. You really just depend on the eyeball evaluation after it is all said and done,at least I did.
With 15 years of woodburning in my rearview, this is the first occasion where I've ever resorted to buying wood, so yeah, it stung my pride somewhat. Still, a man needs to make a living some way and I'm glad to stimulate the local economy. The guy I bought it from was an old timer who looked like he earned his money, and had the driest wood of the three there. It was kind of funny to go down the line (first seller to arrive is the first offered for sale, per their agreement) and reject each load in turn. When the other two guys saw that his was the driest, they all gathered around to poor mouth his product, but in a friendly way. It had some punky sapwood on some of it, but I believed him when he said it was standing/dead.
I even felt bad about asking him to deliver it and I just pulled up in my trailer and took it home on my own.
With 15 years of woodburning in my rearview, this is the first occasion where I've ever resorted to buying wood, so yeah, it stung my pride somewhat. Still, a man needs to make a living some way and I'm glad to stimulate the local economy. The guy I bought it from was an old timer who looked like he earned his money, and had the driest wood of the three there. It was kind of funny to go down the line (first seller to arrive is the first offered for sale, per their agreement) and reject each load in turn. When the other two guys saw that his was the driest, they all gathered around to poor mouth his product, but in a friendly way. It had some punky sapwood on some of it, but I believed him when he said it was standing/dead.
I even felt bad about asking him to deliver it and I just pulled up in my trailer and took it home on my own.
ploughboy said:
For years I got all my wood from one guy. I never saw him because his white-haired old dad did the delivering. I paid $65 for a good, full cord of white ash, that he charged an extra $5 over the regular price of $60 for hand-selecting it. One year he raised the price to $75 to cover the increased cost of diesel (I'm 40 miles away), and apologized all over himself for having to do it.
My wife and I were both in school during a lot of that time. Sometimes I'd have to stay late to finish up work in the lab, and I'd show up at 7 PM and there would be the dad, sitting there with his truck running. This goes back to pre-cell phone days, so the son would just get a load together and send the dad over with it when he couldn't reach me by phone. I felt horrible about it when it happened, but the old guy wouldn't take any extra money, seemed a bit perturbed that I even offered it. It made no sense to me to run a business that way, but all he was concerned was that I liked the size of the load and the quality of the wood, and that he got paid in cash. I finally resolved the issue by leaving an envelope with cash in it in a spot he knew about ahead of time. Neat old dude, I really miss getting wood from him and his son.
I heard that Battenkiller....I guess that both of us see ourselves being in that guy's place but for the grace of God, trying to scrape together a little money by doing an honest day's work. Come to think of it, some days, I'd trade places in a second.
Big Al
New Member
ploughboy said:
Oh Ok. I had heard a face cord was basically one of the three 8'x4' rows of wood found in a typical cord stack. So half a cord ready to burn today for that price isn't too bad.
I've got no problem handing the cash to the farmer who drops wood in my driveway. I've processed my own wood before so I know what it takes to get a cord from standing tree to cut and split. I just buy it now, as I only use about 2 cord per year and don't own a pick-up truck. The extra cost to own a truck with insurance, gas etc. is easily double the cost of buying the amount of wood I consume.
See the sig. That being said, I have about a cord of actual cut and split firewood sitting out back. It's really for next year, but worst case, I could dip into some of the smaller stuff if need be.
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
I have about 1/2 of the 5 cords I went into this reason with. About one cord of it is that damn soft or silver Maple. It burns way to fast for this weather. I have been restacking it to use on the spring, so my pile looks smaller than it really is because about 1/2 cord of it is moved, but not burned yet. I am pretty sure I will be fine even with some left over, but it sure is unnerving to see the stack getting smaller.
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