Planning for next year

[lumbering on]

So I bought "seasoned" wood this fall and it was not ready to burn. Mixed hardwoods, some very dry, none green, most just not ready. Should be fine for next year. Price was ok, ($200) and he gave me almost a face cord more than the cord I paid for.

I have 3 cords of green oak ($175 for all 3) split and drying in the yard, but this won't be ready for another 2 years. I have about a cord left from the "seasoned" stuff I bought in the fall.

I don't want to go through the frustration of bad wood again.

The question is: If I buy another "seasoned" cord from this guy NOW, will it be ready for next year? Or will I need to wait 2 years for anything I buy now? And should I just get a cord of kiln dried, (which will be about 500 dollars) for next year.

 

[BobUrban]

?? really depends on the wood. If you can get ash, maple, cherry or some others and have it stacked loosly in single rows out in the wind it should be ready by next fall. If buying is your only option and you can afford to I suggest buying two years of wood so you are replaceing yr 2 every spring and not playing catch up or buying $500 cord kiln dried. Also, if you have found a good dealer for cord wood you could possibly work out a deal on bulk and get more for less.

 

[CHeath]

wet wood sucks! I found out the hard way.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

BobUrban was spot on. It all depends upon what type of wood it is and how "seasoned" it is when you get it. There are some types that would burn good in this length of time but not many. Soft maple would be my preference with ash coming in second, but only if the ash was dead when it was cut.

 

[midwestcoast]

Ask for as much as possible of the woods mentioned above by BobU & Sav in the "mixed hardwoods". One exception is I wouldn't want Hard Maple as it is not that fast drying. I'd be looking for: Ash, Cherry, Silver or Red Maple, Birch, Beech
He may be happy to do this as most folks would rather have oam & hickory delivered because it's "the best". Around here people pay a premium for oak even though it's wet and won't burn worth chit.
Heck, I'd ask if he had any Pine or Poplar around that he wanted to get rid of for the right price (like $100/cord?) It's a slow time of year I'd assume, maybe you'd get lucky.

Get it in the stacks ASAP. If you find you need some kiln dried to start the season & help the other stuff along you can always buy it in the fall (or scrounge a whole bunch of dry pallets).

 

[ScotO]

I'd be trying to find some "one year" stuff. Ash, silver and red maple, maybe some pine, etc......

Get some stuff you can use next fall and winter.....gather up some dead stuff over the spring and summer, get it split and it could be ready for this year. And I'd keep getting all the wood I could next fall and winter. Try to get yourself three solid years ahead, and you'll never have this problem again. Not to mention you'll only ever have to get one years' worth at a time once you are three years ahead....

 

[lumbering on]

I haven't heard of any suppliers in my area offering cords based on wood type except the kiln dried sellers.
Is it common to buy cords of single species?
Anyone know a supplier on Long Island, NY who will do this?