Good dry wood on LI that doesn't cost over $500 a cord??

[av8roc]

So I just purchased a wood burning insert and am looking around for good dry wood on LI to burn this winter. I have a friend with a tree company who sells and he dropped off a cord of mixed "seasoned" hardwood last month for $180.

The problem is its not all dry wood. There is some dry but some of this stuff just can't be. I can put a 5" split on a good hot fire with a nice ember bed and it will barely burns! I really have to mother it to prevent it from smothering the fire. Not sure how the insert will do with this wood but I suspect not too well.

I have a moisture meter coming in the mail because I'm curious exactly how wet this stuff is.

I just called my friend to tell him I was gonna need more wood due to the insert purchase and he offered me a cord of green and a cord of dry for $300 delivered. The price is OK (I guess) but I want to get my hands on some real good dry wood so this insert performs as it should. I am reading thread after thread of people with stove problems that turn out to be the wood itself.

Here is what I have found:

http://www.lifirewood.com/long-island-firewood.php

Whoa! $500+ per cord! At that price is it even economical to heat with wood anymore?

If anyone has any other good sources for wood on the island please let me know. I am in western Suffolk.. (East Northport)

Thanks!

 

[karri0n]

You can't buy dry firewood. It just doesn't exist at any firewood seller. I didn't check the link, but I'm assuming that $500 wood is going to be kiln dried. For this year, you will need to find yourself some shipping pallets, untreated lumber, friends or neighbors that have dry wood, and mix this with the green stuff you will inevitably have to buy. If you have woods on your property, and access to a saw, you can try to find some dead or dead standing wood, which may be lower in moisture content than something you can buy, or a live tree you cut yourself.


When you buy for this year, get enough for next year and the year after as well. In the northeast, hardwoods are usually going to be mostly oak, and this stuff will take two years to fully dry, so you want to get your wood stacked for 2011 now.


The cord of green and the cord of dry that your friend is offering are likey going to be the same moisture content. That comes out to 150 per cord, which is a decent deal. When you get your moisture meter, re-split some from the "dry" shipment and some from the "green" shipment, and it will more than likely be the same moisture content in the center. Generally firewood sellers that are selling "seasoned" wood leave the wood in log form, stack it in a pile for a year, then cut/split when it's time for delivery. there is really no difference in moisture content than the day the tree was brought down.

 

[av8roc]

You can't buy dry firewood. It just doesn't exist at any firewood seller. I didn't check the link, but I'm assuming that $500 wood is going to be kiln dried. For this year, you will need to find yourself some shipping pallets, untreated lumber, friends or neighbors that have dry wood, and mix this with the green stuff you will inevitably have to buy. If you have woods on your property, and access to a saw, you can try to find some dead or dead standing wood, which may be lower in moisture content than something you can buy, or a live tree you cut yourself.


When you buy for this year, get enough for next year and the year after as well. In the northeast, hardwoods are usually going to be mostly oak, and this stuff will take two years to fully dry, so you want to get your wood stacked for 2011 now.


The cord of green and the cord of dry that your friend is offering are likey going to be the same moisture content. That comes out to 150 per cord, which is a decent deal. When you get your moisture meter, re-split some from the "dry" shipment and some from the "green" shipment, and it will more than likely be the same moisture content in the center. Generally firewood sellers that are selling "seasoned" wood leave the wood in log form, stack it in a pile for a year, then cut/split when it's time for delivery. there is really no difference in moisture content than the day the tree was brought down.

Yes, it is kiln dried.

Dry firewood doesn't exist from a seller? That seems crazy to me as that is their business, no? How complicated could it be to be split wood 2 years before delivery?

I guess it's gonna be a tough season because I don't have nearly enough dry stuff to get through it.

 

[Got Wood]

he offered me a cord of green and a cord of dry for $300 delivered.

Since he gave you a cord of "seasoned" for $180, I'd ask for 2 cords of "green" for $240. Stack them for next year. This year is going to be a challenge, many posts on the forum on how to limp by.

 

[jfournier]

With the montpelier insert there's no point even burning green wood, even if you mix it with seasoned wood (from my experience, at least). The green wood will burn, but my montpelier at least won't put out any heat if there's green wood burning. Sucks, but that's the way it is.

I'd suggest you call different dealers and try to find someone who at least split the wood a year ago (they exist, just few and far between it seems), and maybe go out and split a few pieces and test the moisture.

The first year sucks if you didn't get your wood together in time, but just be prepared next year and you'll be all set (I'm really enjoying the Montpelier now that I'm burning seasoned wood).

 

[Fuelmaker]

I make Liberty Bricks and Long Island Pellet has about 20 tons for sale. I think he is selling our bricks for about $300/ton. At 8% moisture, that should be about equivalent in heating value to a kiln-dried cord, which is probably still at least 18% moisture and will weigh about 2200 pounds. Our product can be used to supplement your green wood. Liberty Brick fires are very easy to get going and the wood is so dry that the smoke will not create creosote. After you get a good hot fire going, you can use your green wood without worry of making a lot of creosote. Just don't damp the fire down too low when you burn green wood so that you don't have cold smoke.

We have high hopes for Long Island because of the high fuel prices and shortage of firewood and storage to let it properly season. We haven't found a way to market to customers like you and would like your feedback as soon as possible.

 

[Dix]

Jotul found a guy on Craig's list. There was a thread here not to long ago. Let me look for it.

here ya go

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/42439/

 

[gzecc]

Find a firewood guy. There has to be one on the eastern 1/2 on LI. Go to his yard and pick the wood you want, he has it, he keeps it for his special customers and himself, have it delivered or pick it up yourself. You will pay more for truly seasoned wood, you should its better.
Bring your moisture meter. Split one and measure the inside. It should be approx 20%.

 

[lexybird]

You can't buy dry firewood. It just doesn't exist at any firewood seller.

very true ,if you ever expect to get truely seasoned wood you gotta take it upon yourself (dont count on anybody )and get ahead of the game ,it will be worth it in the end,nothing is worse than having a huge pile of green unburnable wood on a frigid january morning with an ice cold house and peeved off wife wrapped in a snowmobile suit in the living room.

 

[karri0n]

nothing is worse than having a huge pile of green unburnable wood on a frigid january morning with an ice cold house and peeved off wife wrapped in a snowmobile suit in the living room.

Were you at my house in January? :bug:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You can't buy dry firewood. It just doesn't exist at any firewood seller.

Dry firewood doesn't exist from a seller? That seems crazy to me as that is their business, no? How complicated could it be to be split wood 2 years before delivery?

Yes, it is a sad state of affairs but we have to live with it for now.

The complication of splitting wood 2 years before delivery are the space it takes to store the wood and the fact that it is an extra handling of the wood, therefore bringing up the cost which probably can not be recouped. So, they all just say it was seasoned and let it go at that.

The worst part is that new burners do not realize this until after a stove is bought and installed. They think it is like burning oil or gas in that you just call and order some. But wood burning is not like that. We always make sure our wood is 3 years since cutting and splitting before we burn. It is amazing the difference in the amount of heat you get from dry wood over green wood. So the hard part is getting the fuel ahead of time, but it has to be done.

 

[Wood Duck]

The first year is always tough, since nobody plans ahead and gets wood before the stove. Maybe you can find a little dry wood, perhaps a friend has some stacked up that they aren't using. There is also scrap from lumber yards, pallets, or maybe some of those sawdust bricks somebody was selling a few posts before this one. They aren't nnormal firewood, but at least are dry and will burn well, allowing you to enjoy your insert this winter. Get wood now for next year and it should be dry enough. Two years is even better with wood like oak and hickory.

 

[kenny chaos]

You can buy dry firewood.
You'll just have to look a little harder.
Persist!

 

[av8roc]

Jotul found a guy on Craig's list. There was a thread here not to long ago. Let me look for it.

here ya go

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/42439/

I'm gonna call him tomorrow, thanks Eileen.

Once again Hearth comes through, you guys rock!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Pallets got me through my first year.

A good way to tell dry wood is to bang two pieces together. If they are dry they will sound like a 2x4 dropped on the floor in Home Depot. They will actually ring. Wet wood will thud.

Matt

 

[av8roc]

Pallets got me through my first year.

A good way to tell dry wood is to bang two pieces together. If they are dry they will sound like a 2x4 dropped on the floor in Home Depot. They will actually ring. Wet wood will thud.

Matt

Probably a dumb question but where is a good source for old pallets?

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Pallets got me through my first year.

A good way to tell dry wood is to bang two pieces together. If they are dry they will sound like a 2x4 dropped on the floor in Home Depot. They will actually ring. Wet wood will thud.

Matt

Probably a dumb question but where is a good source for old pallets?

Back of your local K-mart or equivalent (ask first) - only ask after the non-painted ones (for obvious burning reasons, but also the painted ones are re-used). Best place ever is stone masons/landscapers - they have oak pallets that their stone is delivered on. Bone dry, lots of BTUs. Got me through last year - may have to do the same this year as I moved to a new place and my wood I collected in april/may is still looking pretty wet.

 

[allhandsworking]

Pallets got me through my first year.

A good way to tell dry wood is to bang two pieces together. If they are dry they will sound like a 2x4 dropped on the floor in Home Depot. They will actually ring. Wet wood will thud.

Matt

Probably a dumb question but where is a good source for old pallets?

I can burn 25% moisture splits if they are split under 5" and on a good bed of coals. The bio mass wood bricks sound like a good way to get you threw the first winter. You will be able to burn some under seasoned mixed in with the bricks! yes pallet wood or construction waste also works great!

 

[fredarm]

Other brands of wood bricks are Biobricks, Envi-blocks and Wood Brick Fuel.

 

[High_Iron]

Pallets got me through my first year.

A good way to tell dry wood is to bang two pieces together. If they are dry they will sound like a 2x4 dropped on the floor in Home Depot. They will actually ring. Wet wood will thud.

Matt

Probably a dumb question but where is a good source for old pallets?

Where are you on long Island? There are a couple of places by me that have free pallets.

 

[Fsappo]

I burned green wood all last year (split for a few months only) In my stove which I am not allowed to name. I just split it a little smaller. Burned longer, a little less heat and a little more smoke. But it kept me warm all winter. When I lived on LI a lot of my customers would drive around and grab scrap wood left by the road from landscapers and construction crews.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I picked them up various places, but had the best luck when I found a pool and spa seller. They had large oak pallets big enough to put a jucuzzi on. I stupidly used the chainsaw to break them up. I went through a lot of chains. Somebody here brilliantly suggested demo blades in a sawzall. I could have slapped myself for not figuring that one out myself. I recently saw a person using a circular saw for it and that made sense too. Hitting a nail with a cheap CC blade wouldn't bother me as much as a nice chain...

The Sawzall is probably the best bet as you can cut through anything without serious kickback.

Matt

 

[allhandsworking]

I picked them up various places, but had the best luck when I found a pool and spa seller. They had large oak pallets big enough to put a jucuzzi on. I stupidly used the chainsaw to break them up. I went through a lot of chains. Somebody here brilliantly suggested demo blades in a sawzall. I could have slapped myself for not figuring that one out myself. I recently saw a person using a circular saw for it and that made sense too. Hitting a nail with a cheap CC blade wouldn't bother me as much as a nice chain...

The Sawzall is probably the best bet as you can cut through anything without serious kickback.

Matt

I use the circular saw works great. then split to 1" with hatchet

 

[allhandsworking]

There was a pile of pallets 60' high in Red Hook at the end of Atlantic ave Bklyn but I think it went to the land fill! I used to go threw it for the Oak pallets!

 

[gibson]

If you are like me, the suburban "wannabe", who likes to burn but doesn't have the time or the equipment (nor the woodlot) to process wood and get a few years ahead, you have few options. What I do is buy wood in February or March. This year I didn't buy quite enough, two cords and much of it is softwood. My bad. I will buy better this year. My father in law is a lifelong burner with 10 cords in reserve. He will trade green for seasoned with me if things get tough. He is retired and hyperactive so the work of the tradeoff is not a big deal. My suggestion is if you know someone who burns, with a lot of reserve, try and work out a similar deal. When you buy your wood for next year, remember that the lowest price is not the best deal. I did get the two cords that I paid for, but I got a lot of splitter trash and softwood. I hope to buy some 6 month seasoned oak this February. I will pay what I need to pay and hope to establish a long term relationship (with a tree service). I have realized that I'm not in it to save money as much as I'm in it because I love to burn wood. It is my winter hobby and a much needed respite from wearing a shirt and tie everyday. Good luck to you.