Is seasoned wood such a hard concept for firewood sellers?

[wdbrnr]

With a few months of heating season left, I was going to run short. I have been burning 3 stoves (2 inside house 24/7, 1 in shop weekends) and just didn't have enough to get me through. I sold a cheap 3/4 cord to an extremely needy grandpa of one of my co-workers with no heat a few weeks ago, fully knowing that it would cause me to run short.

I called up a local firewood seller advertising dry, clean, seasoned wood and agreed to pay $215 for a mix of alder, maple, and oak. Got home as he was unloading, in the rain almost dark. Checked over the wood, seller says it is dry but got a little wet while loading. I think OK no big deal, will dry out in a week under cover. After he leaves I notice there is a split of some alder and maple, no oak. I start to handle the maple and notice the pieces are real heavy. With a sinking feeling I bury my axe into a few pieces and thud, water shoots out. I am so pi$$ed off right now I can't see straight. This stuff is so wet to the core I will be lucky to be able to burn it next season. What re-course do I have? Sure, I would love to have some maple for next year and wouldn't mind buying some to mix with my alder and hemlock for next year but I specifically told him I needed it to burn right now? Sorry for the rant for my first post, but figured this board would be a good place to express my anger of this situation. Any advice?

 

[begreen]

Call him up and have him take it back and reimburse you. You also might check Oregon law on this. There can be some stiff penalties in some states for delivering wood that isn't as advertised.

 

[cmonSTART]

Hello there! First thing's first, I would call the guy and tell him you're unhappy and go from there. If he's a decent business guy, he'll make things right.

Welcome!

 

[Highbeam]

He's a firewood guy and unless he is of extraordinary character you will be stuck with it. Cross him off your list for future purchases.

I have had pretty decent luck with buying "dry" firewood even though it almost never meets my standards of desired dryness.

Most of the laws governing this sort of thing relate to volume of wood and not dryness since it is so hard to measure. Makes you wonder what his wet wood was like.

 

[wdbrnr]

Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't be so upset but the fact is that I have processed all of my own wood for the last 10 years and have sold quite a bit, wouldn't dream of doing this to someone else. First year burning 3 stoves, eats a little more wood than expected. Should have known better than to trust someone else in something I take great pride in. Anyway I have already split and stacked 4 cords for next year and will be putting up 5 more to avoid this situation again.

 

[bbc557ci]

Similar thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago. I did what Highbeam said .... lost his number. I'll stack it and burn it next year, but won't call him for wood again.

 

[Lignums]

With all the wood I sell, I make it a point to tell the customer when the tree was cut, when the wood was split and stacked. So far I have had no problems, and quite a few repeat customers. With only welling 15 cords of wood a year, the # of customers isn't important, it is the quality, and honesty. Sorry to hear your story, but like I advertise, buy in early fall at the latest, after Halloween, your luck is probably shot. Most of my wood supply goes within the month of September.

 

[jbrown56]

Hi, There's only one way to handle this. Either cut your own, or over order enough so you can get two years ahead and your wet wood woes will go away. As for wood sellers who sell wet wood advertised as "dry or seasoned", what goes around, comes around. There is nothing like "word of mouth" advertising.

Jim

 

[EddyKilowatt]

I'd call him up and in a reasonable tone explain that there seems to have been a mistake and he accidentally delivered unseasoned wood, and tell him how you know (moisture meter, density, sap squirting out, etc). Tell him you don't want to make him take it back, but that you think it's only worth $150 (or whatever unseasoned goes for in your area). See if he offers a refund, or ask for one... maybe offer to try again with a load of truly dry wood.

Then again, since he already gave you the "just wet from the rain" yarn, maybe its not worth the aggravation and you just have to chalk it up to education.

Eddy

 

[wahoowad]

I'd suggest instead that seasoned wood is a hard concept for firewood buyers! If it wasn't such a hard concept you'd have far less of it being purchased.

 

[SPED]

I have yet to have a satisfying experience with buying seasoned wood. Or a single case where they delivered what they said they would. The best thing to do is either word of mouth, or lacking that, call a few people with a list of questions, let me suggest a few:

What kind of wood?
When was it cut?
When was it split?
How is it stored?
What are you delivering in? follow on if a pickup... How many loads make a cord?
Try a few people and write down the answers. And of course judge for yourself how honest you think the answers are. The number one thing I would try to do is be there when they will deliver, make it clear not to dump until you inspect it....


As far as the advice to buy unseasoned, I'm sure if you could go back and plan a year or two ahead you would. I found myself in the same boat this year as I had yard projects going on and no place to put green wood last year. So sometimes it's just unavoidable. I'm back on track now with next years wood already stacked, and I have a plan to get two years ahead....

 

[Henz]

this guy obviously knew what he was delivering, dont let him fool you. He jsutwatned to make a buck in my opinion. He probably would have sold the same truck load for $150 back in June and he took you for $215. Its a shamp hence the reason I bought a moisture meter.