May have to buy firewood - WWYD?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tickbitty

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Feb 21, 2008
1,567
VA
Our firewood may well run out pretty soon, and the maple we cut down will not be ready for a year.
Looks like we might have to buy some wood.

There are assorted firewood guys on CL who may or may not be reputable or have truly dry wood, some seem OK but I just don't know. Most sell by the truckload that they say is half a cord and the prices vary.

There is a place near me that sells what I believe likely is truly dry firewood and I am also sure that a cord is a cord with them as their FAQ page is all about how to measure that. THe prices don't seem terribly high compared to the craigslist folks either. Since they are a lumbermill I wish they sold slab wood as a bunch of you burn, but oh well, guess they saw the value in selling firewood.

(broken link removed)
But they distinguish between hardwood and oak, is that unusual?

Seasoned Mixed Hard Wood...$175.00/Cord

(Beech, Maple, Poplar, Gum)

Seasoned Split Oak................$225.00/Cord

(White Oak, Red Oak, Pin Oak, Live Oak)

Another possibly decent local option is that Liberty Bricks (which advertised on hearth now I notice!) sell whole pallets (a ton or 102 bricks) of their "seconds" for $125 or the "premium" for $150. I am aware that I would have to burn those differently and be careful of overfire - also I would need to figure out where to store them and would also have to try to use them all this year so I wouldn't have to store them through a humid eastern VA summer. But that does seem like a good deal compared to the prices other folks seem to pay for these bricks.

What do you all think about these options? Thank you in advance.
 
I have not used the compressed logs (eco bricks) before - so I can't comment except to say the price seems fair.

Can you drive to the firewood vendor's lot and see the wood before you buy?
 
FWIW I'd spend the extra 50 and go with the oak if it's really seasoned. Looks like some low BTU hardwoods mixed in the regular stuff.

I would think being a sawmill and not a fly by night they wouldn't mind you checking out the wood before you buy. I guess you could always snag a bundle first and try burning that, but no guarantee that cords would be the same stuff as the bundles. Do you have a moisture meter?
 
A lot of people prefer oak, so maybe that is why the mill separates the oak from other hardwoods. I think I'd buy the mixed, just for the sake of seeing different types of wood. If you need two cords, go for one mixed, one oak.

I don't really know anything about the bricks, but I think I'd prefer real wood, just because it seems more authentic.
 
I'd ask 'em the makeup of the mixed hardwood. If it's mostly hickory, locust, cherry, and ash, I'd buy that for sure.

If they tell ya it's mostly walnut or sycamore stay away from it.

I've lived off all the above for 3 years so far :)

However, when I buy log length it's always red oak or chestnut oak and that's only because it's what's available the most around here.
 
At this point in the season, I would probably get the mixed load.
You can always bring a moisture meter down and check some of the oak.
 
How long does a cord of wood last you? Are you running oil or gas as backup? I could heat for probably 1.5 months on 225 worth of NG.

IF I ran out of wood, and I probably will by the end of the season, I'd just use NG.
I would estimate I go through better than a cord a month but that might go down now that I installed a BDR.
 
After some consideration and reading what people have written in other posts, I think I would (and will) buy a pallet of the ecobricks.
 
That's a great price for the bricks. 1 ton of bricks is generally considered to be a cord. I've NEVER seen them for cheaper than cordwood, and you absolutely know they are going to be dry.


I'm actually surprised no one commented on he bricks.
 
RE: buying oak this time of year...don't do it. Oak takes two full years to season and I sincerely doubt the lumber mill took the time to create that inventory and let it sit for that period of time.

RE: other hardwood...probably a better choice C/S/D firewood that you plan on burning this year.

I ordered two cords of mixed firewood back in early December. The oak is not burnable (maybe 20% of the load) but the rest (a mix of poplar, ash, etc.) burns much better.

RE: Liberty Bricks...I use WoodBrickFuel (same concept) to supplement my fires. I use about 5-10 a day depending on how long I'm burning. They make great heat at the startup of a fire. I'll also throw a couple in if I accidentally throw in wet wood to get the moisture content in the stove down.

Hope this helps!
 
Definitely compare the cost of heating with gas to the cost of the wood. Assume the wood won't be perfectly seasoned, and you'll get less heat out of it than with great wood. I guess I'd go with the bricks for that reason. Unless you think you'll manage to scrounge a lot of quick-seasoning wood soon, I'd consider buying the hardwood or the "seasoned" oak now, and save it for next year. I'm sure their oak hasn't seasoned long enough.

I would
1. Ask the mill about selling slabwood--maybe they could.
2. explain to them how much cordwood I might buy, and say I want to buy a small amount of wood to see how dry it is--break it down into portions of a cord if it makes you and them happy.

I recently read on here that once you have the wood indoors and to room temperature, press the end of the wood to your cheek---seasoned wood feels warm, unseasoned feels cool. It totally works. I have a moisture meter, but I dropped it, and can't trust it anymore. I wish I'd known this test before I bought it.
 
You've already talked yourself out of the CL sellers right? Good.
As for the lumberyard, MMandm said it, take the cheaper mixed hardwood as it's more likely to be dry enough to burn. Only go for the oak if you have a moisture meter. Folks around here all charge a premium for oak as well, but most is not dry enough to burn.
I'd try the bricks at that price too, they're nearly twice that price here.
 
ansehnlich1 said:
I'd ask 'em the makeup of the mixed hardwood. If it's mostly hickory, locust, cherry, and ash, I'd buy that for sure.

If they tell ya it's mostly walnut or sycamore stay away from it.

I've lived off all the above for 3 years so far :)

However, when I buy log length it's always red oak or chestnut oak and that's only because it's what's available the most around here.
Click to expand...

From what I see come down around here, my guess is a LOT of poplar and maple. And Gum. There's a couple nice gated communities that left a lot of trees in and they come down in the storms. It's a ton of poplar... hate poplars. Have no experience burning it, but I really dislike them as standing trees. I think they are ugly and they drop garbage all year long and then they are weak and come down in the storms. I think the advice to get a cord of each might be a good call. See what the difference is, etc and then I;ll know for the future. Plan to burn a lot of maple next year or the year after (giant tree bucked up in my back yard) and the rest I guess will be scrounged from where I work when trees are taken down. But we are obviously going to have to get a cord or two in the meantime for the rest of this year and into next year.

Thanks for all the advice. Tried to get a sample of Liberty Bricks from local stove shop today but they are out. There is a total blizzard AGAIN here for second week in a row, (and it rarely snows here) plus it rained the days in between so everything is SO soggy here. THe tarp blew backward and got a bunch of the remainder of our woodpile wet. Oy!
 
Nothing really constructive to add here . . . as others have said I would probably go with the mixed hardwood . . . and be sure the wood is truly seasoned . . . otherwise I would return to heating with dinosaurs for the remainder of this year.

However, when I first read the title I saw WWYD . . . and I thought to myself, "What Would Yoda Do?" ;)
 
firefighterjake said:
Nothing really constructive to add here . . . as others have said I would probably go with the mixed hardwood . . . and be sure the wood is truly seasoned . . . otherwise I would return to heating with dinosaurs for the remainder of this year.

However, when I first read the title I saw WWYD . . . and I thought to myself, "What Would Yoda Do?" ;)
Click to expand...

Buy the mixed hardwoods, you should, and as well consider getting some of the oak. I probably would mess with those fake wood bricks myself not, but you well wish. Yes, hmmm.

http://www.yodaspeak.co.uk/index.php
 
Update - we got a cord of the mixed hardwood from the firewood place at the sawmill and split it with the guy across the street.

The good news, it's good and dry, (under 20%) and it seems to be a genuine cord. The bad news, it cost $190 for the cord delivered, it seems to be very heavy on poplar (I'm not really that surprised by that though) has a lot of messy stuff in there - a bit of rot or punky - and a fair amount of it is too long... that last part was weird, they have tons of nice dry firewood but not all cut to length seemed odd to me. THey said it averages 16" but that's not so. I see a fair number of pcs in there that are 21" or up to 24". I imagine this must be the stuff that might have been sold as slab wood or something and then it's just sawed up? We don't have a chainsaw yet so we will be putting the stuff in diagonally or hacking at it with the hatchet I guess! Thanks all for your input here.
 
Hi -

I found a chop saw handy for trimming odd lengths. quicker and easier than chain saw. Probably safer also.

ATB,
Mike
 
tickbitty said:
Our firewood may well run out pretty soon, and the maple we cut down will not be ready for a year.
Looks like we might have to buy some wood.

There are assorted firewood guys on CL who may or may not be reputable or have truly dry wood, some seem OK but I just don't know. Most sell by the truckload that they say is half a cord and the prices vary.

There is a place near me that sells what I believe likely is truly dry firewood and I am also sure that a cord is a cord with them as their FAQ page is all about how to measure that. THe prices don't seem terribly high compared to the craigslist folks either. Since they are a lumbermill I wish they sold slab wood as a bunch of you burn, but oh well, guess they saw the value in selling firewood.

(broken link removed)
But they distinguish between hardwood and oak, is that unusual?

Seasoned Mixed Hard Wood...$175.00/Cord

(Beech, Maple, Poplar, Gum)

Seasoned Split Oak................$225.00/Cord

(White Oak, Red Oak, Pin Oak, Live Oak)

Another possibly decent local option is that Liberty Bricks (which advertised on hearth now I notice!) sell whole pallets (a ton or 102 bricks) of their "seconds" for $125 or the "premium" for $150. I am aware that I would have to burn those differently and be careful of overfire - also I would need to figure out where to store them and would also have to try to use them all this year so I wouldn't have to store them through a humid eastern VA summer. But that does seem like a good deal compared to the prices other folks seem to pay for these bricks.

What do you all think about these options? Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

If it is indeed dry, I would certainly go for the oak. If questionable I would get the mixed and hope for the best or go with the bricks.

But to me the real question is what are you doing about next year's wood? It is getting a bit late to start thinking about next year. It needs to be put up now to make sure you are ready.
 
Ya gotta get up before the chickens Dave.
 
The point is to do whatever you need to do for the rest of this winter, and get workin' on next winter's wood now, or as soon as possible.
Try to put up more than you need, too, so you can keep burning this time next winter. Good learning experience.
Do you lose your posting privilege here if you run out of wood before it gets warm out?
 
I'd buy some wood for next year while you're at it.

Maybe find some pallets to help burn any partially dried wood you get.

Matt
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

ClintonH
Tree company log drop
Replies
13
Views
1K
The Wood Shed
ClintonH
ClintonH
E
Will this wood be ready for me this year?
Replies
51
Views
2K
The Wood Shed
NickW
N
B
Starting a Firewood Company
Replies
24
Views
3K
The Wood Shed
punky chunks
P
Y
Treating wood shed floor and walls from insects?
Replies
11
Views
2K
The Wood Shed
EatenByLimestone
EatenByLimestone
D
Noob firewood seller questions
Replies
55
Views
7K
The Wood Shed
singed
S
Top Bottom