Not Sure I Got a Full Cord

[firefan]

Hello,

I've been on the forum for awhile. Just bought a Rockland 550 CF (Cleanface) and will be installed on September 28th, with a Block Off Plate!

Just bought three cords of wood from a Craigslist seller. The guy let me come see the wood and test it. Most of it was split and in piles but a good portion was split and stacked. He claimed it had been split for a year. Tested between 13% and 17% MC. Had the wood delivered and dumped. I stacked it and the "cords" ended up being 3' wide x 4' tall x 8' long. Feels like I'm missing ~1/4 cord for each cord. Feeling bummed. I texted the seller and am still waiting to hear back. Anyone have advice on handling this problem?

When I stacked it I made "end columns" where I stacked it back and forth up to 4' high. Then I filled in between the "end columns" with the wood just freely stacked. Most splits were 16"-18" long, which is what I requested.

I don't want to bust the guys' xxlls but feel I didn't get what we agreed on. Thoughts? Am I stacking incorrectly? Thanks for the advice!

 

[begreen]

Yes, it happened to us a few years ago. Had a two cord delivery that came up a half cord short. I was none too happy about that. It's pretty common for a wood deliverer to rough measure their dump truck bed and then loose fill to the cubic measurement. That can include a lot of air space that disappears when the wood is stacked. The dealer made good and came by quickly with the make up wood and apologized.

 

[firefan]

Yes, it happened to us a few years ago. Had a two cord delivery that came up a half cord short. I was none too happy about that. It's pretty common for a wood deliverer to rough measure their dump truck bed and then loose fill to the cubic measurement. That can include a lot of air space that disappears when the wood is stacked. The dealer made good and came by quickly with the make up wood and apologized.

Good to hear your seller made good on the shortfall. Hopefully my guy will do the same. I was a little put off by the piles of split wood instead of stacked but it wasn't awful as far as MC. I was more disappointed after stacking and measuring what I received. Live and learn but we'll see if he makes good. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[begreen]

Good luck. At least you got seasoned wood which can be a rare commodity.

 

[Poindexter]

Yeah, gettig actual seasoned wood delivered is a major score.

Fwiw i went to a forestry symposium up here a couple years ago. It was an all day thing with ine 20 minute lecture on how much wood is in a cord. If you use end stakes and orient all the splits in the same direction you can fit about 95 cubic feet of wood in a 4x4x8 box. If you criss cross your layers, 75-80cubic feet of wood in the 4x4x8 box.

Sounds like basically a reputable guy, you should offer to let him come measure the stack you made from the load he delivered...

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

It was an all day thing with ine 20 minute lecture on how much wood is in a cord.

I'm a big fan of covering an interesting subject in great detail but a 20 minute lecture on how much wood is in a cord? How long did he spend on how tight your chain tension should be?

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Was that moisture reading on a fresh split?

 

[saewoody]

I've only ever bought wood from one guy that I would buy from again. Once you find that guy, stick with him.

One placed delivered what was basically green wood, but I didn't know much better back then. And another guy easily shorted me a quarter to a third of a cord. I took pictures of the wood stacked and sent it to him. He promised a few different times he would make good on it, but never did. He just stopped returning texts and calls. He's all over Facebook advertising in town according to my wife. When people ask us if they should order wood from him or have landscaping done, I just tell them my experience. They can decide for themselves.

But that is all a none issue now. Everything I have burned after the first year, which is the last three seasons has been scrounged, cut, split, and stacked by me; as well as the next two seasons too, which are ready to go.

Getting stuffed by one of head wood guys is so aggravating, and I want to get my money's worth as much as the next guy, but I'm only willing to let it affect my anger and sanity to a certain point. Sometimes you just need to cut your losses with these guys. Don't let their lack of principles or attention to detail impact your life in a negative way. Hopefully this was just an oversight and he will make good one it.


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[cptoneleg]

I've only ever bought wood from one guy that I would buy from again. Once you find that guy, stick with him.

One placed delivered what was basically green wood, but I didn't know much better back then. And another guy easily shorted me a quarter to a third of a cord. I took pictures of the wood stacked and sent it to him. He promised a few different times he would make good on it, but never did. He just stopped returning texts and calls. He's all over Facebook advertising in town according to my wife. When people ask us if they should order wood from him or have landscaping done, I just tell them my experience. They can decide for themselves.

But that is all a none issue now. Everything I have burned after the first year, which is the last three seasons has been scrounged, cut, split, and stacked by me; as well as the next two seasons too, which are ready to go.

Getting stuffed by one of head wood guys is so aggravating, and I want to get my money's worth as much as the next guy, but I'm only willing to let it affect my anger and sanity to a certain point. Sometimes you just need to cut your losses with these guys. Don't let their lack of principles or attention to detail impact your life in a negative way. Hopefully this was just an oversight and he will make good one it.


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Right good Luck

 

[cptoneleg]

The best way to get your moneys worth is cut/split/stack your own firewood. This firewood dealer thing is coast to coast border to border there is not 10% of satisfaction from a firewood dealer.

 

[Poindexter]

If the business owner is committed to good word of mouth he'll do right by the OP.

My local pros load dump bed stake trucks with front end loaders. If i get a face cord of dirt dumped on my driveway, im done. If i consistently get 2 cords plus a bushel or two of dirt ill keep buying.

Anybody advertising 3 cords at a time on the side of a dually f250/f350 i am not goin g to call at all.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I've only ever bought wood from one guy that I would buy from again. Once you find that guy, stick with him.

Exactly! I found that guy years ago and he's never let me down. I keep going back to the same guy every year and he always delivers great product, never lies or exaggerates and delivers right to my front door....Never had a problem. I wouldn't use anyone else.


That guy is me.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I got lucky with buying good wood.....Once. My first time. After that, I had a string of phones baloney guys drop very wet wood off to me. The way I see it, buy it "green", get the small discount in price over "seasoned" wood. As long as the amount is reasonable and the wood is not rotting, you are ok. Then cut split and stack smaller than what they give you (usually the give you huge splits). Although it's more work than simply calling up a wood seller and having them drop of well seasoned wood of reasonable size to you, its is still cheap heat and you get your exercise, be outside, etc. you may be ahead of the game actually if the wood is dry.
I used to get so mad at wood sellers, but the reality is the vast majority of people who burn wood do not value or know what dry wood is. That, and there would be no way to properly dry out vast amounts of firewood out and make a profit.
The first year or so is tough we've all been there. If you do burn wet wood for whatever reason, be sure to check chimney more often that if burning dry wood.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

BTW, I have the same insert, so let me know if can help you out in any way. There has also been extensive discussions/threads on here about the 550, if you do a search on this forum for it.

 

[blades]

144 cubic feet less apx 10% for air gaps= 129.6cf those are the numbers I go by. Now just to play devils advocate, if the supplier had that stacked as a full cord Green well then you likely would only restack to about 95 cf ( cured or dried your choice of wording) or so due to shrinkage from loss of moisture- I know that my stacks after about three years shrink almost a foot in height ( stacks are 5ft+ high Green) . Just my thoughts - and I am not selling fired wood so have no bone to pick.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

144 cubic feet less apx 10% for air gaps= 129.6cf those are the numbers I go by. Now just to play devils advocate, if the supplier had that stacked as a full cord Green well then you likely would only restack to about 95 cf ( cured or dried your choice of wording) or so due to shrinkage from loss of moisture- I know that my stacks after about three years shrink almost a foot in height ( stacks are 5ft+ high Green) . Just my thoughts - and I am not selling fired wood so have no bone to pick.

That's a good point. A cord is still 128 c.f. (including air gaps) but a seasoned cord has more btu's than an unseasoned cord (even after that unseasoned cord becomes seasoned). You can have 10 cords of green wood. By the time it's ready to burn you only have 9 cords!

 

[blades]

not enough coffee or fat fingers on the 128vs144 sorry about that so correction 128-10%=115.2 still about 95cf after drying

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

not enough coffee or fat fingers on the 128vs144 sorry about that so correction 128-10%=115.2 still about 95cf after drying

A cord takes up 128 c.f. whether it's dry or green. A green cord that has dried is no longer a cord of wood.

 

[johneh]

A cord takes up 128 c.f. whether it's dry or green. A green cord that has dried is no longer a cord of wood.

X2
A cord of wood is 128 cu.ft.green or dry 4ft.x4ft.x8ft.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I got lucky with buying good wood.....Once. My first time. After that, I had a string of phones baloney guys drop very wet wood off to me. The way I see it, buy it "green", get the small discount in price over "seasoned" wood. As long as the amount is reasonable and the wood is not rotting, you are ok. Then cut split and stack smaller than what they give you (usually the give you huge splits). Although it's more work than simply calling up a wood seller and having them drop of well seasoned wood of reasonable size to you, its is still cheap heat and you get your exercise, be outside, etc. you may be ahead of the game actually if the wood is dry.
I used to get so mad at wood sellers, but the reality is the vast majority of people who burn wood do not value or know what dry wood is. That, and there would be no way to properly dry out vast amounts of firewood out and make a profit.
The first year or so is tough we've all been there. If you do burn wet wood for whatever reason, be sure to check chimney more often that if burning dry wood.

I should have mentioned in my previous reply that buying green wood is a good option IF you can give it a good year at least to dry out.

 

[saewoody]

I should have mentioned in my previous reply that buying green wood is a good option IF you can give it a good year at least to dry out.

I actually recommend this option to friends who don't source their own wood. If you are going to have a couple cords of wood stacked in your yard anyway, why not buy it green and let it season? Then you know it is seasoned when you need it.


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[firefan]

Thanks for all the replies. My moisture reading was not on a fresh split so maybe I'm getting wetter wood than I thought. Some of it was punky - not much (<2% of overall delivery). Mostly very dry sounding when you hit them together (like a bat hitting a ball and not a wet "thud"). The guy came back and measured my stacks (I wasn't home at the time otherwise I would have talked with him during measuring). He delivered and stacked additional wood that gets me closer to 3 cords but he's using a dump trailer and I think he's measuring 128 cubic feet by figuring out how full his trailer needs to be. Anyway, we'll see how it all burns. Feeling better but also feeling like I probably just need to scrounge my own wood to feel satisfied.

 

[firefan]

BTW, I have the same insert, so let me know if can help you out in any way. There has also been extensive discussions/threads on here about the 550, if you do a search on this forum for it.

Thanks for the offer of advice. I may come back to you once the insert is in and I'm ready to burn.

 

[Poindexter]

@firefan it sounds to me like you have found a reputable seller. How many times did you have to call him? Then he came over, measured your stack and made it right with how many added phone calls? And he stacked the amount he had shorted you?

Can i have his contact info please? I am going to call and say i have been reading about him on the internet, and i am willing to buy from him.

Probably his delivery fee will be uneconomical...

 

[firefan]

@firefan it sounds to me like you have found a reputable seller. How many times did you have to call him? Then he came over, measured your stack and made it right with how many added phone calls? And he stacked the amount he had shorted you?

Can i have his contact info please? I am going to call and say i have been reading about him on the internet, and i am willing to buy from him.

Probably his delivery fee will be uneconomical...

You're right. He did me a solid by returning, measuring, giving additional wood to make up the shortfall and then stacking what he dropped off.