Out of wood very soon...very bummed

[mskif]

I went through my good pile and brought in a weeks worth of wood and realized I probably have only two weeks left.

I have another 2 cords of red and white oak and maple but I split a few open today and they are 30 to 35% moisture so they are not going to be ready until next year. I also have another 2 cords that were split and stacked in October.

We only decided to install an insert into our new house in October so I got a late start this year.

Looks like I am going to have to pay the gas man soon. I am bummed our gas & electric peaked at $780 last winter. This year I have been able to keep in the $250 range.

On the positive side a co-worker lives on a heavily wooded lot with many downed trees and he says that I can take as much as I want. I'll be in much better shape next year but I will be feeling the pain soon.

 

[LLigetfa]

Well... at least gas is cheaper than some of the alternatives. I too, have gas to fall back on but in my former home, the alternative was electric heat.

 

[mskif]

True, at least I have the gas heat to fall back on. I was just venting a bit. Besides being more expensive for me the steam radiator heat just doesn't produce the type of heat of the stove. The house seems much colder and draftier when running the steam heat.

I will savor my last few weeks of burning for the year. It is going down to 9 degrees tonight. Nice and toasty at 75 inside.

 

[smokinj]

start cutting up some dead wood!

 

[pinewoodburner]

If you have a friend that burns maybe you can trade off some on your green split wood for some seasoned wood.

 

[SteveT]

You might also consider getting some BioBricks or a similar product. You might not save a whole lot (in fact I'm paying more for heat with my BioBricks than I would with oil at current pricing). But you would maintain the great feel of sitting in front of a fire....

 

[fossil]

Your first year burning is a year well spent learning, no matter what. I imagine that one of the most common experiences among first-time burners is running out of seasoned wood the first year. It just seems to take a bunch more wood (and work) than a lot of people realize to keep themselves and their families warm through the winter. I've no data to back that up, other than having read so many similar threads here. I think you just gotta have a backup source of heat, and I think sometimes you just gotta use it. That's what backup means. I'll bet that next year you don't run out of wood. Rick

 

[LLigetfa]

Start burning some gas now to help stretch what wood you have. That way you won't have to go cold turkey.

 

[jeff6443]

First year guy here I close to out . I will be better prepared next year , . I know what I m doing this summer . JM

 

[rayburn]

Im cutting it close this year also. I probaly have about a cord of dry left for this year ,going to try and find some dead stuff to supplement.

 

[Roxburyeric]

This is my first year also and I have 3.5 weeks left of wood. I started with 4.5 cords and felt it would probably be enough but with the learning curve, cold weather and not so seasoned wood I started with all paid a toll this year. I have almost 4 cords for next year c/s/s already and have a line on lots more so I'll be ready for next year (I think 6 cords is the number I'll need - nut I will not stop there). At least oil is pretty cheap or I could try some of the wood I have for next year. We'll see what happens. I've read it here pently of times - you can never have enough wood - so there is always next year.

 

[aandabooks]

My first year burning, 4 seasons ago, I was always after the wood. Didn't install until Oct and spent the winter chasing down every stick I could find. Luckily, my
FIL has been burning for 15 years and let me mooch some off his supply. That first year I gathered enough for two winters and now I'm three years ahead. Worst case when you get years ahead is having to tap into the following years supply and replace at the end of the pile later.

If you can find any dead elm or even semi-dead ash in your co-workers woods, those are species that I have found can be burned right after splitting.

 

[myzamboni]

First year guy here I close to out . I will be better prepared next year , . I know what I m doing this summer . JM

If you want to be better prepared, you know what you'll be doing this late winter/early spring (not summer) ;-)

 

[precaud]

If you have the room, work two years in advance. It's a very secure feeling knowing you're covered that far out.

 

[mskif]

If you have the room, work two years in advance. It's a very secure feeling knowing you're covered that far out.

I do have the room and getting at least two years of supply is my goal. I am working on it already.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

My first year back heating with wood and I didn’t get my wood stove in till Oct. either.
I’m down to my last cord or so. I have only burnt about 2 cord so far this winter, so one more should last me till March, then I hope it will be too warm to bother much with keeping a fire going 24/7.
If I really need to, I’m pretty sure I can sponge some wood off my neighbour. My two Sons and I have helped him shovel snow from his driveway a few times this winter. And just last week he asked me to picked up a (heavy) piece of furniture for him with my truck, and when I did he tried to pay me but I wouldn’t accept it, I told him one day I would need a favour from him
He cut down a bunch of Elm trees in his yard a couple years ago. He cut it up and stacked it in his shed and planned to burn in his wood furnace, but he had it inspected and the sweep told him his set-up didn’t meet code and he would not be covered for fire insurance, so he stopped using the wood part of his furnace and had a heat-pump conversion installed. He does have an older fireplace that he can still burn his wood in, but he said he uses more for a novelty than for heat. I have never seen anything coming out of his chimney, so I imagine he has lots of wood left.

 

[Got Wood]

First year burner here. Gone through 3 cords. Been working hard since October scrounging and have about 6 cord c/s/s and heading out again today. My original goal was to end the winter with next years supply ready to go. Now I expanded my target to get going on the following years supply. I need to land a big score to get there though. Also, as I learn more about how the FXP burns I am using less wood. Just last night I had a no brainer thought.... load the fire up when the temp in the house needs it vs. when the fire burned downed (and the house is plenty warm).

 

[shaw24]

Why not buy some seasoned wood? I dont know what type of fuel you use but for me with propane its still a LOT cheaper to buy wood than use propane. Around here wood is selling for $50/rick or $150/cord.

 

[mskif]

Why not buy some seasoned wood? I dont know what type of fuel you use but for me with propane its still a LOT cheaper to buy wood than use propane. Around here wood is selling for $50/rick or $150/cord.

I would love to buy some seasoned wood, but finding it this time of year has proved to be difficult. Also, what most are calling seasoned is not really seasoned. They are splitting now for the order, and ask what size I want my splits cut to. Still on the hunt.

 

[michaelthomas]

I have about 2 weeks left on the screen porch. I have 2 more cord ready to go stacked outside under plywood. Only problem is that the wood is about 50 yards from the house and the tractor/snowblower have been broke down for the past 3 weeks. I usually snow blow a path wide enough to pull my 9x10 trailer over to the pile to stack on the screen porch. We have had about 30 inches of snow the past 3 weeks and the trailer and wood piles are snow bound. I do not look forward to wheelbarrowing the wood 50 yards through deep snow. Next year I will move a few extra cord very close to the house

 

[FireaddictSC]

look for some pallets. I got several use a circular saw cut them up burn great.

 

[leaf4952]

I too have got myself in a bind in my 3rd burning season. First year was a learning year with alot of splitting. 2nd yr was better ...my wood guy delivered about 3 cords well split spread out but kinda stringing me out (& stressing me out) toward the end of the winter. He's a good guy and has good wood at a good price but this year has got me feeling STUPID. It's MY OWN FAULT ! I trusted some one beside ME ! I told him in the summer "I want 4 cords by September". He gave me 2 cords by November. And now it's January and I've run out. He's sold me more in drips & drabs. I can't live this way ! I gotta have ALL of my needed wood before the first snow hits the ground, stacked, covered, and of course completely dry! I cant be dealing with late deliveries in Jan. & Feb. which have been stored in questionable circumstances and need a week by the stove to dry enough to burn ! NO THANK YOU ! I am SO MAD at myself ! My sister & I have made a pact for this spring to cut deadfall, standing dead and whatever else we can get our hands on - on my property, her property , & our brothers! I'm also pricing local sources for 3 cords of green wood for this early spring. I prefer to know what I got & how dry its gonna be. I've noticed alot of these wood guys think wood is dry enough if its been aged a year in the round and then split up in winter just before sale. Well I'm sorry but ...NO it is not. I'm starting to believe that nothing dries properly or enough unless its aged ALREADY split. This is my fault. I blame no one but myself.
If you want something done right - do it yourself !