Wood for Brooklyn, NYC

[avex]

I hope you are keeping warm, and I was hoping you could help me do the same. Late last year I moved into an old open loft in 2000 sq ft Brooklyn NYC where the stove was the main heat source. It was warmer when I signed the lease and the idea of a wood fire seemed so lovely, however I ran into problems because the wood stove seemed to be as old as the building and had holes all throughout the stove and chimney. But through these forums I read a lot about the Englander NC-30 and so I ordered one and had it installed in December. Thanks hearth.com!

Now my challenge is wood. I love reading everyone's scavenger stories and seeing huge stockpiles of wood to last years, but I am here in urban brooklyn and need affordable seasoned firewood. I started with 1 cord and paid $380 including delivery and stacking, but by my measurements it was only about 4/5 of a cord. I need to be burning pretty much 24/7 and I go through wood like crazy. This is insanely expensive!

Also I may be pushing my luck, but all my wood is stacked inside (really in my living room since it is all one open space). My first cord was random sizes and chunks and didn't stack so neatly. I see a lot of photos on here of beautiful wood piles, but mine seemed to be a ragged pile full of insects, dirt, and big stumps. I found the attached picture online, but that is the look I'd like to go for.

So does anyone know where I can get affordable seasoned firewood delivered to Brooklyn NYC?

 

[agartner]

In such a setting, and the fact that you have to store indoors, you're a perfect candidate for a manufactured biomass product - EnviBlocks, BioBricks, EcoBrix, ThermaWood, etc. There's a bunch of them out there. Do some searching and splunking of the forums here - opinions abound. Some products are better than others. Even at that, it's still going to be a major pain in the backside. But a Brooklyn wood-burner. Definitely a unique concept. I wish you luck and welcome to the forums.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Just a guess, but I'd bet there's a strong positive correlation between the evenness and neatness of the woodpile and the person who owns it doing their own cutting, splitting, and stacking.

 

[jerseykat1]

im about 15-20 miles from BKLYN in NJ. You have a couple options and none of the options are without labor unless you pay someone to do the work.

1 rent a van if you dont own one and search craigslist in long island section to find semi dry wood at a decent price (should be able to find it at about 200 bucks a cord)
2 rent a van and drive out to north jersey after searching craigslist section of North Jersey to find some sellers at a decent price (same as long island should be abuot 200 bucks a cord give or take a few).

You can rent a van for about 60-80 bucks for a day from enterprise, just make sure you ask for unlimited milage. So you end up spending abuot 280 and some labor for a cord of wood. But typically a good supplier always gives you a bit more than a cord. So You still come off better than paying 380 for a short cord of wood.

 

[ecocavalier02]

i oftened wondered if anybody in the city tried to heat excluslively with wood. sounds like fun. i imagine when you tell other people you burn wood to heat ur house its an odd thing? i always think of the seinfeild episode when jerry was going to rent the apt. with the fireplace. where do ya get the wood from. the wood guy i guess. sorry had to quote that. anyway i guess craiglist is prob ur best bet then drive to a more rural area for a decent price. 380. for a cord. What kind of heat do u have in that place? probably cheaper than paying 380?

 

[gzecc]

I hope you are keeping warm, and I was hoping you could help me do the same. Late last year I moved into an old open loft in 2000 sq ft Brooklyn NYC where the stove was the main heat source. It was warmer when I signed the lease and the idea of a wood fire seemed so lovely, however I ran into problems because the wood stove seemed to be as old as the building and had holes all throughout the stove and chimney. But through these forums I read a lot about the Englander NC-30 and so I ordered one and had it installed in December. Thanks hearth.com!

Now my challenge is wood. I love reading everyone's scavenger stories and seeing huge stockpiles of wood to last years, but I am here in urban brooklyn and need affordable seasoned firewood. I started with 1 cord and paid $380 including delivery and stacking, but by my measurements it was only about 4/5 of a cord. I need to be burning pretty much 24/7 and I go through wood like crazy. This is insanely expensive!

Also I may be pushing my luck, but all my wood is stacked inside (really in my living room since it is all one open space). My first cord was random sizes and chunks and didn't stack so neatly. I see a lot of photos on here of beautiful wood piles, but mine seemed to be a ragged pile full of insects, dirt, and big stumps. I found the attached picture online, but that is the look I'd like to go for.

So does anyone know where I can get affordable seasoned firewood delivered to Brooklyn NYC?

There are a couple of interesting listings on Craigslist BKLYN. Have you tried there?

 

[fortydegnorth]

I would definitely go with the factory made stuff or a pellet stove. Around here EcoBricks are $210 a ton. Even with shipping and location I would think you could get them reasonably and without dirt, bugs and seasoning issues.

 

[xman23]

A friend works for Bartlet in NYC. They have contracts with the parks dept. for tree removal. I don't know what they do with the wood, but I recall him say the issue with the Asian Longhorned Beetle doesn't let them take the wood.


Tom

 

[Dix]

There was a guy on Craigs list the other day, listing his location as Queens. Might be worth a shot
.

Check out Envi bricks on there as well, the Dixette used them in her NC 13, got a thumbs up from her, as did I in the PE.


I've got a ton coming in this week, ya you have to tote them, but it's a good work out


I'd keep an eye out for pallets, in Brooklyn. Transportation might be an issue, how ever.


*edited because I dunno WTH happened, but it wasn't coherent*

 

[begreen]

Bugs, bark and dirt are going to come with any load of wood unless noted by the seller. It is a definite downside for indoor storage. I would also be sure of the floor's load rating. A cord of dry oak is going to weigh about 1.5 tons. But if it's damp it could weigh 3 tons!

 

[argus66]

i went to school in Manhattan. i had a friend that heated with wood in the city. . there is more wood around then u would think. check with all the local parks dept. nearby they cut trees a lot. get a good ax. look around by the water front a lot of wood washes up . some parks dept guys will cut it to short lengths if u ask. my friend had his wood stacked by this old building forever nobody in the city was interested in it and never bothered it. but the rent a truck is also i good idea. be creative.

 

[avex]

Hey Guys, thanks for the replies... I'll look into ecobricks and delivery to these parts.

The truck option is interesting, but I have a newborn and am staying pretty much close to home. A truck session sounds great but not just right now.

For the other options, does anyone have any direct contacts/experience with sellers that deliver?

 

[Dingeryote]

Got a pal on Long island that might be able to deliver..dunno.
No junk, and fully seasoned hardwood. 516-277-2208 Tom Duffy.

Good luck to ya, and congrats on the kid on the way!!