How much is a cord, a face cord, a ½ face cord, and a 1/4 face cord of wood?

A full cord of firewood is an amount of wood that fills a space equal to 8 feet long, four feet high, and four feet deep. A standard length for firewood in this area is 16 inches, so with this stick length a true full cord is equal to three rows of wood stacked four feet high and eight feet long.

In our area it is customary to purchase firewood by the "face cord" or fraction thereof.  A face cord is equal to a single stack of wood four feet high and 8 feet long and as deep as the length of the firewood being sold. A ½ face cord is a stack of wood four feet high and four feet long. A 1/4 face cord is wood stacked 2 feet high and 4 feet long.

We also sell our kiln-dried wood in convenient 0.75 cubic foot bundles.  A 1/4 face cord is equivalent to 12 bundles, a 1/2 face cord is 24 bundles, and a face cord is 48 bundles.

What is the difference between kiln dried and seasoned firewood?

Kiln dried wood is wood that is dried in an industrial kiln. The process dries the wood completely, kills any insects that may have been living in the wood, and produces clean and great looking firewood that is extremely easy to light and keep burning. The other method of drying wood is to naturally season the wood over the course of six to twelve months by splitting the wood and allowing it to gradually dry outdoors in the sun, wind, heat and rain.

How do I light a fire?

First, crumple up about eight sheets of newspaper and stuff them under your fireplace grate or between your andirons. Next, place four or so pieces of fatwood or other kindling spaced about 1 inch apart on top of the grate or newspaper if using andirons. Then place three or more smaller sized pieces of firewood on top of the fatwood or other kindling. Now light the newspaper in a couple of places and let burn for 3-5 minutes until the fire is burning well. Then add several more larger pieces of wood, being sure to keep a nice air space between the logs. As the fire burns down, add extra logs two or more at a time.

How long do we season our wood?

Research by the U.S. Department of Forestry demonstrates that most woods – split and stacked outdoors in the sun and wind – season completely in six to eight months. Some woods, such as red oak, may take a year or more to be fully seasoned. We confirm the dryness of our wood with the use of a moisture meter which precisely measures the moisture content of the wood. Wood is generally considered seasoned if its moisture content is 20% or less.

How can you tell if your wood is dry and ready to burn?

A moisture meter will accurately measure the moisture content of your wood. You can roughly check the dryness of your wood without a moisture meter by knocking two sticks together. If you hear a sharp sound, the wood is probably dry. If you hear a dull thud, the wood is not fully seasoned. Cracking and checking on the edges of a stick of firewood also indicates that the wood is seasoned and dry.

How should I store my wood?

Firewood that is dry and seasoned can be stored indoors or outdoors, preferably on a rack to stack the wood neatly and prevent the pile from falling over. If you are storing wood outdoors, it is best to cover the top part of the pile with a tarp to keep it dry. For the most part, it is not advisable to store wet, unseasoned wood inside because of the problems dealing with all the moisture in the form of water vapor that will be released from the wood as it is drying.