All About Firewood

With wood stoves and fireplaces growing in popularity during recent years, firewood has returned to the scene as a marketable commodity. For those who are interested in purchasing firewood, this basic information will be helpful.

Standard Firewood Measurements
The legal measurement for firewood is a "cord" or any fraction thereof. A cord is defined as enough firewood to take up 128 cubic feet of space when tightly stacked; it can also be measured as a pile of wood 4 feet high, four feet thick and eight feet long. Cords are commonly cut and sold as "face cords," which are made up of pieces of wood cut to 16 inches long and then stacked into about a third of a full cord. These are sometimes referred to as fireplace cords.

Characteristics of Firewood
The firewood you use will greatly affect the quality of your fire. Because there are multiple types of wood available, you'll need to know exactly what you're buying in order to know what results to expect.

• Hardwoods such as ash and oak create high heat with minimal amounts of smoke and are considered quality firewood. They take a long time to get started, but generally burn more evenly and create a calmer fire.
• Softwoods like cedar, poplar and pine burn with a quick, high heat but tend to throw sparks, making them less desirable for indoor fireplaces.

Seasoning and Preparation of Firewood
Freshly cut wood is almost 60% water, making it extremely difficult to burn. This is why firewood undergoes a process known as seasoning before it reaches the consumer.

Seasoning firewood involves cutting it to length and then stacking it in such a way that air can reach each piece. The firewood is then left to air dry for at least nine months. Most of the moisture is removed from the cut ends of each wood piece, making the wood suitable for burning.