# How many cords do you burn per winter?



## mtcates

How many cords do you burn per winter.  Please list all details that you care to.  Stove type, wood type, House square feet, age, insulation, climate of your area, I'm especially interested in those who use only wood with no other heat source.


----------



## thewoodlands

mtcates said:
			
		

> How many cords do you burn per winter.  Please list all details that you care to.  Stove type, wood type, House square feet, age, insulation, climate of your area, I'm especially interested in those who use only wood with no other heat source.



This is our first year burning, we have the lopi liberty installed in the basement heating 1750 sq. ft. up and close to the same downstairs. The basement and house are well insulated.


Stove type - Lopi Liberty with blower
Wood burned since install in April of 09-  Cherry 8.50 face cord & 2 face cord of Hard Maple.
Climate this year has been warmer compared with previous years.
We also have a pellet stove - Bought 2 ton (100 bags) in 09.


Zap


----------



## polaris

8-10 per year. I have 2 stoves (an Oslo & Castine) and heat 4850 sq.ft with the 2 stoves and a couple of oil filled radiators. I also heat the barn with a barrel stove which accounts for 10-20% of the total consumption. the house is 8 years old and is well insulated. 
    Joe


----------



## LLigetfa

2200 sq ft house, 4 - 8 cord a year, most of it in Winter.


----------



## zzr7ky

Hi - 

~4 cords/year.  2200 square foot well insulated Ranch in Great Lakes region.  Gas bill was $6 for January.  I should have a little larger stove.  I run the the VC Resolute Acclaim nearly all the time.


----------



## Battenkiller

Zap, you had me going there.  Heating about 3500 sq.ft. with that Lopi.  Wow!  Great stove!  _Magic_ stove.  Then you casually drop:



			
				zapny said:
			
		

> We also have a pellet stove - Bought 2 ton (100 bags) in 09.



Oh, a _pellet_ stove as well.  Does that help at all?  :cheese: JK


We have a basement install.  No other heat source used.  Total sq. ft., upstairs and down, about 2200'.  Used about 4 cord/year to stay chilly over the last 18 winters burning in a clone of the Jotul 118, will likely burn about 5 cord in our first year using a different stove, an older non-EPA Vermont Castings stove to stay a toasty (for us) 72º.  

Finally, enough gun.


----------



## smokinj

2700 sqft 10 cords 3 year in a row and heating dhw


----------



## SolarAndWood

3000 sq ft, lots of glass, windy ridge, no furnace.  7-8 cord down from 10-12 cord the past few years.  Everything from pine to locust is in my wood pile.


----------



## cycloxer

1-2 cords per year, supplementary heat to the NG furnace, heating 1,100 sq. ft.


----------



## firefighterjake

mtcates said:
			
		

> How many cords do you burn per winter.  Please list all details that you care to.  Stove type, wood type, House square feet, age, insulation, climate of your area, I'm especially interested in those who use only wood with no other heat source.



2nd year of burning: 5-6 cords (mostly hardwood, but none of the top of the line stuff like oak, some softwood)

Jotul Oslo

1,800 square foot, Built 1978, Cape, moderate insulation . . . 3 of the 4 walls are 2x4 construction

Climate: Central Maine -- what more can I say. It could be worse . . . could be better. 

I don't heat exclusively with wood since I do have an oil boiler and thermostats set at 60 degrees . . . that said, it is a fairly uncommon occurence to hear the boiler kick on in the winter . . . usually only if we've been gone for most of the day or in the morning in middle of January when the temps are sub-zero. I used less than a quarter tank of oil last year . . . ditto for this year.


----------



## BrowningBAR

2159 sq ft of living space.

This year 5 cords, two stoves and 350 gallons of oil.

Next year 8 cords, three stoves and less than 100 gallons of oil.


----------



## jcjohnston

5 cord last year 3.5 this winter, burning 24/7 no stopping for clean outs even, 2250 sqft colonial


----------



## ashpanannie

This hundred year old house is about 1,400 sf with a well insulated attic but crappy windows.  We have the Jotul Oslo and burn only wood now.  Last year from Oct. through April we used just shy of 5 cord of mostly oak, locust and maple.  This year it is looking to be about the same.  The temp. never drops below 68 degrees in here but is typically around 74.  I don't stop for a cleanout either and burn 24/7.


----------



## rdust

It's my first year, I've burned 3 2/3 cords at last measure since the first week of November burning 24/7.  Between learning the stove and burning less then perfect wood we've used more wood then I think we'll use next year.  I plan on 5 cords a year and that will be starting earlier then November in future years.

I've used about 200 gallons of propane(heat and DHW) since November and keep the furnace set for 70*.  If I set the furnace for 60* it would probably never run but we have a 10 month old in the house so we keep it warm all the time.    

House was built in 1980, is about 1950 sq feet, windows replaced in 2005, attic insulation is good, I'm sure the wall insulation leaves some to be desired.


----------



## hareball

I'll finish off the season with about 6 cords burned and so far about 30 gallons of oil, a face cord of Heineken, a few gallons of whiskey and brandy.
Burned about a cord of Cherry otherwise mostly all Oak.
Climate is the coast of South Jersey and temps were a bit under the average for the year.
Home was built in 1972 and the insulation I can only guess and say below average.
Heating with a Fisher Grandma Bear with 2 fans to draw the heat from where the stove is. Home is around 1700 sq ft.


----------



## weatherguy

I didnt install my stove til nov 25th so this will be a little skewed but Ive gone through close to 3 cords heating a 2900 sf home with my BZ princess insert, Ive also used over 200 gallons of oil but I didnt use wood til nov 25th and I was still learning the basics of woodburning as this was my first year. Ill get a better idea next year. I had the house built in 1994 so its pretty well insulated.


----------



## maxed_out

hareball said:
			
		

> I'll finish off the season with about 6 cords burned and so far about 30 gallons of oil, a face cord of Heineken, a few gallons of whiskey and brandy.
> Burned about a cord of Cherry otherwise mostly all Oak.
> Climate is the coast of South Jersey and temps were a bit under the average for the year.
> Home was built in 1972 and the insulation I can only guess and say below average.
> Heating with a Fisher Grandma Bear with 2 fans to draw the heat from where the stove is. Home is around 1700 sq ft.



+1...sweet...only a facecord of heineken?  I liked that one!


----------



## EJL923

This is is my first year, so I will estimate what i think will be the final tally.
2500 Sq Ft, Good insulation, ok windows.
Jotul Rockland.  I undersized the stove so i will also use about a 1/2 tank of oil and 5 cords of wood.


----------



## Todd

3 cords the last 4 winters burning 24/7, heating 1800sq ft total (over 70) including finished basement where WS Fireview is installed. Insulation is good with new windows 2 years ago.


----------



## joshlaugh

Between 5-6 cords of wood for two stoves, Hearthstone Heritage and Jotul 3cb.  I burned sugar maple, oak, hickory, elm and ash this year.  I have a 120 year old house heating 2496 sq feet.  We have a NG furnace that is set to 60 degrees.  Most days it doesn't kick on.


----------



## Backwoods Savage

3 cords in the Fireview. 6 or more cords before we bought the Fireview.


----------



## 3fordasho

2.5 cords with one Fireview, added a 2nd Fireview last summer and this heating season with both looks to be right at 3 cords total.
I only run them both when the outside temps will not exceed 15F.  ~1500 sq ft in south central Minnesota, 100+ year old house with newer windows,doors and insulation.


----------



## Uper

We have a Regency I1200 insert which has a pretty small burn box.  Our house is about 740 sq. ft. on each of 2 stories.  There are two sliding glass doors and large window space.  Built in 2002 up to code.  We have a propane furnace that we have to use because we will be charged a rental fee on the tank if we don't use 400 gallons/year.  I have tried to burn 24/7 as much as possible.  We run the thermostat at between 62 and 64 for the furnace.  We have Maple (both hard and soft) and Beech for firewood and have gone through between 6 and 7 cords since October.  We live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where winters are long, but this year has been milder than many.  I am surprised by how little some are able to burn and keep their houses warm!


----------



## BandSawyer

With the Vermont Casting cat stove I had I used to burn 2.5 cords to heat my house. 
This year we changed to a Woodstock Fireview and now I am going to burn 3.25 cords. The bloomin thing consumes wood and doesn't throw any heat. I am very disappointed.


----------



## johnnywarm

mtcates said:
			
		

> How many cords do you burn per winter.  Please list all details that you care to.  Stove type, wood type, House square feet, age, insulation, climate of your area, I'm especially interested in those who use only wood with no other heat source.





This winter could be 2.5 to 3.0 cords. thats using the stove most or the time , the oil set at 65.Wood is oak & hunny loacust.it could of been seasoned more(alot more). Stove is the jotul F400 in the den/dinning area.the hose is a ranch.

John


----------



## rdust

Uper said:
			
		

> I am surprised by how little some are able to burn and keep their houses warm!



I'm from Michigan so I have to make sure you know we're talking about real cords of wood not face cords correct?  A lot people in this state say cord and mean 1/3 of a cord not a 4'x4'x8' cord.  For me 3 2/3 cords in Michigan talk means about 11 face cords.


----------



## Todd

BandSawyer said:
			
		

> With the Vermont Casting cat stove I had I used to burn 2.5 cords to heat my house.
> This year we changed to a Woodstock Fireview and now I am going to burn 3.25 cords. The bloomin thing consumes wood and doesn't throw any heat. I am very disappointed.



Something is not right. Could you elaborate on this, maybe start a new thread?


----------



## paredown

Well, we're running out of wood on this our first year of burning.

I find the calculation of "cordage" confusing--but I can say I cut and stacked a lot of wood. Probably around 3 to 4 cords. Then we bought a cord (which may or may not have been a whole cord...) We've burned 24-7 and I was especially grateful that we had the stove during our Nor'easter power outage last week.

Running the gas furnace as well, we were able to keep the badly insulated great room (~1000 sf) with a lot of single pane glass at a comfortable 68 deg. And this was with less than prime wood, and some learning going on! Cut our gas bill in half from last year--and we'll try to cut it in half again for next year by tackling some insulation, sealing, duct insulation and what have you...

Next year, I'll accurately measure and record. I'll also cut earlier, stack earlier and hopefully burn drier wood!


----------



## PapaDave

How many cords do you burn per winter.  Please list all details that you care to.  Stove type, wood type, House square feet, age, insulation, climate of your area, I’m especially interested in those who use only wood with no other heat source.

We've used 4  2/3 cord each of the last 2 winters. This is our 4th winter here, and am hoping to use a little less than that this winter. Mostly oak with some pine and soft maple. The stove is a 1985 Ashley steptop that when loaded to the gills (I don't do this anymore) will run WAAAAYYYYY too hot. I haven't gotten it to glow yet. :roll: Must still have an air leak somewhere. 
House is about 1200 sq. ft., and only about r-11 in the attic, if that. Don't know when it was built. We're in Northern Michigan, and I turned off the gas and elec. to the wall furnace to see how we'd do without. That was winter of '07-08, hasn't been back on since.


----------



## lazeedan

I average about 3.5 cords per year. 1500 square foot ranch kept very warm. We use about 250-300 gallons of propane per year for hot water. cooking. and the furnace kicks on occasionally if we are gone too long or over night if in single digits or colder outside.


----------



## rickw

Will go through 3-4 cords this year, Fireview, 1800 sq ft, heating the top floor. About 1/2 of the wood was pine and pallets. Very good insulation on the top floor, new triple pane windows. When its cold the house temps range from 72 near the stove to 64 at the other end of the 65' long house; now with warmer weather its 75+ near the stove and maybe 70 at the other end. Will still probably burn 500 gal fuel oil heating the uninsulated basement and DHW. Insulating basement next year's project.


----------



## fbelec

burned 3.5 cord so far and on track like every year to burn 4 cord. 
burning in a late 70's defiant and sometimes the basement in a late 80's hearthstone 2
burning oak, hard maple, poplar and my favorite locust. and not to dry cuz of the lack of a summer last year.
house is around 70 to 72 degrees
the house is a 1280 sq ranch. 1.5 inch in the walls and 2 layers of 1.5 inch insulation in the attic. 
windows are good double pane.


----------



## hareball

maxed_out said:
			
		

> hareball said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll finish off the season with about 6 cords burned and so far about 30 gallons of oil, a face cord of Heineken, a few gallons of whiskey and brandy.
> Burned about a cord of Cherry otherwise mostly all Oak.
> Climate is the coast of South Jersey and temps were a bit under the average for the year.
> Home was built in 1972 and the insulation I can only guess and say below average.
> Heating with a Fisher Grandma Bear with 2 fans to draw the heat from where the stove is. Home is around 1700 sq ft.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> +1...sweet...only a facecord of heineken?  I liked that one!
Click to expand...


Never in my life have I used the term "Face Cord". I thought that would be a good one for the first time.  :coolmad:


----------



## jmhpsu93

House:  1923, 2900 sq. ft., three-story brick Georgian colonial with lousy insulation and good windows
Weather:  humid, temperate mid-Atlantic climate; average about 4800 degree days; miserable winter this year
Heat Sources:  oil boiler with cast iron radiators, electric oil-filled radiators in bedrooms for nights
Fuel Use:  target 550-600 gallons oil this year, down from 800 last year (new stove in Feb 2009), down from 1400 first year in house
Stove:  hearth-mounted, pitifully-undersized Hearthstone Phoenix (good stove, though); open fireplace (year...I know!); downstairs temps in low 70s usually, mid 60s upstairs
Wood Use:  Looking to be about 6 cords of almost-seasoned wood this year, supplemented with about 3/4 cord equivalent Wood Brick Fuel
Goal:  5 cords fully seasoned wood, 400 gallons oil, something in open fireplace, better insulation, win the lottery

Still on the upward part of the learning curve and the getting wood seasoned curve.


----------



## mtcates

MMandm said:
			
		

> House:  1923, 2900 sq. ft., three-story brick Georgian colonial with lousy insulation and good windows
> Weather:  humid, temperate mid-Atlantic climate; average about 4800 degree days; miserable winter this year
> Heat Sources:  oil boiler with cast iron radiators, electric oil-filled radiators in bedrooms for nights
> Fuel Use:  target 550-600 gallons oil this year, down from 800 last year (new stove in Feb 2009), down from 1400 first year in house
> Stove:  hearth-mounted, pitifully-undersized Hearthstone Phoenix (good stove, though); open fireplace (year...I know!); downstairs temps in low 70s usually, mid 60s upstairs
> Wood Use:  Looking to be about 6 cords of almost-seasoned wood this year, supplemented with about 3/4 cord equivalent Wood Brick Fuel
> Goal:  5 cords fully seasoned wood, 400 gallons oil, something in open fireplace, better insulation, win the lottery
> 
> Still on the upward part of the learning curve and the getting wood seasoned curve.



Wow!  6 cords and 600 gallons of oil this year.  I'll never complain again.


----------



## REF1

I used to do 8-10 cords in Maine - 3000+ sq'

I think I'll do around 2-3 here in VA - 1300 sq'


----------



## Gunks

A little over 3 cords a year.  1100 sq. ft. cottage with old windows.   Ancient Jotual Combi Fire #1 (the work horse) and Jotual 3CB (used only when the temp drops to the teens).


----------



## thewoodlands

Battenkiller said:
			
		

> Zap, you had me going there.  Heating about 3500 sq.ft. with that Lopi.  Wow!  Great stove!  _Magic_ stove.  Then you casually drop:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> zapny said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We also have a pellet stove - Bought 2 ton (100 bags) in 09.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, a _pellet_ stove as well.  Does that help at all?  :cheese: JK
> 
> 
> We have a basement install.  No other heat source used.  Total sq. ft., upstairs and down, about 2200'.  Used about 4 cord/year to stay chilly over the last 18 winters burning in a clone of the Jotul 118, will likely burn about 5 cord in our first year using a different stove, an older non-EPA Vermont Castings stove to stay a toasty (for us) 72º.
> 
> Finally, enough gun.
Click to expand...


The Lopi Liberty and the Pellet stove are both in the basement but the Lopi Liberty can heat the house without any problems on it's own. When we run the pellet stove the wood stove stays cold.

Zap


----------



## KB007

Burned about 1.5 cords in the old non-EPA stove in Nov and 1/2 of Dec.  Used about 2 cords since Xmas to now in the new Nap 1450.  Heating 1800 sqft bungalow with stove in fully finished / insulated basement.  Furnace hasn't come on since -20C night in early Jan.  Still have about 2 cords stacked ready for next year.  If this early spiring keeps up, may stop burning pretty soon    Hopefully will use about the same once the new Regency I3100 gets installed upstairs in LR.

Finished bucking all my log load last night, now I just got to split ans stack ~8 cords.


----------



## logger

Been burning 24-7 since mid-late October with the furnave OFF.  On our 6th cord, and most peolpe go by face cords around here.


----------



## fbelec

can someone splain to me the diff. between facecord and a full cord. full cord = 128 cu
                                                                                                   facecord =


----------



## rdust

fbelec said:
			
		

> can someone splain to me the diff. between facecord and a full cord. full cord = 128 cu
> facecord =



Face cord is not a legal way to measure/sell wood IIRC.  You have a cord and everything else is just a fraction of that cord.  For most people a face cord is 4'x8'x16" which is a 1/3rd of a cord.  The obvious problem with this is the length of the wood can vary.


----------



## bobfeather

newmac indoor wood furnace  1500 sq' house plus full basement
12 face cord  ( 3-4 cord )   house is always too damn hot 
except today as temp is plus 4 & furnace off
bob


----------



## ChillyGator

This winter (December, January, February)  is going down as the coldest in more than 30 years in North Floirda.  It will be the sixth coldest and fourth wettest according the National Weather Service.  In early January temps dipped below freezing 14 days in a row, the old record was 13 (1966).  Total rainfall was 23.98 inches (+ 9.89 above normal).

I've burned almost 2 cords so far and will let you know the final total when THE groan FINALLY LEAVES!  :red:   (low 30's next couple of nights....again)


----------



## Adios Pantalones

4 ish in the house, and 10-12 full cord in the kiln every year.


----------



## laynes69

2400 sq ft victorian home built in mid 1800's. 10' ceilings, good insulation, some areas of bad heat loss, 42 windows. So far we have used almost 6 cords since the beginning of October. House kept at 70 when it was -5 and 72-74 when its 10 and above. And kept the basment warm also. Burning in a Caddy wood furnace in the basement tied into the LP furnace. Used 40 gallons of LP with the gas furnace, gas dryer and gas stove. Saving 200 gallons of LP a month.


----------



## summit

1700 sq ft, all one floor, doin it w/ the summit by PE... 4 cords/ yr... closer to 3 - 3.5 this year due to a mild january/febuary... usually run about 30 gals oil/yr to supplement a little from the hot air furncae: this year maybe burned thru 5 gals... furnace never had to run at all


----------



## btuser

About 2 cords.  Enough to take the chill out.  If I had more time/help I'd burn more but its just not gonna happen.


----------



## ihookem

So far 2 2/3 cords ( 8 face cords) one face cord was popple and one boxelder. The rest was good wood. I will go through about 3 1/2 cords total this year. The furnace never goes on though.


----------



## karl

This has been a very cold winter here this year.  I'll go through 3 dump truck loads of slab wood this year, and may run a little short.  The last two years it has been about 6 cords.  This year a little bit more, but I also put 40+ bags of R-30 in the attic over the existing R-19 I had.  2400 square foot ranch in Southern West Virginia.

I can't wait for spring.


----------



## eba1225

With my Lopi Declaration which I run 24/7 from late Oct until Early Apr I go through about 4 cords.  
I have to say the wood is a mix of whaterver.....Oak, Locust, Poplar and a little Pine...most in really good shape but some can be punky.


----------



## Wallyworld

Probably burn close to 3 cords, maybe 2.5 because its been so warm here in Maine. Have 2, Sunshine stoves, made in Maine, take a 2 foot stick, brick lined and made of 1/4 boiler plate. These stoves rule. Generally only run 1 unless its below 0 for a long period of time. Use some oil in the fall and spring, other than that run one stove 24/7. 73 in the house right now, filled the stove last night, still plenty of coals, rake them forward, throw a couple of sticks in and away we go. Main part of the house is R40 ceiling, R27 walls, new addition 16 by 24 is R54 ceiling R42 walls. House faces south with plenty of glass on south side, none on north side and little on east and west sides.


----------



## fbelec

reading this thread is kind of funny. the people in the southern states are using more wood than the people more north of them.


----------



## Flatbedford

About 1800 poorly insulated square feet. Looks like we will burn about 4 cords of mostly Cherry and  Black Locust. There was some Ash, Birch, and Oak too. The Fireview has been going 24/7 since early November. The stove is on the main floor. Stove room and upstairs are always mid 70s. The other end of the main floor has been cool. I have some insulation work to do this summer and I have to get a better (quieter) fan to move the heat around a little better downstairs.


----------



## karl

fbelec said:
			
		

> reading this thread is kind of funny. the people in the southern states are using more wood than the people more north of them.




It's been really cold down here this year.  Also, look at the house size.  Down this way 1700 square feet is a garage, not the whole house.


----------



## fbelec

i wish my garage was 1700 sq. it would be a dream come true.


----------



## andybaker

This year 4 - 5 cord.  Been burning 24/7 since Nov. up to about a week ago.  Burned nearly all Ash this year with a little Hickory.  I use to go through about 6 cord before learning so much about seasoned wood thanks to you all.  Properly seasoned wood is the only way to go with these newer burners.


----------



## JotulOwner

It is looking like I will burn a total of 1.5 cords by the end of this Season. I have burned as much as three cords in past years, but I credit better wood, gained experience, and all the info I obtained from this site for the improvements.

I have 1500SF on two floors. I burn evenings on weekdays and all day weekends when it is very cold (below 30 degrees is very cold around here).


----------



## SWNH

About 5 cord by season's end. 150 gal oil since Oct. 09 (hot water). Thermostat set for 70 but house temp rarely falls below 76 regardless of outside temps. Yes, we like it warm.


----------



## begreen

Normally we are about a 3 cord per winter household for our old farmhouse. But given the fluctuations of climate it's hard to say. This winter we may end up burning only 2 cords.


----------



## 76ER

I'm heating an 800 sq. ft bungalow that is pre WW1. No insulation in the walls just in the attic..(double brick)...I am burning in a Legend from Drolet (24-7) and will use 8 face chords this yr. The mix is oak, maple and ash. I don't have one of those fancy thing-a-majigs that measures moisture content but have the "melon knock' and "pick it up" feel for how dry my wood is. I have been burning for 4 seasons now and this has been the best yet. I have only had the furnace (forced air) on a few times and only when the mercury has risen. Pretty drafty place but plan on adding an OAK for next year. The gas man hates me but I still send Xmas cards. Cheers all!

Ian


----------



## Vic99

3.5 cords in Fireview 24/7 Nov.-Feb. . . . . 1-2 fires/day shoulder season. . . . . . . Previously 4.5 cords with Hearthstone Homestead.

1500 ish sq ft.  Insulation average or better throughout the house.

Half of my wood was less than ideal this season.  Expect to do even better next year.


----------



## Hurricane

I am at about 3.5 cords so far. The stove is cold right now because it is going to mid 50's here these days. Been burning 24/7 since mid November to about a week ago, before that nights and cold spells in the fall. Some of my wood has not been great but most of it was decent, no sizzling this winter and a clean flue. I joined here last winter and learned about benefits of properly seasoned wood, so I will not have my 2 year seasoned wood until next winter. I am burning more since I ducted the heat to my wife's work area downstairs. My upstairs where the insert is is about 2400 sq ft and downstairs heated area is about 1000 sq ft. Walls are insulated well, newer windows but the attic needs a insulation tune up. I have 16 non insulate recessed lights that need replacing. Insert is a Quadrafire 5100i insert in a masonry fireplace.


----------



## John_M

Five year old, well insulated and tight, 1700 sq.ft. ranch with full basement. Stove is new so I started break-in fires during early September to "learn the ropes" before the real burning season. Have burned about 3.5 cords so far and have about .25 cord remaining. This will last through March. I will also have burned about 400 gals of propane from late April, 2009 thru late April 2010. In the previous five years I have burned  about 1200 gals of propane during this same time period. 

Have about 2 cords of cherry ready to split but this most recent 30" snowfall has prevented any wood processing. One of these weeks, hopefully sooner rather than later, I will receive a load of logs equal to about 8 cords. Hope to all this bucked, split and stacked by the end of May or sooner. Love four season upstate NY and looking foward to a wonderful spring with lots of mowing. John_M


----------



## 70marlin

24/7, 1200 sq ft. house built in 92, 2" x 6" walls and well insulated. Un-finished poured wall walk out basement. The house has lot of cold spots and I just deal with it, and a spare bed room that could be a meat locker Hearth Stone tribute my little stove will only take like a 15" log I prefer a 12" it just easier to get in the stove. I'm very confused on cord verse face cord? I never had 4" high rows last season* I burned 9 rows of mixed hard woods 7' X 15" X 8'* I store the wood in my pole barn so I need to maximize my space. I can't wait to get a head of the game on my wood supply and final get it seasoned properly! I now have 11 pick up loads of rounds of mixed hardwoods. (Hickory, White oak, Cherry, Rock maple and Walnut) with more to come. As soon as the back yard hardens up I'll start splitting.


----------



## John_M

marlin, Let me attempt to clarify what you rightly describe as a confusing topic. A cord of wood contains 128 cubic feet of wood. Many states have a very clear description of how wood must be stacked, etc. to meet that legal description. The most common way most people measure a cord is a stack of wood 4' wide x 4' high x 8' long. If all the wood in that stack is 16" long, your stack would be 4' high x 4' wide x 8' long. Multiply 4' x 4' x 8' to find a volume of 128 cu. ft. or one full cord of wood. 

Each of your rows was 7' x 1.25' x 8'. Multiply those numbers 7' x 1.25' x 8' and you get 70. That is 70 cubic feet of wood in each of your rows. You had 9 of those rows, so 70 cu. ft. x 9 rows equals 630 cubic feet of wood. Divide the total cubic feet of all your wood (630) by the number of cubic feet in a cord (128) and you get 630/128 = 4.92 cords. So, last season you burned 4.92 cords of wood. That's pretty darned close to 5 cords of wood. To check how many cords you have stacked in your pole barn, multiply the (height of the stack) X (width of the stack) X (length of the stack) to find the total cubic feet of wood in the stack. Divide the total cubic feet of wood in the stack by the number of cubic feet in a cord (128) and you will know how many cords you have stacked in the pole barn. 

Using terms like "campfire cord", "face cord", "vacation cord", "rick", etc. to describe an amount of wood is meaningless because there is no acceptable standard definition of those terms. The wood burning regions of our great nation have their own interpretation of what "face cord", "rick" and all those other non-legal terms mean. It is generally accepted by honorable people that a cord of wood contains 128 cubic feet of wood. If someone starts talking to you about "campfire cords", "face cords", "ricks", or any other kinds of cords, and money is about to change hands, make darned certain you know exactly what he/she means by those terms. I have the impression that most serious wood burners are good and honest people and will go out of their way to be fair. But, as you know, there is always a group of ten percenters who are out for a quick buck and do not care how they get it. Honesty and integrity are meaningless terms to those people. 

Hope all this helped a little. Also hope your back yard hardens up pretty quickly so you can get to splitting.  John_M

Edit: the 1.25' referred to in measuring your wood is to divide the length of your wood (15") by the number of inches in one foot (12"). So, 15" /12" equals 1.25'


----------



## LLigetfa

...or just use this online calculator.

http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html


----------



## VCBurner

6 cords.  1760ft. heated. Including 760ft. of unfinished basement (heat sucker!)  Wasted lots of wood, learning the ins and outs and burning in the antique stove in the living room. Next year, I expect 4-5, now that I've got the hang of it!  We will be heating a total of 2000ft.  Older windows w/ storms and doors.  Good insullation on the main floor.


----------



## JustWood

5-6 cord + 1 ton of coal every year burning pretty much 24/7 from mid Oct to mid April then occasional fires early fall and late spring. At the most 50 gallon of propane used yearly. 1700 sq feet , well insulated.


----------



## fbelec

exactLEE said:
			
		

> 5-6 cord + 1 ton of coal every year burning pretty much 24/7 from mid Oct to mid April then occasional fires early fall and late spring. At the most 50 gallon of propane used yearly. 1700 sq feet , well insulated.



hi exactLEE do you have a coal stove? if not how do you burn coal in a woodstove?


----------



## JustWood

fbelec said:
			
		

> exactLEE said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5-6 cord + 1 ton of coal every year burning pretty much 24/7 from mid Oct to mid April then occasional fires early fall and late spring. At the most 50 gallon of propane used yearly. 1700 sq feet , well insulated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> hi exactLEE do you have a coal stove? if not how do you burn coal in a woodstove?
Click to expand...


Wood/coal furnace.


----------



## 70marlin

John_M said:
			
		

> marlin, Let me attempt to clarify what you rightly describe as a confusing topic. A cord of wood contains 128 cubic feet of wood. Many states have a very clear description of how wood must be stacked, etc. to meet that legal description. The most common way most people measure a cord is a stack of wood 4' wide x 4' high x 8' long. If all the wood in that stack is 16" long, your stack would be 4' high x 4' wide x 8' long. Multiply 4' x 4' x 8' to find a volume of 128 cu. ft. or one full cord of wood.
> 
> Each of your rows was 7' x 1.25' x 8'. Multiply those numbers 7' x 1.25' x 8' and you get 70. That is 70 cubic feet of wood in each of your rows. You had 9 of those rows, so 70 cu. ft. x 9 rows equals 630 cubic feet of wood. Divide the total cubic feet of all your wood (630) by the number of cubic feet in a cord (128) and you get 630/128 = 4.92 cords. So, last season you burned 4.92 cords of wood. That's pretty darned close to 5 cords of wood. To check how many cords you have stacked in your pole barn, multiply the (height of the stack) X (width of the stack) X (length of the stack) to find the total cubic feet of wood in the stack. Divide the total cubic feet of wood in the stack by the number of cubic feet in a cord (128) and you will know how many cords you have stacked in the pole barn.
> 
> Using terms like "campfire cord", "face cord", "vacation cord", "rick", etc. to describe an amount of wood is meaningless because there is no acceptable standard definition of those terms. The wood burning regions of our great nation have their own interpretation of what "face cord", "rick" and all those other non-legal terms mean. It is generally accepted by honorable people that a cord of wood contains 128 cubic feet of wood. If someone starts talking to you about "campfire cords", "face cords", "ricks", or any other kinds of cords, and money is about to change hands, make darned certain you know exactly what he/she means by those terms. I have the impression that most serious wood burners are good and honest people and will go out of their way to be fair. But, as you know, there is always a group of ten percenters who are out for a quick buck and do not care how they get it. Honesty and integrity are meaningless terms to those people.
> 
> Hope all this helped a little. Also hope your back yard hardens up pretty quickly so you can get to splitting.  John_M
> 
> Edit: the 1.25' referred to in measuring your wood is to divide the length of your wood (15") by the number of inches in one foot (12"). So, 15" /12" equals 1.25'



John_m & LLigetfa thanks a bunch you've been a big help!


----------



## John_M

LL, I was hoping someone would clarify and simplify my wordy explanation. Your link does just that. Thank you and best wishes, John_M


----------



## ColdNH

I am guessing I will burn 3-4 cords this upcomming winter, only have about a month of experience with my stove and no seriously cold weather during that time, but with a well insulated 1600 sq foot cape, including the basement where the stove is located, i think a cord a month during the coldest months will suffice.


----------



## dlpz

Burned about six face cords.  Successfully did not run the furnace, however on one side of the house we have a gas fireplace and have a gas water heater, so we consumed some amount of gas.  Cut our NIMO bill in half.  Just pisses me off that my delivery charges are twice more than my usage!!  1500 sq ft ranch, Englander NC30


----------



## John_M

dipz, "...my delivery charges are twice more than my usage!" Sounds like you use Suburban Propane as your supplier. Good luck. John_M


----------



## Nickolai

We have a 2 year old New Mac Wood/Oil combo. First year we burned 4+ bush cords of mixed hardwood and used 1 tank of oil. 
Last year, 5+ bush cords, minimal oil. We only turn the oil on when we're away now(set at 50 degrees)
This year I have about 7 bush cords of maple.

House is 2000 sq ft R12 walls R 50+ attic with cellulose/batt insulation.

So far we love the Newmac


----------



## JotulOwner

2 cords per year plus 240g fuel oil (that is for hot water too). 1500SF (2 stories).


----------



## northwinds

Different house this year.  2500 square feet to heat. Northern exposure instead of southern exposure.
An insert added to the equation.  I'm guessing closer to 5 cords than 4 cords. I'm curious to see how 
many times I'll need the insert to supplement.


----------



## jharkin

I can give you an answer but it probably doesnt mean much as it was my first year in the new house.

We used about:
900 therms of gas (excluding the 25 therms per month that the DHW uses)
1.5 cord in the stove burning weekends
0.5 cord in the fireplaces

The house is roughly 1400 ft2 cape, built in 1795 with additions in the mid-1800s and again in the 1960's or 70s.  The addition is insulated with roughly R13 in the walls and R-19 in the ceiling.  The main house has some wall insulation in one refinished room and about 2-3 in of crumbling 50's cellulose batts in the roof. Climate wise we are about 20mi west of Boston.

The stove is a ~ '98 ?  Encore catalytic.  Central heat is steam fired by an 3yr old 83% efficient gas boiler.

I'm hoping this coming winter to cut down that gas use quite a bit for the same or slightly more wood consumption.  I've done a lot of work tuning up the stove (new combustor, most gaskets), am getting better at operating it and have good dry wood finally. Also this year we replaced the 2 rotting exterior doors, redid the weatherstrip on every window and Im doing a lot of caulking/air sealing. It will be interesting to track what a difference that will make.

Long term I REALLY need to get the roof insulated, but with a finished attic space there is no cheap way to do it   Tearing off the roof or dropping the ceiling just isn't in the budget right now.

-Jeremy


----------



## BrowningBAR

BandSawyer said:
			
		

> With the Vermont Casting cat stove I had I used to burn 2.5 cords to heat my house.
> This year we changed to a Woodstock Fireview and now I am going to burn 3.25 cords. The bloomin thing consumes wood and doesn't throw any heat. I am very disappointed.



So, this person never clarified how this was happening, huh?


----------



## Dexter

After added blown-in attic isulation and new windows, last winter was 3 cords.  'About 2000 feet heated with the wood stove.  'Open trilevel.  It wasn't bitterly cold last year, but we didn't get any warm-spells during the winter, either -- and we usually do.


----------



## Backwoods Savage

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> BandSawyer said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With the Vermont Casting cat stove I had I used to burn 2.5 cords to heat my house.
> This year we changed to a Woodstock Fireview and now I am going to burn 3.25 cords. The bloomin thing consumes wood and doesn't throw any heat. I am very disappointed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So, this person never clarified how this was happening, huh?
Click to expand...


Browning, I think this is the fellow who was putting the stove into a very cold and damp basement with no insulation. All the heat went to the walls and floor. That cement can really soak up a lot of heat. But for some reason he could not put the stove in the upstairs. That is sad.


----------



## KB007

I expect we'll prolly go thru about 4 cords this year and hopefully zero propane for heat (use it for water and cook stove tho).  Might use a bit more wood if I decide to run the basement stove rather than just the LR.  House is 1800 sqft open-ish bungalow with finished and insulated basement and R-50 in the attic.


----------

