# Seasoned Firewood Supplier near Boonton, New Jersey??? (Morris County)



## HoosierTransplant (Jun 29, 2011)

Hey there,

I'm moving to Boonton, NJ in a few weeks into a place with a nice Jutal c350 insert. We are new to the east coast and so I'll be starting from zero wood. The home has natural gas, so the c350 will just be for supplemental heat. I'm hoping the first winter goes well and the wife is impressed enough to let me go at it a little more seriously next year.

With that in mind I'm wondering if anyone in the northern NJ area can recommend me a firewood supplier that can deliver wood that will be well-seasoned to burn this winter. I'll probably just do 1 cord to get things started (maybe a little more, depending -- only have room to store probably 2 cords max -- city lot and kids need room to run) Suggestions? If it doesn't perform well the wife will be a harder sell in future years, so I don't want to just call some random landscape company and have them dump a load in my driveway.

This outfit is located in Boonton: http://aaafirewood.com/    quoted me $200 for split, seasoned, and delivered hardwood.

This craigslist supplier is the best looking one on there right now: http://newjersey.craigslist.org/grd/2466638819.html

Anyhow, I've read up here enough to know that most suppliers are junk, so if any NNJ folks have recommendations please let me know.

DT 

//Crossposted at arborist.com so don't flame me out!//


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## Got Wood (Jun 29, 2011)

I dont have any recommendations for your area, I would buy ASAP so you have the max amount of time to season, especially now for the hot summer months. Then get it stacked loosely in a single row(s) off the ground. This would still be better than most people (not our Hearth friends...."normal" uneducated folks)


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## HoosierTransplant (Jun 29, 2011)

Good point on doing it quickly. We're moving in 3 weeks. Hopefully will have my racks made, load delivered, and wood stacked by 2 weeks after that.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jun 30, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Hoosier.

For sure you need to get it quickly. And do not believe any wood seller when he says the wood is ready to burn. Very, very, very few really know or care. They just say it is seasoned or whatever. We count drying time only after the wood has been cut to firewood length, split and stacked out in the wind. Most wood needs a year but some can be hurried along by splitting small and stacking where both wind and sun hit. Wind is the most important. We do not cover the wood at all until just before the snow flies and then it is very important to cover the top only. Don't worry about rain and snow hitting the sides of the wood stacks. It won't do any harm nor will the wood soak up that moisture. It will dry the next day.


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## shawneyboy (Jun 30, 2011)

Welcome to the forum.  Sorry I don't know of any good dealers in your area, I scrounge all my fuel.  

Get it , get it c/s/s and good luck.  I hope you get it seasoned because trying to burn not properly seasoned wood will probably turn the wifey off to the idea pretty fast.

Enjoy,

Shawn


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## cygnus (Jun 30, 2011)

The first season is tough.  Acquire whatever you can sooner rather than later.  

I'd recommend keeping an eye on craigslist for free firewood.  I've seen a handful of ads lately with folks getting rid of older, split wood since they are moving or replaced the wood burner with a gas burner (crazy huh?) Maybe you'll get lucky.  But be quick on those ads!  It's very competitive.  Here is my recommendation for monitoring CL and getting to those postings first: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/68068/

I'll beep next time I drive through Boonton on 287.


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## HoosierTransplant (Jun 30, 2011)

That's an awesome tip on RSSing craigslist. Never knew they had RSS links on it -- pretty sweet. 

I've been watching CL some to get a sense of what gets posted there. My current problems are: 1) No chainsaw, so logs bigger than 18" are out, 2) no hauling vehicle. I've got a 2002 Honda Odyssey that I can load up the trunk (or could lower the back seats and load up the back 1/2, but that could be a weight issue). So, big hauls are not an option for me. I could probably get about 1/4 cord in my van easily and safely, but that's about it. 

Also wondering if anyone has done the NJ homeowners firewood thing with the state forests? If I had a friend with a chainsaw and a truck I'd be happy to come give my labor and split the wood 1/3 - 2/3 with him. That would be wood for next year, though, not this year.



			
				cygnus said:
			
		

> The first season is tough.  Acquire whatever you can sooner rather than later.
> 
> I'd recommend keeping an eye on craigslist for free firewood.  I've seen a handful of ads lately with folks getting rid of older, split wood since they are moving or replaced the wood burner with a gas burner (crazy huh?) Maybe you'll get lucky.  But be quick on those ads!  It's very competitive.  Here is my recommendation for monitoring CL and getting to those postings first: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/68068/
> 
> I'll beep next time I drive through Boonton on 287.


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## gzecc (Jun 30, 2011)

HoosierTransplant said:
			
		

> Hey there,
> 
> I'm moving to Boonton, NJ in a few weeks into a place with a nice Jutal c350 insert. We are new to the east coast and so I'll be starting from zero wood. The home has natural gas, so the c350 will just be for supplemental heat. I'm hoping the first winter goes well and the wife is impressed enough to let me go at it a little more seriously next year.
> 
> ...



There is a place you can see when driving 287 south. Its on the west side of the high way (near a large gully). There is a huge stack of firewood off in the trees in the Boonton area. I know this isn't the best way to season wood, but they probably have better seasoned wood, if you push them.


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## HoosierTransplant (Jun 30, 2011)

gzecc: I'm pretty sure that's AAA firewood -- that sounds exactly like where they're located. And, yeah, their stuff looks like it's just in a big pile, but it also looks like a lot of it has been down and split for quite some time...


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## gzecc (Jun 30, 2011)

I personally would visit them with a moisture meter.  For under $25 on line you can get one.  Call them tell them, you just moved to the area and you are wood obsessed and would like to sample the wood they would deliver before delivery. They may accept it, if they have dry wood!


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## KarlP (Jun 30, 2011)

HoosierTransplant said:
			
		

> I'm moving to Boonton, NJ in a few weeks ... Suggestions?



Speaking as a Boonton High School dropout, my suggestion is to cancel the move.


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## smokinj (Jun 30, 2011)

KarlP said:
			
		

> HoosierTransplant said:
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lol, What part of Indiana you leaving?


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## HoosierTransplant (Jun 30, 2011)

KarlP said:
			
		

> Speaking as a Boonton High School dropout, my suggestion is to cancel the move.



Lol, nice. I think if you dropped out then you're the dummy not the school  But, yeah I saw the school stats. They're actually not that terrible. Things are kind of expensive in NNJ, so living in a nicer school district priced us out of homes pretty badly. Plus, it's not Lake Hiawatha! Our kids will likely be homeschooled or in private school if it makes you feel better.



			
				smokinjay said:
			
		

> lol, What part of Indiana you leaving?



Bloomington, finishing up the terminal degree and getting a real job. Gonna miss this place, we've made a lot of good friends here.


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## cygnus (Jun 30, 2011)

HoosierTransplant said:
			
		

> 2) no hauling vehicle. I've got a 2002 Honda Odyssey that I can load up the trunk (or could lower the back seats and load up the back 1/2, but that could be a weight issue). So, big hauls are not an option for me. I could probably get about 1/4 cord in my van easily and safely, but that's about it.



This is not a 'problem.'  My hauler is a 2000 Lincoln LS


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## gzecc (Jun 30, 2011)

cygnus said:
			
		

> HoosierTransplant said:
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You guys are priceless!


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## KarlP (Jun 30, 2011)

HoosierTransplant said:
			
		

> KarlP said:
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Looking back, I view encouraging me to drop out as one of the best decisions my parents ever made in raising me.  I dropped out to escape the petty school politics that was tearing my life apart and start college early.  I was ranked second in a class of over two hundred when I dropped out, and received a BS 3 1/2 years later.

There were some crosslinked policy changes around both honors classes and teacher evaluations that sparked a feud between the teachers and board of education the summer before my senior year.  The dozens of parents who attended board of education meetings to reason with them, were all repeatedly told (in front of their kids) that the problem was that their kids (the honors students) were lazy and then quickly dismissed.  As a result, I left and at least four other students ranked in the top ten dropped their AP classes for non-honors equivalents or band/shop/art classes that year.

The school policy was that if I was expelled (there were a handfull every year) I could use college courses to meet the state requirements and graduate.  I found out the hard way that if I wanted to go to college before getting kicked out, the administrators would actively try to prevent me from leaving.  That included the principal calling the admissions department of the college that accepted me early, to see if they could unaccept me.



> Things are kind of expensive in NNJ, so living in a nicer school district priced us out of homes pretty badly.



Kind of?  You comparing to Bloomington or Manhattan?  Most people from Eastern MA seem to think houses, taxes, insurance, and utilities are expensive.  They are all ~20% less than NNJ which is why I came here!

Its not the worst school system in the country by any means and some of those numbers when I was there were reflective of a large "English as a second language" population.  However, I felt that the school was spending far more energy on "looking better" rather than "teaching better".



> Our kids will likely be homeschooled or in private school if it makes you feel better.



Yes. "Terminal Degree" implies you are an academic.  As such, I don't think you'll be thrilled with the school system.


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## HoosierTransplant (Jun 30, 2011)

Karl--wow that's quite a story about Boonton HS. Will file away for the future. And I take everything back about you being the dummy. Sounds like you're smart and made a good decision about getting into (and out of!) college faster than most people. Yes I am an academic and yes I know that the Boonton school system is not up to my standards. Hence, most my kids are going to be homeschooled, with one of them (this year, anyway) in private school. To enact policies that irritate the high performing students is about the most foolish thing a school can do. You want to attract more students like that, not push them away.

Prices are way high compared to where I'm coming from, but don't even get me started on Manhattan prices. That's just crazy nuts. I grew up in Southern California, so I've seen high prices before, but Manhattan is a whole different world.


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## Joey (Jun 30, 2011)

Hoosier,,,,your actually the first person I have heard of moving into NJ in a very long time.  Most of us...are desperately trying to get out, myself included.  Six years left until I can retire,,,,hate to rush my life away,,but cant wait to leave here.  On a lighter note,,,,,grab some pallets and cut them up with a sawzall or circular saw if you dont have a chainsaw.  They can be had at many different locations, check lumber supply stores.  They always seem to have a big pile they are trying to get rid of.  Also,,make friends with your local tree guys.  I have not paid a red cent for wood in the past two years.  They drop off all i need when i ask them to.  Cheaper to drop it off to me then taking it to the landfill.  When ya get a large enough pile from your tree guy,,,rent a saw from Home Depot for a few hours to buck it up.  Then you can hand split.  Just a few ideas on going the cheap route with woodburning.  It can be done.  Once again,,,welcome to Dirty Jerzey !


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## cygnus (Jul 5, 2011)

Might be worth your time if you will be south in your travels...if it's still around...

http://cnj.craigslist.org/zip/2477623777.html

Free split firewood and railroad ties (Colonia (07067))09:09 7/5/2011, craigslist cNJ "firewood"
I have some firewood (probably about a 1/5 cord) that I split a few years ago and has been sitting outside, partially covered. It would need a little time out of the weather before you use it. If you can carry it from behind my shed and load it into your truck, it's yours.

I also have 6 or 8 railroad ties that I'm no longer using. Some are a little deteriorated, but might be useable. Again, as long as you carry them from my shed, they're yours.

Please email me to schedule a time to come. In case you didn't notice, this is located in Colonia (zip is 07067).


Location: Colonia (07067) 
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests


***and just for the record, I do not, under any circumstances, condone the burning of railroad ties.  They contain lots of very toxic chemicals.


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## Bigg_Redd (Jul 5, 2011)

HoosierTransplant said:
			
		

> Hey there,
> 
> I'm moving to Boonton, NJ in a few weeks into a place with a nice Jutal c350 insert. We are new to the east coast and so I'll be starting from zero wood. The home has natural gas, so the c350 will just be for supplemental heat. I'm hoping the first winter goes well and the wife is impressed enough to let me go at it a little more seriously next year.
> 
> ...



1) Forget about finding dry wood for sale

2) No matter what the Craig's List ad says it's not dry, it's not "seasoned," it's not ready to burn

3) Repeat #s 1&2 to yourself over and over

4) Consider yourself lucky if you pay for and get a full, honest cord


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## cygnus (Sep 3, 2011)

Here's a good one for you:

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/zip/2580424094.html
Free Seasoned Firewood (not from Irene!) (Cedar Grove, NJ)

I have free firewood located in Cedar Grove, NJ (07009) that is no longer needed due to the removal of a wood stove from the home. It is seasoned wood, and not from the recent storms. It is cut and stacked, and I also have unsplit logs as well if you're interested. It is mostly (or perhaps all) maple and oak. I don't have any way to deliver it, so you would have to come pick it up, but I am happy to help you load it. You can take as much or as little as you'd like.

I have attached some pic of the piles. Please call me any time.

Thanks!
Sam
973.452.9500


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## HoosierTransplant (Sep 3, 2011)

Great tip -- I just saw it in my RSS, too. 1 hr. after the post went up and I'm 2nd in line!


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