A newbie ’fesses up

[ourmoneypit]

Last year, when we were working on choosing a stove and getting it installed, I posted here a few times. It was mentioned, I think more than once, that the biggest first-time burner error was running out of wood. Since we're not full-time at the wood-heated residence, it was hard to judge how much would be enough. We started the year with 2 cords of mostly birch, about a third of it punky, and two cords of what proved to be very nicely seasoned maple.

We ran out of wood in February, and put up with a fair amount of ribbing from friends who would come to visit and admire the stove..."too bad it's not working"

This year we have 4+ cords of our own wood, mostly birch, very little of it punky. We'll also be getting in another 2 cords of maple from the same source. (Going for $55 Cdn, not delivered, BTW) Hopefully we'll make it through this year. As with last year, we have already started burning, stoking the stove up around suppertime. We've been below zero Celsius overnight most nights, and it's been very windy. The polls are now open as to when we'll run out of wood this season ;-)

 

[Slow1]

So, how much wood do you have piled up for next year?

 

[John_M]

Hey, ourmoneypit, is the price of $55 Cdn for a face cord (called a "rick" in some parts of USA), or a full cord of 128 cu.ft? If you are able to get a full cord of wood for $55 Cdn, I am transplanting body and soul to our great neighbor to the north.

At that price, I am betting your 4+ cords is really 4+ face cords and that you will run out of wood during late December, at the exact moment you and friends are sitting around the stove enjoying the warmth of the fire and a hot buttered rum and someone suggests you "...put another log on the fire...".

Hope you are enjoying the warmth of fire and friends.

John_M

 

[Diabel]

OMP $55.00 a face cord is a very good price. Around here people charge $95-140 (CDN) for a face cord. Right now you should be stocking up for 2010-2011 burn season!

 

[ourmoneypit]

Well, courtesy of the beavers, we have 3/4 of a face cord of mixed birch, poplar and maple already drying for the '10-'11 heating season. They cut down our trees to build their dams, I take apart their dams, DS cuts anything over 1.5" diameter into stovelengths. Otherwise, it would just go into a burn pile, which would be a waste. The beavers have also felled a good-sized poplar, and we'll go steal it once they've got all the limbs off it. They're also working on a bigger one, 16" diameter at the base, and we'll do the same thing. We like conserving energy, especially our own. We float 'em across the lake with a kayak.

$55 is for a face cord, and fairly typical of the area we're in. It's sugarbush country, and there's always plenty, so it helps to keep prices down. I think they might sell full-length logs in true 'cords', but if it's split and in stovelengths, it's always sold by the face cord, least that's been my experience.

For the nature lovers, we're not doing the beavers any harm: they'll be trapped come mid-October anyway. We can't risk the lake rising too high as we have a hydro pole right on its bank, and a bridge over the lake's outlet. It's a delicate balance.

 

[thewoodlands]

Last year, when we were working on choosing a stove and getting it installed, I posted here a few times. It was mentioned, I think more than once, that the biggest first-time burner error was running out of wood. Since we're not full-time at the wood-heated residence, it was hard to judge how much would be enough. We started the year with 2 cords of mostly birch, about a third of it punky, and two cords of what proved to be very nicely seasoned maple.

We ran out of wood in February, and put up with a fair amount of ribbing from friends who would come to visit and admire the stove..."too bad it's not working"

This year we have 4+ cords of our own wood, mostly birch, very little of it punky. We'll also be getting in another 2 cords of maple from the same source. (Going for $55 Cdn, not delivered, BTW) Hopefully we'll make it through this year. As with last year, we have already started burning, stoking the stove up around suppertime. We've been below zero Celsius overnight most nights, and it's been very windy. The polls are now open as to when we'll run out of wood this season ;-)

This will be our 1st year burning wood, have 21 face cord stacked and hope to burn only 11.

Zap

 

[Hurricane]

Last year, when we were working on choosing a stove and getting it installed, I posted here a few times. It was mentioned, I think more than once, that the biggest first-time burner error was running out of wood. Since we're not full-time at the wood-heated residence, it was hard to judge how much would be enough. We started the year with 2 cords of mostly birch, about a third of it punky, and two cords of what proved to be very nicely seasoned maple.

We ran out of wood in February, and put up with a fair amount of ribbing from friends who would come to visit and admire the stove..."too bad it's not working"

This year we have 4+ cords of our own wood, mostly birch, very little of it punky. We'll also be getting in another 2 cords of maple from the same source. (Going for $55 Cdn, not delivered, BTW) Hopefully we'll make it through this year. As with last year, we have already started burning, stoking the stove up around suppertime. We've been below zero Celsius overnight most nights, and it's been very windy. The polls are now open as to when we'll run out of wood this season ;-)

This will be our 1st year burning wood, have 21 face cord stacked and hope to burn only 11.

Zap

Now that is a guy who comes prepared

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Okay, we have at least 75 face cords all dried and ready to burn!


Ourmoneypit, be sure to split that birch quickly. Unsplit birch rots very fast. Split birch dries well and burns well. Good luck.

 

[smokinj]

Last year, when we were working on choosing a stove and getting it installed, I posted here a few times. It was mentioned, I think more than once, that the biggest first-time burner error was running out of wood. Since we're not full-time at the wood-heated residence, it was hard to judge how much would be enough. We started the year with 2 cords of mostly birch, about a third of it punky, and two cords of what proved to be very nicely seasoned maple.

We ran out of wood in February, and put up with a fair amount of ribbing from friends who would come to visit and admire the stove..."too bad it's not working"

This year we have 4+ cords of our own wood, mostly birch, very little of it punky. We'll also be getting in another 2 cords of maple from the same source. (Going for $55 Cdn, not delivered, BTW) Hopefully we'll make it through this year. As with last year, we have already started burning, stoking the stove up around suppertime. We've been below zero Celsius overnight most nights, and it's been very windy. The polls are now open as to when we'll run out of wood this season ;-)

8-10 cords and i know everyone will say3-4 cords lol

 

[CowboyAndy]

my god, i WISH i could get by with 8-10 face cords... at 55 a cord.


we averaged 24-26 face last year... most goes for 70-90 here.

i am with smokin that 8-10 would be prudent... if its too much, you'll have more for next year.