Getting firewood ready for this winter

[bholler]

Methinks that was meant to be written 18 facecord.

Yes which could mean lots of different things depending on the length of the wood

 

[Woodsplitter67]

How many people have their firewood stack and getting it ready for this winter ?

that's funny.. this winters wood was processed and stacked in march of 2019.. I just finished processing this spring for 2026/27

 

[KDubU]

Okay you guys that are 2-3 years out. Some of us are not there yet . I am busy getting next winter’s wood ready and yes I am late but that is due to buying the property last October, redoing the kitchen, bathroom and floors myself….and yes I am tried of it already. Got three face cords of maple stacked and covered and this weekend will be building a solar kiln as per Mr @Woodsplitter67. Hopefully I’ll get it dry by Aug and also have 3 cords of red oak that may be dry enough by Sept-Oct in the second kiln. After this weekend, it’s time to build the wood shed as Iw ant to start filling that for 23-24 season.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Okay you guys that are 2-3 years out. Some of us are not there yet . I am busy getting next winter’s wood ready and yes I am late but that is due to buying the property last October, redoing the kitchen, bathroom and floors myself….and yes I am tried of it already. Got three face cords of maple stacked and covered and this weekend will be building a solar kiln as per Mr @Woodsplitter67. Hopefully I’ll get it dry by Aug and also have 3 cords of red oak that may be dry enough by Sept-Oct in the second kiln. After this weekend, it’s time to build the wood shed as Iw ant to start filling that for 23-24 season.

I would build the woodshed and fill it with wood for the 24/25 season.. no need to stack this years wood in it and save the labor.. just top cover this seasons wood. Id kiln the oak first as thats a denser wood... the maple should dry quickly in the kiln and Id do that in mid August August through September should do it.. Dont spend time moving the wood around if you don't have to..

 

[KDubU]

I would build the woodshed and fill it with wood for the 24/25 season.. no need to stack this years wood in it and save the labor.. just top cover this seasons wood. Id kiln the oak first as thats a denser wood... the maple should dry quickly in the kiln and Id do that in mid August August through September should do it.. Dont spend time moving the wood around if you don't have to..

Yup the shed will have 24/25 season and I will have two kilns going, one with maple and the other with red oak. Also may bring in a couple face cords from a place that has decent wood cut last fall.

 

[bigealta]

Wood is trickling in. Only have about 2 years worth as of now. This years is oak seasoned about 3 years.

 

[hawkeye4771]

Yes 18 face cords. Wife and I are retired and like it cozy and warm. We don't venture out alot in winter so we keep the stoves burning. House is 1200 sq. ft., 2 story. Have 2 Regency 1100 Model stoves. One stove in northeast corner of the house and one stove in southwest corner. Have vents cut to allow heat to rise up into the upstairs bedrooms. All good hardwood consisting of cherry, ash, beech, hickory, red oak, yellow birch.

 

[bholler]

Yes 18 face cords. Wife and I are retired and like it cozy and warm. We don't venture out alot in winter so we keep the stoves burning. House is 1200 sq. ft., 2 story. Have 2 Regency 1100 Model stoves. One stove in northeast corner of the house and one stove in southwest corner. Have vents cut to allow heat to rise up into the upstairs bedrooms. All good hardwood consisting of cherry, ash, beech, hickory, red oak, yellow birch.

How long is your wood cut for those stoves?

 

[Ashful]

I'll start next year with wood I split and stacked in autumn 2019, and I'll finish next year with wood I split and stacked in winter/spring of 2020. Anything I'm splitting today will be burned 3 years from now.

 

[hawkeye4771]

How long is your wood cut for those stoves?

Approx. 17 inches long. My Stoves will take 18 in. long so I cut my pieces to 17- 17 1/2 in. I get another 10 face cords delivered by my Wood Man each year and he cuts those to the same length.

 

[bholler]

Approx. 17 inches long. My Stoves will take 18 in. long so I cut my pieces to 17- 17 1/2 in. I get another 10 face cords delivered by my Wood Man each year and he cuts those to the same length.

Ok so you use a little over 6 actual cords. That's allot for 1200 sq ft

 

[Ashful]

Ok so you use a little over 6 actual cords. That's allot for 1200 sq ft

Understatement! Your math is right. He must be making some error in his 18 face cord tally, unless they run with the doors wide open, or keep the place above 90F all winter.

 

[bholler]

Understatement! Your math is right. He must be making some error in his 18 face cord tally, unless they run with the doors wide open, or keep the place above 90F all winter.

Or run with the air open on the stoves all the time

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Insulation makes a big difference. I found my father’s records for oil in 80 and 81. The house was a single story around 900 sq ft, using over 1,000 gallons of oil. That would be almost 5 cords on a really small house.

 

[hawkeye4771]

Isn't a face cord 8 ft. long by 4 ft. high by 16 inch long pieces? I start burning end of September when the temps at night get down to 50 degrees and damp and just last weekend stopped burning when the night time temps finally got above 50 and damp.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It can be that. But the face only verifies the 4x8 part.

 

[bholler]

Isn't a face cord 8 ft. long by 4 ft. high by 16 inch long pieces? I start burning end of September when the temps at night get down to 50 degrees and damp and just last weekend stopped burning when the night time temps finally got above 50 and damp.

A face cord is 4x8x whatever length the wood is cut to

 

[Ashful]

I have a few face cords of 15 foot logs. Each of those face cords makes nearly 4 cords.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Now that 'd be a descriptive picture!

 

[Poindexter]

FWIW my fuel for a mild winter 23/24 was stacked in the kilns in March 2023. But I am getting rid of the kilns, moving to a new design; the last of the fuel I will need for a severe 23/24 winter will be here next week- and goes in the new design plan.

It is curious to me that I can buy green dripping spruce splits for $350/ cord right now (18M BTU, delivered, splits), or I can buy steam kilned birch (20M BTU, fob 7 miles, splits) for $400/ cord right now. The unknown is how expensive the kiln dried birch will be in April 2024. My last oil delivery was $4.78/ gallon in Feb 23.

There is room on my property for 8 cords to burn in winter 23/24. To start seasoning wood now for 24/25 I would have to buy more land.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Fob is freight on board?

 

[Ashful]

Fob is freight on board?

Never heard of firewood being sold FOB! If the truck doesn't make it to my property, that's the seller's problem.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I hadn’t heard of it either for firewood, but lots of things are different between NY and Alaska! That’s why I wanted to confirm my interpretation! Maybe it’s common in Alaska to buy the firewood and then you contract a 3rd party to deliver it when they can. Ice Road truckers would be a much different show in NY! I have to admit I’d probably watch each time somebody tries to drive a loaded 18 wheeler across a frozen lake up (down?) here!

I suppose it’s more of a COD situation here. The guy owns his firewood until he gets to my house and I hand him cash.

 

[Farmchuck]

FWIW my fuel for a mild winter 23/24 was stacked in the kilns in March 2023. But I am getting rid of the kilns, moving to a new design; the last of the fuel I will need for a severe 23/24 winter will be here next week- and goes in the new design plan.

It is curious to me that I can buy green dripping spruce splits for $350/ cord right now (18M BTU, delivered, splits), or I can buy steam kilned birch (20M BTU, fob 7 miles, splits) for $400/ cord right now. The unknown is how expensive the kiln dried birch will be in April 2024. My last oil delivery was $4.78/ gallon in Feb 23.

There is room on my property for 8 cords to burn in winter 23/24. To start seasoning wood now for 24/25 I would have to buy more land.

What is this new design plan you speak of? I am intrigued. Sounds interesting!

 

[Jedi]

Saw this on facebook marketplace. Anyone from MD can verify this? I call BS unless it's split in tiny pieces.