How much firewood for VA winter
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That's like asking how long is a piece of string. It would depend on the square footage of the home, the insulation, the fireplace, and how warm you heat the house.
So many variables... how large is your house, how well insulated, etc... also what sort of 'fireplace' do you have installed? Is this an EPA insert? Do you plan to heat with wood exclusively or is it part-time burning? How well dried/seasoned is your wood (can make a big difference believe it or not). How warm do you like your house?
Anyway - the answer I'm guessing will be anywhere from 1-5 cords, but it seems a lot of the 24/7 burners around here burn in the 2-3 cord range per winter. But clearly there are some exceptional sorts who do far more (and less!).
Up in MA burning 24/7 to keep a reasonably well insulated 2400+ sq ft home around 65* I went through about 3 cords last winter. Previous winter with different stove I burned 4 cords burning 16/7. Had better stove and better wood second season.
Anyway - the answer I'm guessing will be anywhere from 1-5 cords, but it seems a lot of the 24/7 burners around here burn in the 2-3 cord range per winter. But clearly there are some exceptional sorts who do far more (and less!).
Up in MA burning 24/7 to keep a reasonably well insulated 2400+ sq ft home around 65* I went through about 3 cords last winter. Previous winter with different stove I burned 4 cords burning 16/7. Had better stove and better wood second season.
I'm just a lowly wannabe wood burner so I don't have any numbers to give you but I might can save you some time...bsig31r said:
The experienced wood burning folk here will need to know a few things...
* Type/size of stove, insert, or fireplace that you have.
*Square footage of area that you will be heating.
*Single story? 2-story? Open ranch style or ???
*Lot's of windows? Double, triple paned windows with good insulation or lot's of single-paned windows and leaky old house (mine is the later).
*Are you depending entirely on wood heat or will you be using a mixture of wood and gas.
I'm sure there's other questions that they will ask but this will give them some info to start out with.
Best wishes,
Ed
I found a reference for a wood fireplace and can find people selling a gas version rated at 58K BTU.
It's best to think of a stove or fireplace as a large space heater, just like the little ones you plug into the wall. The areas closest to the heater are going to be warmest and the areas farthest will be cooler. Floor plan will mean a lot if you want to heat the entire place. Is the fireplace in a central part of the house?
Matt
It's best to think of a stove or fireplace as a large space heater, just like the little ones you plug into the wall. The areas closest to the heater are going to be warmest and the areas farthest will be cooler. Floor plan will mean a lot if you want to heat the entire place. Is the fireplace in a central part of the house?
Matt
We burn as much as we can - not 24/7 during the work week, more like 12 hours...and then full time on the weekends. We have a Hampton I300 and used 4-5 cords the first couple years - burning from OCT until April. Last year we burned more often, and added a second Buck 91 and we went through 7-8 cords. Lots of it was poplar and soft maple. Oak was mixed in but I made the mistake of stacking a 15ftX 60 ft block...the stuff in the middle really did not dry out properly. The oak should be ready this year - three to four years after I cut it. Last year I made sure the stacks were only two pieces across with 4ft between rows (basically on pallets.).
With 7-8 cords, we did not have the heat pumps come on except for late at night, and when it got really cold. The stoves are at opposite ends of the house and there is a large foyer that allows heat from the living room to travel upstairs....it was a lot of work keeping them both running, but satisfying since it was all free wood. Course, it will take a few years to cover the costs...but its an addicting hobby!
With 7-8 cords, we did not have the heat pumps come on except for late at night, and when it got really cold. The stoves are at opposite ends of the house and there is a large foyer that allows heat from the living room to travel upstairs....it was a lot of work keeping them both running, but satisfying since it was all free wood. Course, it will take a few years to cover the costs...but its an addicting hobby!
A better question might be , How much wood can you C,S,S on your property. You can never have to much.
Ja, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. It'll always keep until next year.hoosierhick said:
I live right on the Mason Dixon Line and burn 5 to 6 cord hardwood in a winter. If I were you, assuming you will be burning round the clock, I'd stock up 4 or 5 cord.
I just finished laying the ground work for my wood shed and it should hold 6 cords tightly stacked (16L X 8W X 6H). I do not see us having enough wood ready to burn full time this year after reading the replies here. We currently have about 1.5 cords drying. I plan on ordering another cord this week. The wood we do have is a mix of oak and cherry. I still need to establish some contacts with the tree service guys. This is an addicting hobby, but it is a cost savings one once I get it rolling. We spend around $300 a month to heat our house with natural gas.
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