Liberty Bricks in No. VA
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How many in a package?
I'm up by Fairfax, anyone find a source for them around here?
While I'm thinking of it, any good sources for firewood?
THANKS
You might want to see if they'll deliver. They will deliver to Richmond for $50. Might be worth a delivery of a few tons to nova.
I was glad to help out.
If I had access to a capable trailer, I would consider bringing some up for others during future runs for myself. The truck wouldn't be bothered by it.
redyute
Feeling the Heat
DuaeGuttae
Minister of Fire
Kevreh,
Ten bricks per package. Each brick is two pounds. We picked up a couple packages while traveling past Culpeper recently but haven't tried them yet. We keep debating whether a trip to Doswell is worth it.
Are you wanting a source for wood you scrounge and process, or are you wanting a supplier of cut and split wood?
DuaeGuttae
Minister of Fire
What kind of tow package do you have on your truck? We have a capable trailer but the wiring on our vehicle's end needs replacing.
Cut and split. I have a truck so am willing to do a pickup if nearby (hour or so out from the DC area). I have a bunch of poplar, would like hardwood though.
Guys I been wanting to try these for some time. What are the brick brands out there? What's good and bad about them. Where can I find them in North east PA?
DuaeGuttae
Minister of Fire
I'm afraid I'm not much help to you on that. We check craigslist periodically and did once find a guy selling off his stacks for a great price (and we got all his pine free), but we don't have a supplier. If you could get down to Richmond, Liberty Bricks would be a better bet if you're looking for a supply for this year. Tractor Supply also sells a similar product.
If you had been looking for scrounges, I was thinking that I could alert you when I see stuff. I hate to see it go in the trash. We've been offered wood that's been sitting at a couple of different places, and one of them we've needed to turn down because we've only got so much room and time in our little patch of suburbia. We try to get our supply each year by picking up wood when our friends have tree work done or keeping an ear out in the neighborhood.
DuaeGuttae
Minister of Fire
Liberty Bricks are produced and sold in Central Virginia only as far as I am aware. You should probably start a separate thread with your specific question so that it will get more views from people who may know.
Yeah I have some poplar and locust logs, around 24" in diameter, sitting around waiting to be split, once I get the time to rent a splitter. In the meantime I was looking for some decent oak or locust. I found a guy out of maryland for locust to deliver to me. We'll see!
so I have 3.5 cord of semi dry oak. 25% moisture. how many tons should I get of these to supplement with? was thinking of a few bricks per load of wood. has anyone headed solely with these yet? just curious of the cost vs wood. down in isle of Wight va, it's hard to get true seasoned wood unless you store it yourself. thanks.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
1 ton is about a cord. Have you already had a season of heating? I use maybe 1.5 cord/ton per year. The bricks burn very hot, tough not to overfire if I pack the stove only with them. Although when I use the bricksi can probably fit more in than using cord wood
It depends on your cord wood supply. If you will be only using a few bricks mixed with a full load of wood then 1 ton should suffice for your climate zone. But if the cordwood is damper than you first thought and a much greater percentage of the fuel ends up being the bricks, then a couple cords may be better.
I go through one ton per season. One trip every other year keeps me well supplied. I only use them to supplement my overnight burns. Not every night, but when I want to go to bed early or sleep in the next day. Twenty bricks in the bottom back and regular splits to take up the remaining space.
I'm heading down this coming Monday morning to pickup a couple of tons. Oh, the price on the site is now $180/ton. Still a good deal IMO.
I'm heading down this coming Monday morning to pickup a couple of tons. Oh, the price on the site is now $180/ton. Still a good deal IMO.
Depends on your stove, with a cat you can fill them up and idle on the smoke. I would use them as filler in mine to get a packed stove before going to bed at night. Always better to get more and have extra for next year so 2 tons should be plenty if only using as filler.
redyute
Feeling the Heat
so it looks like i will be getting some bricks since my red oak is only at 27%, ill probably mix them in with the half seasoned wood. If anyone in the nova area wants to get some lets make it a multiple ton trip, i got truck and trailer.
![[Hearth.com] Liberty Bricks in No. VA](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20170223_154325-webp.232793/ "[Hearth.com] Liberty Bricks in No. VA")
therealdbeau
Burning Hunk
For those that picked up Liberty Bricks for this season and previous seasons, what are your opinions of this year's bricks? I only get bricks every other year so I cannot speak about last year. I have a few packs from 2016 left over and the compacting quality is much better than the ones I picked up a few weeks ago.
The 2016 bricks are better compacted and the edges are not crumbly. The surface is generally hard and smooth. They also burn better and don't expand much. (I should do a weight comparison to see if there are any major differences between the years.) They are also light in color. My kids say the 2016 bricks look like large blocks of SPAM.
The 2018 brick surfaces are rough and the edges are crumbly. Much messier. They also expand quite a bit when burning. Finally, they are a dirty brown color. Keeping with the SPAM theme, the kids say these look like they were dropped on the ground at camp.
I cannot really say that there is any significant difference in their burn times. Which is really what they are intended to do. My biggest observation is that they are more crumbly around the edges and messier than previous years. (I do not recall 2015 bricks being any different than the 2016 ones.)
I still love having them and will continue to burn them as long as I can get them so readily. We shall see what 2020 brings.
The 2016 bricks are better compacted and the edges are not crumbly. The surface is generally hard and smooth. They also burn better and don't expand much. (I should do a weight comparison to see if there are any major differences between the years.) They are also light in color. My kids say the 2016 bricks look like large blocks of SPAM.
The 2018 brick surfaces are rough and the edges are crumbly. Much messier. They also expand quite a bit when burning. Finally, they are a dirty brown color. Keeping with the SPAM theme, the kids say these look like they were dropped on the ground at camp.
I cannot really say that there is any significant difference in their burn times. Which is really what they are intended to do. My biggest observation is that they are more crumbly around the edges and messier than previous years. (I do not recall 2015 bricks being any different than the 2016 ones.)
I still love having them and will continue to burn them as long as I can get them so readily. We shall see what 2020 brings.
noce
Member
VI - i have used liberty bricks each of the last 3 years (considering mroe, which would be 4 years). i did not have reaction when you first posted your message, and i apologize for not replying then. but the brick i got LAST year) (~nov 2019?) were DEFINITELY more crumbly. I too thought, "well they burned!" but i also think i was digging out more ash dust from them then in prior year.
any update in your (or others') experience?
any update in your (or others') experience?
Sheesh, I just saw how I ended my last 2018 post. Well now we know what 2020 has brought.
I have decided that I am going to take a pass on the Liberty Bricks this year. Since my son in college had to come home because of all the COVID mess, I hired him to be my woodchuck. I handed him the keys to my truck and sent him to my sister's house to process the wood there. They take down about 20-30 dead trees each year. It's a 40 minute drive but it kept him busy and gave me a way to help him without it being a handout.
I did take my splitter out there as well and he and my nephew split time on it. My nephew sells wood to make money for college. So I get free wood to process for the use of my splitter.
My wood needs are covered for the next few years.
noce
Member
VI--nice.
a friend has a van (and a strong back!) he has offered for me to run to one of these tractor supply places in NovA to get some non-Liberty bricks. liberty bricks--until last year's--were so good about not leaving big piles of ash. that way for me. these are not super cheap, but given that i have room for only one pallet, the delivery price is way high. i have a lot of wood ready to go, but the bricks have REALLY helped stretch it out.
a friend has a van (and a strong back!) he has offered for me to run to one of these tractor supply places in NovA to get some non-Liberty bricks. liberty bricks--until last year's--were so good about not leaving big piles of ash. that way for me. these are not super cheap, but given that i have room for only one pallet, the delivery price is way high. i have a lot of wood ready to go, but the bricks have REALLY helped stretch it out.
I still have a bunch left over from last year, so I don't know if I'll need any more this year. If I end up getting more I'll LYK if the quality's any different. I didn't really notice any problems last year compared to prior. However, if anyone needs help getting rid of their excess dead trees, I'm always available 
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