Redstone eco bricks

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Consider the BTU value. 1 cord of oak is approx 24 million BTUs. 1 pallet (1 ton) of Bio bricks is 18 million BTUs
 
Makes sense to me... that puts bio bricks at ~ 30% more expensive on a per btu basis
 
Kevin Weis said:
Okay, from the above link see that the Bio Bricks are only available in New England/New York:(.
Click to expand...

About 3 hours away from you in Central VA there is a small company called Liberty Bricks that makes "bio bricks". They sell a pallet (1 ton) for $180. Pick up only.

georgepds said:
Makes sense to me... that puts bio bricks at ~ 30% more expensive on a per btu basis
Click to expand...

I guess you also have to consider the state of the cordwood like if it is "Seasoned" or "Kiln dried". Around here a cord of "seasoned" hardwood is anywhere from $150-400 and at the lower end of that the definition of "seasoned" is still too wet. However a cord of kiln dried hardwood starts at $500/cord I guess these bio bricks are more comparable to kiln dried cordwood considering their moisture content.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Kevin Weis
I've heard that often kiln dried is not as good as seasoned in that the moisture content is higher

The plus side is kiln dried is supposed to kill all the bugs.

Me, I don't mind bugs.. it was cat theater back when I had a cat
 
Yeah I've always assumed kiln dried meant the wood was essentially baked until absolutely dry. I'm thinking a kiln like a big oven not a plastic tent I've seen some users here use to speed up seasoning.
 
therealdbeau said:
Consider the BTU value. 1 cord of oak is approx 24 million BTUs. 1 pallet (1 ton) of Bio bricks is 18 million BTUs
Click to expand...

Based on BTU/$
1 ton (2 pallets) bio bricks = 36 mil BTU and ~$700 = 51k BTU/$
1 ton (one cord) seasoned oak = 24 mil BTU (best case scenario) and ~$400 = 60k BTU/$

It's not that far off when you look at it in this fashion. If you are buying firewood, it's not a bad deal. In my case every BTU I harvest only costs fuel/maintenance on the chainsaw plus my time. However, I might still buy some to supplement my wood since I don't have ton of seasoned wood. These are also very rough figures.

I just realized that one pallet of bricks is a ton, I misread something. Nevermind, the math really doesn't work in the favor of bricks. This is also assuming that you get the full 24 mil BTUs out of the oak, but as others have noted, it still seems a better deal to buy cord wood over the bricks.
 
Last edited:
SpaceBus said:
Based on BTU/$
2 ton bio bricks = 36 mil BTU and ~$700 = 51k BTU/$
2 ton seasoned oak = 24 mil BTU (best case scenario) and ~$400 = 60k BTU/$

It's not that far off when you look at it in this fashion. If you are buying firewood, it's not a bad deal. In my case every BTU I harvest only costs fuel/maintenance on the chainsaw plus my time. However, I might still buy some to supplement my wood since I don't have ton of seasoned wood. These are also very rough figures.
Click to expand...

Running with the numbers you presented, 2 cord of Oak is 48 mil BTU, not 24. 24mil is only for one cord
 
Plain wood is cheaper than processed firewood. No one can argue that but it has benefits. No drying time, burns hot, no bugs. They're also to mix with non seasoned wood. Some of them like NIEL'S burn longer and gives you a longer, hotter fire.
 
weatherguy said:
Plain wood is cheaper than processed firewood. No one can argue that but it has benefits. No drying time, burns hot, no bugs. They're also to mix with non seasoned wood. Some of them like NIEL'S burn longer and gives you a longer, hotter fire.
Click to expand...

I wish I could get Niels, but the delivery fee is too expensive. The place is 250 miles away so I'm spending $100 on fuel to pick it up or $540 for delivery of up to four pallets. It just isn't economical for me. There is a place local to me that sells Envirowood Briquettes which are comparable to the rest of the bricks. They are 6x2x4 which will be easy to load into my long narrow stove.
 
SpaceBus said:
I wish I could get Niels, but the delivery fee is too expensive. The place is 250 miles away so I'm spending $100 on fuel to pick it up or $540 for delivery of up to four pallets. It just isn't economical for me. There is a place local to me that sells Envirowood Briquettes which are comparable to the rest of the bricks. They are 6x2x4 which will be easy to load into my long narrow stove.
Click to expand...
The canawicks are pretty good too
 
SpaceBus said:
I don't think I could get those either. At least the Enviro Wood bricks are made here.
Click to expand...
Canawicks can be bought in Maine but your state is so big there might not be a place close to you. Theres a place in Bangor.
 
weatherguy said:
Canawicks can be bought in Maine but your state is so big there might not be a place close to you. Theres a place in Bangor.
Click to expand...

Bangor is about two hours from me. It might be worth it. The other listed location was Caribou, and that's even further.
 
Just bought several 3 packs at TSC. I should have waited for a sale, they were $3.99 each. As noted in other posts I saw right away that some cleanup will be required due to the crumbling. I have some split wood 8-9 months old so will use them with that to see how they do.
 
SpaceBus said:
...I just realized that one pallet of bricks is a ton, I misread something. Nevermind, the math really doesn't work in the favor of bricks. This is also assuming that you get the full 24 mil BTUs out of the oak, but as others have noted, it still seems a better deal to buy cord wood over the bricks.
Click to expand...
24 MBTU / cord of red or white oak looks like a good number.

http://worldforestindustries.com/forest-biofuel/firewood/firewood-btu-ratings/

18 MBTU / 24 MBTU = 75% heat value of a cord of dry oak.

I get Liberty Bricks, mentioned above, for $180 at the factory. I figure it's like getting a cord of dry oak for $240, which is about as cheap as I've seen a cord of oak lately. . .and we all know that nobody sells 2-3-year-dried oak. Basically paying a 30% premium for dry fuel ~ 10% moisture content.

The only way I see doing better on the open market is to buy a dump truck load of 2+ cord for maybe $350 and stack it for 2+ years. Gotta wonder how many pieces in that load are > 18" long and won't fit in the stove. . .

After burning bricks for a few seasons, product uniformity is something I've come to appreciate. I pretty much know how a 30-lb load of bricks is going to burn, every time. If I want a lil' less heat, I'll do 26 lbs. Yeah, you can do this with splits of wood, but not in 2-lb increments. I also find value in being able to stack them like Legos. I usually burn 12+ hours, then I rake the small amount of coals to front-center and arrange stacks of 3 bricks in a 'U' shape around the mound of coals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dBrad
Kevin Weis said:
I see it's a fair size facility. Google shows at least a couple hundred pallets there loaded.
Click to expand...

I don't think Liberty Bricks owns or utilizes the entire facility. When I was there it looked more like they used a small portion of the facility and other companies had the rest. Lots of other stuff going on there from what I could tell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MedicineMan4040
Storing biobricks/wood fuel bricks question
Replies
28
Views
2K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
MedicineMan4040
MedicineMan4040
D
First Wood Stove in a New (to me) Home
Replies
38
Views
2K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
stovexxx
stovexxx
J
Repair Fire Brick
Replies
10
Views
329
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
bholler
B
DougalMcGuire
Smoke Chamber Parging after large hole filled. Advice?
Replies
3
Views
526
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
DougalMcGuire
DougalMcGuire
T
Looking for new insert - Blaze King?
Replies
32
Views
1K
Blaze King
kborndale
K
Top Bottom