The old adage is that wood warms you three times - when you cut it, when you split it, and when you burn it.
I say that's a gross underestimate. Sure, you get warmed once with the BTUs from burning the wood, but the warming from the work of getting the wood, a lot more. Since I don't actually cut my own wood:
- when loading the wood on the truck / trailer
- when unloading truck / trailer
- when splitting the wood (btw, I get just as warm from splitting with a hydraulic splitter as by hand; just get more done and manage to split what would be near unsplittable w/ a maul).
- when moving the pile of split wood 'cuz it's blocking the driveway
- when stacking the wood for seasoning
- when cleaning up the mess from splitting
- when resplitting for kindling or just smaller splits
- when bringing wood in the house to burn
- when cleaning out the ashes
Those who cut their own wood also get one to two "warming session" when felling and bucking (depending on whether those are two separate operations or done in one session). And if you clean you own chimney, I s'pect you work up a sweat on that too.
Have I left anything out?
Peace,
- Sequoia
I say that's a gross underestimate. Sure, you get warmed once with the BTUs from burning the wood, but the warming from the work of getting the wood, a lot more. Since I don't actually cut my own wood:
- when loading the wood on the truck / trailer
- when unloading truck / trailer
- when splitting the wood (btw, I get just as warm from splitting with a hydraulic splitter as by hand; just get more done and manage to split what would be near unsplittable w/ a maul).
- when moving the pile of split wood 'cuz it's blocking the driveway
- when stacking the wood for seasoning
- when cleaning up the mess from splitting
- when resplitting for kindling or just smaller splits
- when bringing wood in the house to burn
- when cleaning out the ashes
Those who cut their own wood also get one to two "warming session" when felling and bucking (depending on whether those are two separate operations or done in one session). And if you clean you own chimney, I s'pect you work up a sweat on that too.
Have I left anything out?
Peace,
- Sequoia