As I mentioned in the previous post, if you have to buy your firewood, you won't save as much on home heating. If you do find yourself purchasing some firewood, here's some helpful hints:1. A true cord of firewood is 4ft H x 4ft D x 8ft L. When shopping firewood make sure you clarify that you want a true cord, not a "face" cord which is only 4ft H x 8ft L and only as deep the first row of firewood.
2. Buying firewood is a very frustrating process. It's literally the wild wild west of commerce. Even after specifying a "true cord" you'll likely be short changed just the same. I don't want to demonize ALL firewood salesmen, but I've never received a full, measured cord. Just another reason to find your OWN firewood if you can.
3. Not all wood is created equal. Different woods put off different amounts of heat/energy. Paying $200 for a full cord of Oak (great wood, high BTU output) vs. a full cord of pine (highly recommended that you don't burn in your wood stove) is completely different. Wood will be listed as Mixed, Mixed Hardwood, All Oak, etc. Mixed could very well include softwoods, which isn't desirable. This is one point I hope to address further in future posts. I'm still learning how to identify wood in the pile.
4. You can likely buy wood from your local lawn and garden store, but you will pay a premium. Usually the best place to start is contacting local tree trimmers. You can find wood salesmen on Craigslist but be careful and ask lots of questions. Show them you're knowledgeable and make crystal clear you will not be ripped off.
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