I have started selling firewood at my garden center. So far I have bought wood from 2 different sellers and both loads were short. Ordered 8 cord, got 7. These guys are supposedly the largest suppliers around here 4,000-5,000 face cord/yr they say. Also the wood looked like it was just cut, but the guy say the logs have been down for a year? Is this an acceptable way of seasoning the wood?
firewood?
- Thread starter cnyscapes
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toddstreeservic
ArboristSite Guru
Common?- yes. Acceptable? -No. Have you tried talking to the suppliers with your concerns? I have had the same thing happen and voiced my concern and have gotten full ++ loads from them since. As far as seasoned wood goes, I never rely on someone else to season my wood. I consider it green when it arrives on site.
savageactor7
ArboristSite Guru
Wood doesn't start seasoning until it's split...and yeah pretty much everyone around here will short you on wood. Now if you bought from North Country firewood you'd get what you payed for. They've been in business for 25-30 years and are legitimate...I suppose if you bought 50cords at a time you could probably get a deal.
My advice is to stay away from firewood...all in all it's a big PITA. the only way you can make dough with minimum labor is buy green wood in bulk, season it for a year then resell it for 20 cord a more than you payed for it.
when experienced wood burners see that black weather checked wood they will pay a premium for it...still it's a lot of ####ing around.
My advice is to stay away from firewood...all in all it's a big PITA. the only way you can make dough with minimum labor is buy green wood in bulk, season it for a year then resell it for 20 cord a more than you payed for it.
when experienced wood burners see that black weather checked wood they will pay a premium for it...still it's a lot of ####ing around.
AKKAMAAN
ArboristSite Guru
We have logs here in PA that have been down for 50 years and they are still soaking wet......
It's all about demand and supply. Firewood should be stored air ventilated at least over a full spring-summer, depending on local spring season. Up here in NW we have good drying conditions from march to august. Cut and split over winter, store and dry over spring-summer (and do fishing), sell at fall-prewinter. Usually air moist% is lowest in spring beforegrass and leaves start growing. Air vent and wind exposing is a must. take 15-30 4-6" thick samplesfrom each delivery batch and test with a wood moisture meter Split the samples before testing, so you get the true inside moist
Buy and dry it for next season with a 20% cut on price. That will be a good deal if you have the cash and room to dry and store. Better capital return than stock market.....
KsWoodsMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
Log length wood wont season. Even after a year it is going to hold to much moisture.
To be considered fully seasoned it has to be cut to firewood length first then air dried for a year. Some areas dont take quite as long, others take all that and more. If the ends still look wet the rest of it is going to be wetter. Splitting helps it to dry faster. If both ends are black you know it wasnt fresh cut.
To be considered fully seasoned it has to be cut to firewood length first then air dried for a year. Some areas dont take quite as long, others take all that and more. If the ends still look wet the rest of it is going to be wetter. Splitting helps it to dry faster. If both ends are black you know it wasnt fresh cut.
1 woodpile
ArboristSite Member
I split it soon as I get it...
:greenchainsaw:
:greenchainsaw:
AOD
Addicted to ArboristSite
I wouldnt mind doing firewood all the time. I get laid off for 3 1/2 months every winter and collect unemployment, and I need something to keep me busy, even if I am only grossing about $4 an hour.
MATTYB11
ArboristSite Operative
I couldn't agree more. I only process wood for my own personal use but I to assume everything is green. I even specify green wood when I order a grapple load because it is usually cheaper the "Seasoned" logs. How someone can have whole logs that have been sitting in their lot for only 1summer and insist that the wood is seasoned is beyond my comprehension.
dsm382
ArboristSite Operative
Buying wood is really tricky. Most of the people I know would short you in a second if they could get away with it. Go to someone else. Sooner or later you'll find an honest one. Also, if a log was left unsplit, I'd say minimum 2 years before I'd sell it as dry.
blackdogon57
Addicted to ArboristSite
I agree - Good quality logs stored off the ground in an open area for 2 years will be close to dry when split. Will not be as dry as wood that has been split and stacked for 2 years. I process a lot of logs and use a high quality moisture meter to monitor quality. Log seasoned for 2 years will usually be aroung 20-25% when split and will usually drop well below 20% in less than one month if stored properly.
The problem for buyers and "log seasoned" wood is that it becomes easy for green wood to be sold as dry. If you are going to be re-selling wood that you buy from others you should consider a moisture meter. Tell the supplier that it will not come off the truck until you verify that it is below 20% moisture content and that the quantity is correct. Ask the trucker how many cubic yards his truck will hold. 1 loose cord of firewood = roughly 7 cubic yards.
Not all firewood dealers are crooks. I am sure you will eventually find a supplier who will treat you right.
This will be my last season buying split wood. I have already started buying loads of logs and we have been splitting already for next season. Will not have to deal with dishonest sellers anymore. I cant believe these guys do this regularly, they are well known and have been in the business for many years. I wouldnt think they would ever have any repeat business?
KsWoodsMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
They get away with it because people don't know just what is a cord.
Ran into it again today. A buyer wanted to know why a cord price was 3X the price of a 4x8 'rick'. "Theres only 2 ricks in a cord" he says. Now he knows he has been getting less than a cord when he orders wood from some of the other guys around here.
If they want to buy it by the rick, thats fine. I I'll sell it however they want but the reciept will be right.
Ran into it again today. A buyer wanted to know why a cord price was 3X the price of a 4x8 'rick'. "Theres only 2 ricks in a cord" he says. Now he knows he has been getting less than a cord when he orders wood from some of the other guys around here.
If they want to buy it by the rick, thats fine. I I'll sell it however they want but the reciept will be right.
aandabooks
Addicted to ArboristSite
Look at how many questions are on here on a monthly basis about cord size. People obviously just don't know. And this site is probably a very small percentage of the wood using community.
I know I'd be some ticked off if I paid 200+ for a cord of 'seasoned' wood and found it was too wet to burn. Or wet enough that half it's heat value went to steam - Thats like the oil man filling half your tank but charging for a full one -
Zodiac45
Paleostoveologist & Sawwhisperer
So you are buying and reselling the wood?
Anyway, it's common when buying cord wood by the tree length logs too lose some volume (usually a cord or so) in a truckload of 10 cords. This is just due too crooked logs in the pile creating space and once cut/split and stacked you'll always see less than you bought. Always been that way. If it's any more than that though I'd make the call and show them.
PS: If you're buying cut/split and it's short, that's a whole other problem!
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