Firewood - Buying, Storing, Drying

You’ve just purchased the most efficient wood stove and have taken care of your maintenance check for the winter season, but now it’s time to buy firewood. The start of the heating season is never a good time to buy firewood and for a few different reasons. Firewood dealers typically sell green, fresh cut wood which is very high in moisture content; not great for burning. The moist wood when burned, creates more smoke which contains harmful chemicals and particulates which can form creosote on your chimney. It will also give you less heat because of the energy involved with boiling the moisture out of the wood. Less heat=wasted money. It’s important when buying firewood to purchase a year in advance to allow for proper drying of the wood. You can certainly buy kiln dried or seasoned firewood but it’s premium wood, so you’ll pay a premium cost. Storing your bought wood in a relatively dry area and giving it about a year of drying time will drop the wood’s moisture content to below 20% which is the focus point for ample burning.

Prior to purchasing, ask your local wood burning neighbors where they get their wood. Are they happy with the supplier? Then it’s time to gather some quotes on firewood costs and type of wood. Feel free to ask them questions like, when was the wood split and where was it stored? Where were they sourced, and can you see the piles in person before its delivered? Please understand that most firewood dealers cut wood as a secondary source of income so allow them ample time to respond.

In most states, it’s illegal to move firewood from one area to another. In New York state, the limit is a 50-mile radius from where the wood was sourced. Please make sure that your firewood dealer is getting the wood from less than 50 miles away and never transport the wood further from your home upon receival.

In New York State, when advertising firewood, dealers are also legally required to adhere to the following:

A full cord is defined as a stack of firewood measuring 4ft x 8ft x 4ft.

A half cord = 4ft x 8ft x 2ft

A third of a cord = 4ft x 8ft x 16in

A face cord = 4ft x 8ft x 16 or 18in

A rack = 4ft x 8ft x 18in

A truckload = 9ft x 9ft x 3ft

If the word "seasoned" is used in advertising firewood, the dealer must specify how long it has been seasoned and whether it was air or kiln dried. 

Drying and Storing: 

Unlike other fuels such as oil or propane, firewood can be stored forever as long as its in a proper storage area. Once your wood has been delivered, stack it as soon as possible. You’ll want to keep the wood in a convenient area to not have to trek to your wood pile in the middle of winter (30ft is ample distance away from your home). Mice and bugs like to live in and around wood piles so be sure it’s not too close to your home! Check out this fact sheet for more information on insects and firewood.

The best way to identify that your firewood has been properly dried is to look for checks in the end grain. As wood dries the ends of the log will usually split open to a quarter inch (see image below). Another method is to take two logs and smack them together. If they make a solid, crisp sound this means the wood is dried well. If it makes a muffled, dull sound then the wood still needs time to dry. As you learn and handle more firewood, it will become easier to identify green and dried wood.  

If you are still uncertain about the moisture content of your firewood, you can purchase a moisture meter. They are typically sold for around $30 or less online. The meters have two short probes which you would stick into the wood, and it will produce a reading for that depth into the wood. Obviously, with being limited in your depth into the wood, the moisture content could be higher in the inner most sections of wood. You could take a sample log and split it up to really get into the middle of the log and check the moisture content there.

Fresh cut wood will have bound and unbound moisture. The unbound moisture content is usually released fairly easily, and the wood can be reduced down to 25% moisture content quickly. However, the bound moisture takes much longer to evaporate which is why it is imperative to store your firewood in a dry, sunny area away from a water source or shady spot. It is always important when storing your firewood that the wood is not directly on the ground. By using a wood pallet, and covering in the winter time with scrap metal roofing or tarps (only on the top, exposing the sides) , you should be able to properly dry your firewood for your burning season.

https://www.shelterlogic.com/knowledge/dos-donts-storing-firewood

https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/firewood-storage/

https://verticalchimney.com/blog/how-to-store-firewood/

https://www.love-logs.com/blogs/science-and-the-environment/7-things-you-need-to-know-when-buying-firewood

Last updated January 23, 2024