During the coldest days of winter, there's nothing quite like warming up in front of a crackling fire.But to fuel a winter's worth of fires, you're going to need a lot of wood. And if you don't have an abundant supply of wood on your property, you've got to buy it.
Firewood is measured in cords. So what is a cord of firewood?
A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood. This usually measures 4' x 8' x 4'.
Keep It Organized
A cord of wood is a whole mess of logs. Using a log rack is the easiest way to keep them organized, neat and out-of-the-way. Typically, log racks are kept outside as the wood ages, or seasons.If you do elect to bring the wood inside, only bring in a small amount. It's recommended to hit the wood together or against something to get rid of any unwanted pests, such as spiders from accompanying your wood indoors.
Season It
Whether you split your own firewood or buy it, you need to make sure it has seasoned. Generally, this takes about one year, but the thickness, type of wood and weather will factor into how long it takes. One way to tell if your wood has seasoned long enough, is cracks in the ends of the logs.Unseasoned wood will not create as much energy as seasoned firewood. Also, unseasoned firewood emits much more smoke as it burns. If you procure your own wood, split it before you leave
it to season, as it will occur much quicker this way.
If you hit two logs together and they make a sharp cracking sound, they are good to go. If, when you hit them together, the logs make a dull thud sound, they aren't ready.
