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Abney and Abney Associates Green Solutions - Firewood: Cost, variety and safety
While all wood is the same when it comes to composition, it is how soft or hard the wood is and the way it is split and dried that affect its behavior in the fireplace.
COST
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• If you are buying firewood by the bundle or cord, the cost can depend on many factors. Don’t expect a standard.
Find out what's happening in Acworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
• A full cord of wood is a tight stack at 128 cubic feet and measures 4 feet deep, 4 feet high and 8 feet long. Make sure you get the full amount you’re paying for.
• Softwoods cost half that of hardwoods.
• “Cooking” woods go for a premium price.
• Location plays a part. The farther the wood travels, the more it costs.
• Fully dried firewood costs more than green. But you can buy green wood in the spring and dry it yourself to use the following year.
• Size matters. Smaller, proper splits of random sizes cost more than larger, unsplit logs.
KINDS OF FIREWOOD
Here are some varieties listed in order of heat value, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The harder the firewood, the longer it burns. Consider buying a mix: softwoods light fast, but hardwoods burn longer.