Firewood Buying Guide 2022

Firewood Buying Guide? Read this quick blog to get the right firewood for you.

Finding good firewood sales to fuel your fireplace or fire pit can seem tricky but I’m gonna try to help remove the mystery! Everything from finding firewood, choosing firewood, understanding prices, transporting it, and storing it are covered here!

Where to Find Firewood

This obviously depends on where you live. Firewood sales can be found in many places. First of all, most grocery stores, markets, and home supply hardware stores sell small bundles of wood. If you are only the occasional fire pit user, this may be fine for you. However, you tend to get small bundles and pay a premium when firewood is bought in this small quantity. Most areas have larger dedicated firewood sales yards which carry large amounts of seasoned firewood in any amount. These tend to have the best selection in terms of types of wood and the best prices. Generally, the more you buy, the cheaper it is, so buy as much as you can store in the time it will take you to use it! There are also online firewood sales companies that will ship wood to most parts of the US. These do tend to have a premium placed on this firewood but it is convenient. Another consideration is that, even in large firewood yards, prices tend to be cheaper in areas where wood is abundant, namely the country. City prices will be higher. If you can, find a firewood sales vendor in the country and take a little drive. Stock up and load up as much as you can fit in your car, it’ll save you money!

How to choose firewood

Generally, your greatest variety of firewood types is available at yards that specialize in firewood sales. The type you buy depends in part on what you intend to use it for. For a fireplace generally, any hardwood will do. Softwoods are generally cheaper but they burn cooler and faster. They do make good kindling though because they ignite very easily. Be sure you are buying seasoned (dried) firewood because fresh wood is wet and does not burn well. If you are using your firewood for cooking, avoid resinous woods like pine and juniper and stick to fruit woods (apple, almond, cherry) or oak. For specific flavors, you can also find mesquite and hickory woods which impart strong flavors that blend nicely with some foods. Find out more about choosing the best firewood.

Firewood Prices and Measurements

Bundles of firewood come in numerous sizes. Most small bundles available at markets range from 0.75 to 1.5 cubic feet of hardwood. Firewood sales from a firewood yard generally come in larger lots. These include a firewood cord or a fraction thereof (such as a quarter cord or half cord). A cord is 128 cubic feet (representing a stack of wood measuring 8′ x 4′ x 4′. Generally, buying these larger lots will result in lower overall prices. Again, vendors outside of cities, near the source, are likely to have cheaper prices than in the city. Learn more about firewood cords and other measurements and conversions.

How to transport firewood

Once you’ve found your favorite firewood and bought a large amount of it, you need to get it to your home! This may seem simple if you are moving a small bundle but gets tricky if you buy larger lots like a firewood cord. If you have a larger car, like an SUV, you can likely fit a quarter cord or more in the back with the seats laid down. A pickup truck can usually hold even more, even up to a cord with a larger truck. You can even rent a U Haul or other rental van or truck to move larger quantities of wood. However, if you don’t have access to a large car or truck, don’t give up on buying firewood in bulk! Many firewood sales vendors deliver! You may have to pay a delivery fee, but this makes stocking up on your favorite firewood easy. Call your local firewood supplier to find out if they deliver and if not, many suppliers online will ship or deliver wood to your door as well.

Where to store firewood at home

Okay, now you’ve found your firewood, bought it, and even got it to your house. Now what? Simple, you need a firewood rack! If you are keeping your firewood outside, you’ll need something to hold your wood off the ground and shield it from rain. There are several options for storing wood outside. You can also buy or build a smaller storage rack or basket to sit right next to your fireplace or fire pit so that wood is always on hand when you need it. Simply re-fill it from your larger storage area when you run out. Learn more about firewood racks and storage.

Good luck finding a great source for firewood! And then enjoy your fireplace or firepit!

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