When it comes to purchasing firewood, understanding the different sizes it is sold in is important to make sure that you are getting the full value out of your firewood purchase. There is a lot of different jargon around the quantities/sizes that firewood is sold in so if you are not used to it is easy to get confused. Let's take a closer look at the various sizes that firewood is typically sold in.
What is a Full Cord or Bush Cord?
A full cord of firewood is a standard measurement that equals 128 cubic feet. For us Canadian metric geeks this is about 3,600 liters of wood - I like to visualize 1,800 2 liter pop bottles. The bottom here is this is a lot of firewood - typically when we are processing firewood a full cord would come from about 3 1/2 mature large trees. This is typically stacked 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. It's important to know this measurement when buying firewood in bulk to ensure you are getting the full amount that you have paid for. In Prince Edward County a cord of wood is usually called a Bush Cord - not really sure why... The cord reference dates way back to the 1600's when they would use a cord of rope to make the length and depth measurements. Another way to look at this measurement of volume is how many pieces of wood you get - somewhere between 600 - 800 pieces and weighs in at around 5,000lbs/2,300kg. If a firewood retailer shows up with a normal truck with no racks and says it is a cord of wood he/she is lying.
What is a Face Cord?
A face cord, also known as a rick or a fireplace cord, is a stack of firewood that is 4 feet high and 8 feet long. However, the width of a face cord can vary depending on the length of the firewood pieces. It is important to clarify the length of the pieces when purchasing a face cord. This size typically works out to about 1/3 of a Full Cord. A lot of firewood retailers will sell a "tote" of firewood - this comes from IBC Tote.(They are storage containers typically used in food processing) A tote of firewood really works out to about the size of a face cord and usually measure 1,000 Liters. When we deliver firewood most of the time for small loads we will leave them in a tote for delivery loaded on to a small trailer so that handling the kept to a minimum. For us prepped and seasoned wood will be stored in these totes so that it is easy to measure and load for delivery to our customers. Back to my pop bottle visualization - a face cord is still 600 2 liter bottles.
What is a Half Cord?
A half cord of firewood is exactly what it sounds like - half the amount of a full cord. This typically measures 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 4 feet long. It's a good option for those who don't need a full cord but still want to buy in bulk. A lot of our customers buy half cords when they are getting a sense of how much firewood they are going to need our just checking out the quality of our wood and service. A half cord is still a lot of wood - 2,500lbs - 350 good sized pieces of wood.(Or... 1,200 pop bottles!) Always think about storage and space before you order bulk firewood. We love a heads up on where your storage is and how you want us to handle it when doing delivery - it really helps us plan our deliveries and make sure you come away a happy customer.
What is a Bundle?
A firewood bundle is a smaller, more manageable amount of firewood that is often sold at convenience stores or gas stations. These bundles are typically enough for a few fires and are great for those who only need a small amount of firewood at a time. We are just getting into the bundle business at 100 Acre Firewood this season and are going to setup a small stand at our home location selling bundles. Our bundles are done on a hand wrapper using shrink wrap. This tends to be the most expensive way to buy firewood due to the amount handling involved.
Understanding the sizes that firewood is sold in can help you make the best choice for your needs. Whether you're looking to stock up for the winter or just need a few pieces for a cozy night by the fire, knowing the different measurements can make the buying process much easier. During a normal winter in Prince Edward County if your primary heating is with firewood you will need about 3 Full Cords for the winter. Being aware and educated on these sizes of firewood will help you not get oversold and under delivered by your firewood retailer.
If you have questions about firewood sizes we are just an e-mail or phone call away.
