[Gator_86_951]

As the weather has *started* to get cooler, I have become obsessed with my fire pit and the three fireplaces in our new house. Growing up in Florida, we had camping fires and a fire place in the family room, but it wasn't all that necessary. Also, we had a constant source of wood because there were always oak trees to cut down, fell down, etc... My parents even drove some nice dried wood up with my car this weekend....gone!

Not so much on my 6400 sq. ft. lot, and I don't have the vehicle to transport anything I cut up back to my house anyways....

I see there are seemingly limitless sources of firewood on craigslist, for varying prices, but I thought maybe you all had cords delivered and might be able to steer me somewhere. At this rate, I will probably go through a cord every season.

[Charlie Stylianos]

Get yourself a USDA permit and go cut your own.

http://data.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-b...o/tree-cutting

[Cliff Claven]

a cord per season?! clearly you're only burning wood for the ambience value. the little no hassle $5 bundles they sell at whole foods should suffice nicely. just pick one up on the way home from work in your german car along with your cabernet and foie gras. avoid all the mess and fuss of splitting, stacking and seasoning.

[HoodPin]

My father-in-law used to keep a ring of firewood on his property, about 10-12 feet in diameter, and stacked around 5 feet tall. He had a opening in the ring. Wood on the left of the opening was seasoned and ready to burn; wood on the right of the opening is where the new "unseasoned" wood was stacked. As time went on, the opening would move around the circle; he estimated the seasoned wood was typically around 2-3 years old. He kept his wheelborrow and a few other yard implements inside the circle.

[jhsmith]

I buy it from a guy in Culpeper who delivers to the McLean area. PM me if you would like a name a phone number.

[Vicegrip]

Originally Posted by Cliff Claven

a cord per season?! clearly you're only burning wood for the ambience value. the little no hassle $5 bundles they sell at whole foods should suffice nicely. just pick one up on the way home from work in your german car along with your cabernet and foie gras. avoid all the mess and fuss of splitting, stacking and seasoning.

for looks this is better advice than it might seem on the face of it.
Lots of sellers out there. Good wood not hard to find as people are moving over to gas fireplaces and the demand has gone down. Knowing good wood from not good or not ready wood is key. "Mixed hardwoods" "face cords" and the like are thrown out to reel in the easy ones. 128 cf stacked "that a rat can but a cat can't" Pay for good fully seasoned dry oak. One cord bought single will run at least $200. $50 to $75 more for true good sub 20% moisture clean trunk Oak. The extra $50 to $75 a cord for good wood from a seller that knows he has good wood is well worth it. getting it to you and stacking it up is more $.
Time spent on the ground means little and some wood simply rots when dropped and bucked but not split. Time spent split means a bit more but still little. Moisture content tested from the middle of a fresh split means everything. I test by taking a standard size chunk and split it in 1/2 then split a shake off an exposed inner face. Test the thin shake for moisture with a meter or simply see if it bends rather than breaks. A dry wood shake will have more of a "ring" to it when tapped on something. Wet wood has a dull thunk. Looking at a chunk tells little as dry wood that got rained on last night might look damp and wet wood sitting in the sun will look dry. Logs left in the round then split a month or 3 ago and piled up with a bobcat into a 10 foor tall pile is likely not dry enough to throw proper heat. Best bet is to buy for next year or be ready to drop top dollar for known good wood.

You will likely find that standard fire places in post WWII houses are for looks only and remove rather than give heat.

you feel like splitting some of your own for next year I have a pile of red and white Oak on a Falls church prop you can have. Disassembly not included. Murder ax not included.

Cliffy and I both like our firewood.

[Cliff Claven]

Originally Posted by Vicegrip

Cliffy and I both like our firewood.

hahaha, a bit more than ambience burning.

[Vicegrip]

What did that little pile O shavings take to split, 5 min?

Fires are nice for the soul. Gradient heat is nice in a busy house too. The house goes from comfortable to basking depending on where you are.

[cmartin]

Originally Posted by Cliff Claven

hahaha, a bit more than ambience burning.

I didnt know this was about woodpiles. For the casual fires just buy some from HD or Lowes, much simpler.

[Dr K]

Great photo of Otto, Kurt. Looks like "hey, this is my wood!"