Firewood by the Cord
A Cord of Firewood
Introduction:
Buying
firewood by the cord is the standard way firewood
is purchased. A cord of wood dimensions can be any
dimension of stacked wood that will add up to 128
cubic feet. Wood that is not stacked and instead
thrown into a loose pile has more air space between
the spaces so it would require different
measurements.
The common dimension of a cord of firewood is
4′x4′x8', or 128 cubic feet. But there are many
different dimensions that will add up to 128 cubic
feet. For examples; a pile that measures 2x4x16 or
1x4x32 equal 128 cubic feet.
Using full feet for the width can be a problem
since standard length for pieces of firewood is
usually 16 to 20 inches. So a stack of 16″ firewood
can only be 16″ wide or a multiple of 16.
When stacking firewood with standard 16″ pieces of
firewood, the width of the dimension will be based
on the number of stacks or rows.
The standard 4x4x8 dimension (a cord) would be 3
stacks 4′ high and 8′ long.
The cord quantity by volume based on the number of
stacks.
These dimensions assume you have 16″ pieces
stacked 4′ high.
These measurements assume there is no space between
the stacks. If you have space between the stacks
for air circulation, the space must be factored in.
Generally allow 10% for airspace. Therefore a 128
cubic foot stack less 10% air spacing would be 128
– 12.8 = 115.5/128 = 90 % of a cord.
A cord of wood dimensions will be different if the
wood is not stacked. In a loose pile of wood the
wood pieces will be in a random pile so they will
take up more space than pieces stacked together.
It’s difficult to get an accurate measurement with
a random pile of wood. You should use
approximately180 cubic feet for a cord of wood
dimensions of an un-stacked pile of wood.
Always buy firewood by the cord or fraction of a
cord and you will know exactly what you are getting
for your money.
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