How Much Firewood Is a Cord, and What Is Best for Me?

How Much Firewood is a Cord?

A full cord is 128 cubic feet of firewood, which includes about 600 to 800 logs. Often, a firewood cord is three stacks of logs that occupy 4’ x 4’ x 8’ feet. It’s generally the largest order measurement used by firewood companies and amounts to a whole lot of wood.

Do I Need a Full Cord?

Residential customers may not need a full cord. In fact, it’s doubtful unless you’re one of the few homes in the region that use a fireplace as their sole heating source. Even then, a full cord should last a while, so you’ll need somewhere to store all your bulk wood.

Even for commercial customers, full cords usually last a couple of months – although, again, it depends on the usage. Commercial customers will also need a place to store all that extra wood, but they’re more likely to have ample space to do so.

What if a Cord is Too Much?

All vendors sell smaller denominations because entire firewood cords aren’t typically necessary. The primary difference among vendors is how many different sizes they have. Fractions of full cords aren’t difficult to prepare, some of which are standard enough to have specific names.

How Do Other Cord-Based Measurements Compare?

A full cord or half cord might be a good place to start, but there are other cord-based wood sizes. Some cords are abstract measurements that depend on the vendor, while others are much more concrete. Examples of standard cord-based measurements include:

Running Cords

A running cord is a full cord that hasn’t been divided into three stacks. The amount is the same. We’re just talking about a single row of wood instead of a condensed variation.

Face Cords

A face cord is about a third of a cord, usually one of a full cord’s three rows. This is one of the more common order amounts for heavier firewood users. Why? It provides enough wood for regular use but is small enough to be easy to store.

You might hear some people call a face cord a “rick.” Although the terms are different, they refer to the same one-third measurement.

Sheldon Cords

A Sheldon cord is any cord bigger than a full cord. It can hold 129 cubic feet of firewood or 10,000 cubic feet. Anyone who needs a Sheldon cord might benefit from buying smaller cords over time, as they can be challenging to find for sale. Plus, these large “cords” can be challenging to store safely.

Stove Cords

A stove cord is a face cord whose logs are 12 inches long. While vendors often cut logs into 16-inch pieces, 12-inch pieces are small enough for stoves. Stove cords vary across companies, but their purpose is to provide wood small enough to fit into a stove.

But what if you need wood for a stove and don’t have a vendor supplying stove cords near you?

You could split a standard cord further on your own – and the wood may go further that way. This may not be an option for everyone but chopping 16-inch pieces in half will provide numerous 8-inch cords for your stove.

How Do Firewood Companies Differ?

It’s most important to remember that a cord is 128 cubic feet of firewood, but regulations for a cord of wood measurements don’t cross state lines. Not everyone chops wood into the same sizes, and, unfortunately, some vendors aren’t honest about what’s for sale.

Different Measurements

The standard length of an individual log is 16 inches. As a full cord is usually four feet deep, three stacks of 16-inch logs divide most easily into thirds. This is the most common way firewood companies create their cords.

However, some vendors might use 12-inch logs and create four rows instead of three to make up the difference. This is common if you’re purchasing a stove cord.

Others might use logs as long as 24 inches, which yields only two rows. This is one of the rarest options.

Dishonest Business Practices

We like to believe that most firewood vendors are honest and want the best for their customers. Unfortunately, a few companies use dishonest practices to increase their bottom lines at the expense of their well-paying customers. More important than “how much firewood is a cord” is “how can I tell I’m getting a full cord?”

If a firewood vendor doesn’t let you stack the firewood yourself, this should be your red flag. The request to stack your own wood – whether in your truck bed or home – is commonplace. Most vendors won’t have a problem with you doing it unless they’ve stacked it as loosely as possible to make less look like more.

The Best Cord for You

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the most common cords, you might have a sense of which one you need. As you read the following, recall the explicit measurements and individual logs you’ll receive. Most purposes fall into these three categories.

Special Occasions

You want to light a bonfire outside for a party, or maybe you’re camping with a few friends. This calls for bundles of firewood. To sell firewood by the bundle, you sell about 5-7 logs at a time. If you want a hot fire to burn for several hours, you’ll need about five bundles. Fires burn a little beyond one bundle per hour.

Using the Fireplace

If you use firewood to heat your home, you’d benefit from a face cord whose depletion would take a few months. Unless you use firewood exclusively to heat your home, it would be best not to buy anything bigger than a face cord. A fireplace can’t house more than three logs at a time, so weekly use will dig only moderately into your supply.

Staying Warm in the Winter

Many people will find that a full cord is enough to keep their homes warm and cozy if they depend on firewood as their sole heating source. This means that two cords should be enough for a full winter in most situations. However, it’s important to point out that Minnesota winters can get frigid, so many of our customers might benefit from three or more cords.

How to Store a Cord

Whichever cord-based measurement you choose to purchase, the best storage practices are the same. The most important are as follows:

• Always store firewood in a place that’s as possible and free of humidity to prevent mold growth
• Use pallets or bricks to raise your firewood stacks above the ground to make mold growth and pest infestations less likely
• Leave plenty of space between logs to allow for ventilation so the wood doesn’t rot
• Use a tarp if storing your wood outside to protect it against things like rain or snow
• Consider investing in a firewood shelter if you’ll be using wood regularly
• Opt for kiln-dried firewood if you plan to store it inside your home
• Always use the oldest wood first since issues become more commonplace the longer your wood sits