Last updated on January 13th, 2022 at 02:41 am
What is a cord of wood?
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The average American homeowner doesn’t really know how much actually a cord of wood is. It’s very important to know that if you are living in woods or regularly split wood for heating.
If you are not aware of the fact then there are great chances that you might be paying more for less woodRemember the cord of wood should be neatly stacked and of proper dimension, as explained below, a large loose pile of wood shouldn’t be called a cord of wood.
How much is a cord of wood?
The dimension of a cord
The cord of wood is actually (4 *4 *8) that is 4 ft. wide 4 ft. in height and it should be 8 ft. in length.
How long does it take to split a cord of wood?
There are 3 main points/variables you need to consider to determine the time it takes to split a cord of wood.
1. The tools used for splitting
- Axes
If you are splitting by hand with the help of an axe or maul then it’s going to take even a day splitting wood on your own. There are a variety of axes we already have discussed in our best axes list that is sharp enough to get the work done quickly.
I think a person living in the woods and doesn’t want to worry about getting petrol or diesel for log splitters than using only axes for splitting is not a bad idea at all as these modern-day axes are really very efficient.
A manual log splitter is another old-fashioned way of splitting wood but they are also very cost-effective and require no gasoline engines. Nowadays these log splitters are very compact and easy to carry anywhere.
These splitters are powered by hand pumping handles back and forth. The hydraulic piston is the key which forces the wood through the wedge and splits the wood in no time. They are also cost-effective as compared with electric or gas splitters.
For power log splitters you need electricity, gas, or diesel as a fuel to run the motor. These are very efficient but they are a bit expensive and you need to have fuel or electricity in the area to keep them working. If you are running any wood selling business then you must have any of these splitters to get the job done quickly
2. People involved at a time
The more people involved the less time will be consumed to get the job done. You need to hire people if you are running or involved in a proper wood-selling business.
3. Type of wood
That’s a very important variable as some wood types are really tough with naughty nots and take more time to split. The fresh wood needs more time to split as compared with dry wood.
The experienced woodmen always season wood to get the moisture content below 20% and then split them in small pieces to be used as firewood.
How many logs are in a cord of firewood?
A cord is around 128 cubic ft and there should be 1536 board ft to make a cord as 1 cubic ft is around 12 board ft as per google calculations.
So if we consider the above calculation a cord of wood should have 7 logs of 18 inches on a small end and 16 ft. long.
Remember you should also consider other variables as well like 128 cubic ft is not just all about solid wood as there are gaps between logs as well when the wood is stacked in a cord.
Cubic ft | How wood is stacked |
|---|---|
128 cubic ft | Neatly stacked wood |
160 cubic ft | Loosely thrown cut non split wood |
175 cubic ft | Loosely thrown cut and split wood |
According to the experts, the better approach is to consider the weight of the cord of a specific wood type vs the weight of the log of the same species.
How to measure a cord of wood?
As we know the standard volume of a cord is around 128 cubic feet. The amount of wood in a cord depends on the average size of each wooden piece in a stack. The normal circumstances, the cords of firewood are measured around 85 cubic feet of solid wood as the rest of the space is covered by air. You can understand the dimensions related to the cord of wood here in this article.
How many cords can you split in a day by hand?
In order to answer this question, we need to think about what tool you would like to use to split. The axes these days are very handy and very cost-effective to split the wood and stack them neatly.
Another important point to note is what type of wood you have to split, dry wood takes less time than fresh or wet wood to split. There are some species of wood that are very hard and need more effort and power splitter to do the job easily.
Let us assume that if someone splitting wood by hand with the help of a maul starting from cutting the tree, splitting logs, and stacking them then it will take around 6 to 7 hours to get a single cord of wood. But if you are using power splitters then 3 or 4 cords a day can be achieved.
How long does it take to split a cord of wood?
It depends on the tool you are using and the type of wood. You can split a cord of wood in 6 hours by hand using a maul. One can split 5, 6 cords easily if using any power splitter electric, diesel or petrol. The chainsaw can also help to split quickly with a minimum of effort.
What is the Cost to cut and split a cord of firewood?
If you are looking to buy a cord of wood it may cost you around 120 to 180 dollars. The cost varies and depends on the type of wood and the price gets high if the wood is seasoned as well.
In winter the prices can really jump up to 220 to 400 dollars a cord. The factors that affect the cost are as follows
- How clean is the wood
- If wood is seasoned or not
- Uniform size of each piece in a cord
If you are looking to cut a tree and split wood to get a cord of firewood then the main expense would be the tool that will split for you. The cheapest are the axes and the good quality axe can cost around 50 to 150 dollars.
Someone who wants to do the job quickly may opt for an electric log splitter that can be bought from 250 to 500 dollars. Other equipment may include a safety gloves helmet and a small truck to transport wood from one place to another.
How to calculate cords of wood in a tree? – Cord of a wood calculator
That’s very interesting to know how much cords one can get from a standing tree and I know you would be delighted to learn this skill aren’t you?
There are 2 dimensions involved, you either would be looking for bush cords or face cords in a standing tree.
Bush cord dimension
Volume = 8*4*4 ft = 128 cubic ft
Face cord dimension
A face cord is actually the 1/3 of the bush cord that is 42.6 cubic ft
Steps to follow
- Calculate the volume of the face or bush cord
- Calculate the volume of the tree
- Calculate the no of cords by dividing tree volume by cord volume
Don’t worry the whole method is simple as explained in the video below.
FAQ
Why do they call it a cord of wood?
Line, string, or a cord is typically used to tie the bundle or a stack of wood and the name cord was derived as a measuring unit for firewood. A cord is equivalent to 128 cubic feet.
Can you fit a cord of wood in a pickup truck?
A pick-up truck cannot hold a cord of wood unless it’s very big. Some sellers do sell wood on a truck and you have to be on your toes before buying from them.
How long is a cord of wood?
A cord is generally 4ft wide 4 ft in height and 8 ft long.
How many Rick’s are in a cord?
If the wood is stacked with dimensions 4ft wide and 8 ft long with each piece is cut to 16 inches then the rick will be 1/3 of the cord. If logs are cut to 24 inches then the rick would be equal to ½ of the cord.
How long does it take to stack a cord of wood?
If you follow the right step and technique then a single person can stack a cord of wood in 60 minutes’ time.
Do you stack firewood bark up or down?
Tell you what if you peel off the bark the wood tends to dry quickly. Experienced woodmen tend to stack wood with bark down so that moisture gets collected in u shaped bark and the rest of the wood gets dry quickly.
How long will a cord of wood last in a fireplace?
It simply depends on your usage if you are using the wood as a primary source or as the only source of heat during winters then It can last for 4 to 8 weeks. Another important factor is the type of wood you are using as firewood some wood burn well other burns slow and last longer. You need to notice how well a wood is seasoned, a properly seasoned wood is much dryer and burns quickly.
How many cords of wood do you need for winter?
You may use 3 to 4 cords of wood in a season if living in a 1000 sqft home. If you are living in an area with mild winters then the number of cords you consume will be less.
How many logs burn an hour?
This will depend on the type of wood you are using and how efficient is your log burner. Generally speaking, you may burn around 5 logs in an hour.
How long does it take to split a cord of wood with a log splitter?
A face cord with 4 into 8 dimensions can be split under 3 hours with an efficient hydraulic splitter.