By JEFF BURBINK
Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County
There are several different ways firewood is sold. The names for these measurements include full cords, face cords, ricks and fireplace cords. Of course, pickup truck load, piles and the small bundles of wood at the gas station are other ways firewood is marketed in the area.
Many states use a cord as there official measurement of firewood, although Indiana has no law on the books. A cord is 128 cubic feet of wood (or a four feet high by four feet wide by eight foot long area). The amount of wood in a cord can vary depending on the way the cord is stacked. A loosely stacked cord will contain less wood than a tightly packed cord.
A rick, on the other hand, is a stack of wood four feet high, eight feet long and of variable width. A rick could have wood 12 inches long, 18 inches long or 30 inches long and still be called a rick. Sometimes, ricks are sold as a cord, usually to the disadvantage of a buyer. Other names for a rick include a face cord, or a fireplace cord.
If you buy a rick of firewood, the dealer can decide how much wood you get by the length of the pieces. A rick of shorter pieces will be much less wood than the same stack of long pieces. If the pieces are 16 inches long, it would be one-third of a cord. If they were 12 inches long it would be one-fourth of a cord. If the pieces are 24 inches long, it would be half a cord.
The amount of wood in a pickup truck load vary also. Trucks with a bed measurement of five and a half feet by eight feet by 20 inches deep, loaded level with the side, will contain just over one-half cord if stacked tightly. Some trucks with smaller beds, four by six feet by 20 inches, will carry about one-third cord when filled level.
If that wasn’t enough variability, wood can vary tremendously in its weight per cubic foot. The more it weighs per cubic foot, the more energy it can release. To make a comparison across tree species, wood moisture content is adjusted to 20 percent moisture. Trees with higher energy values include white ash, beech, hickory, black locust, sugar maple, red oak and white oak. Among the lower value woods are basswood, cottonwood, soft (silver) maple and yellow poplar (tulip tree).
Wood from ash trees in the Elkhart County area is under quarantine due to the emerald ash borer and cannot be moved legally out of the quarantine area. Indiana’s quarantined zone is essentially all but the southwestern most counties of Indiana. Indiana state parks and the state of Michigan also to do not allow this wood to enter their territory.
Infested ash wood can still makes good firewood if used soon after the tree dies. Ash wood begins to soften and crumble within a few months after the borers have killed the tree, so it is best to use this wood in the fireplace as soon as possible.
If you are attempting to drop a dead ash tree, be aware of the dangers these trees now pose. Dead ash trees become very brittle. The vibration of a chainsaw can loosen large limbs and bark overhead and bring them down on unsuspecting workers. Several people have been permanently injured and killed since the ash borer arrived.