First off I am a new member and I value all the things I have learned here. I have all the wood I need for this season from scrounging but have seen a craigslist post for oak dryers/spacers. I exchanged emails with the guy. His cord consists of roughly 90 cubic feet, I explained the 128 cubic feet for a measured cord. His response was that in a traditional cord there is airspace and in his the oak are all square blocks and therefore barely any air. The cost is $125.00. I don't have a real need but I like the idea of being able to place a few pieces of oak in the back of my progress hybrid and see what she can really do. Thanks for reading this post. Steelcity
Sounds like a helluva deal and easy stacking! Unless you are a Steelers fan, in which case send it up here to New England. Welcome aboard
Depending on how tight it is stacked, a cord of wood is ~30% air space. So, the seller may be about right. Welcome to the forum steelcity.
Welcome aboard! I'd take him up on it. Don't know about other parts of the country, but people are having a hard time getting wood in this area. And $125 sounds like a bargain. I paid $200/cord for green wood in August, and it's going for $250 now in VT from what I heard tonight from friends. Looking forward to seeing pics! You're adding to the Pennsylvania contingent on this forum - your state is well represented with some real good people.
Welcome and great question. First off, you're in the right place. People much more knowledgable than myself will point you in the right direction. My take is in Pa, 125 is still cheap for what would amount to about 70% of a true cord of oak but it just sounds shady to me. 128 cubic feet is 128 cubic feet. I live in southeastern Pa and a true cord of oak seems to run about 250 plus right now. It's probably not ready to burn either. Just my opinion, I would forgo it and scrounge some oak on your own or find someone reputable that has it. That deal just sounds shady to me.
You have to consider a few things: How much wood do you have How much of it is seasoned How easy is it to scrounge free wood How much wood do you need How much wood do you want How much can you store on your property What is the average price for your area Take these into consideration when deciding if this is worth it for you. Everyones situations are different. Only you will know what is best for you.
No, 128 sqft is a cord. Air space has nothing to do with it. His BS is laughable. now he is trying to tell you he knows there is 38 sqft of air space in a cord. If he it's selling you a cord it it's 128 sqft.
What is an oak dryer ? (dimensions) 4"x4" ? What's the going price for a cord of oak in your area ? Is it dry ? Cut to what length ? To me it's worth $125, Is it worth $125 to you ?
I agree with T on this one. A cord of wood is supposed to be as tightly packed as possible to eliminate as much air space as possible. Your paying for 128 sq ft of wood, not air. In this guys case he just happens to be selling blocks of oak, good for the consumer bad for the seller.
There is no way for there 30% air in a cord of wood. That would mean that if you stacked it up in a single row and looked at the side you would see daylight through it nearly 30% of the time. I think that you would find it near impossible to put that much air into a cord and have a stack that stands up. It is more like 15% air.
Welcome aboard! Glad to have another Pennsylvanian! Are you from Pittsburgh? I have some family up that way. As for the wood, there is some air space in a cord but I don't think it's that much. That said, the price does not seem bad and it would get you a head start for next winter.
Sounds like he at least told you exactly what you'd be buying. Is it worth it to you, in your situation? You're in the best position to answer that. I already bought my lifetime supply when I bought my house, but that sounds about an average deal for my area. This time of year, they'll ask that much for a NY face cord if its considered "smoker" wood - apple, cherry, hickory etc. Average price is about $80-90/face. Your mileage may vary from mine. Oak is some good wood to have on hand. See if it fits your 'wood budget'.
Hey, it's in Brentwood, practically in my neighborhood. I don't think he's all that far out of line with the air space aspect of this. I just Googled "volume cord air space" to see what would come up. One of the first hits is from the venerable woodheat.org, and suggests 85' of solid wood per cord (33.5% air space). Also, here's a similar discussion back at the old stomping grounds, wherein I used a Photoshop trick to measure the air space in a couple of Dexter's very tight stacks, and came up with 20.9% air. The advertised oak is in 8' lengths. Bucking would cost extra, and delivery might cost extra too. The main question I'd have is, are they already dry? If they're ready to burn then $125 for 90 cubic feet of solid, barkless oak sounds like a good deal no matter what fraction of a cord you call it. If it's wet the price still isn't terrible, but I wouldn't be super excited about it either.
If you agree that 128 cu ft for 250 is a fair price for your area then I don't see a problem with 90 cu ft for 125. You are the one that has to decide if it fits your budget and situation but don't sound bad to me.
Jon1270 that is the post I had in mind. Could you do the photoshop trick on an average looking stack? I for one can't stack wood that tight . Regardless, cord wood has air space when stacked. I assumed the OP was referring to dimensional lumber. A friend of my used to buy untreated cross tie cut-offs. 7"x9" I think. They would stack tight with no air space, although he bought it by the dump truck load.
I don't remember how I did it, and I also no longer even have Photoshop installed on my computer. I remember that the tutorial I found online was targeted at biologists looking for an easy way to measure plant leaf surface areas.
I don't think the sellers assumptions are out of line. A cord of normal split firewood would contain a lot more air than a cord of blocks, so I don't think it's unreasonable for him to adjust accordingly. He is being upfront and open about how he calculates his cords, and they're priced well. Nothing fishy or shady if you ask me
