What are the Dimensions of a Cord of Wood?
If you consider the dimension of a cord of wood then they are commonly expressed as 4′ x 4′ x 8′. These numbers though can be any number of dimensions. The main equation should be at 128 cubic feet. The common width that you must have is four feet. This is considered to be a standard since the length of a firewood is 16″ and 3 rows of 16″ which still equals to 4 feet.
Once you will be stacking wood in rows then the width of your cord will depend on the length of the wood pieces that you have. You will find it a challenge once you will be measuring a cord in whole feet. The reason is that not all firewood come in 1-foot long or 2-foot long pieces. They do come somewhat in between. That is why if you are measuring the dimensions then it will depend on the length of wood that you have.
Figures to remember
If you have a firewood that is stacked at 16 inches pieces then you have to remember these numbers:
- 1 stack = 16 inch wide
- 2 stacks = 32 inch wide
- 3 stacks = 48 inches or 4 feet wide.
Assuming that you will be stacking 16 inches pieces and are stacking them at 4 feet high then you also need to remember these dimensions for a full cord.
- 1 stack = 16 inch x 4 feet x 24 feet
- 2 stacks = 32 inch x 4 feet x 12 feet
- 3 stacks = 4 feet x 4 feet x 8 feet
- 4 stacks = 64 inch x 4 feet x 6 feet
Other Types of firewood measurements
There are also other terms that are being used in order to measure a stack of firewood. One of the terms that are used is the face or rick cord. This refers to the stack of firewood that is around 4′ high x 8′ long. This will have an average of 16″ wide or the size of each piece of firewood. That is why a face or rick cord is the one that is smaller than a full cord.
Another term that is also used when stacking firewood is the Sheldon cord. This type of measurement can vary in size but is usually larger than a full cord. There are also some people that will be referring to the size of the firewood by pick up load. The main goal of these measurements is for the buyer to know the amount of wood that they are paying for.
Since there are many terms used to measure the amount of firewood can be confusing not just for the buyer but also for the seller then you need to confirm the stack size. This is one smart way to know what you are buying. This will also make it easier for you to compare the prices of different sellers. This will also help you get the best deal.
Guidelines when buying a firewood
The very first thing that you need to when buying a firewood is to always look before you buy. Avoid buying firewood via phone or online. If you can get it is always better to visit the seller’s yard and take your very now measurements.
In order to know what you are paying then measuring the stacks of wood you want to buy should be done by you. It can also help a lot once you will be buying to a seller that has a good reputation. This way, you will know that they are really giving you the right amount.
Another thing that you also need to do is to verify the length and height of the pile. You can do this by using a yardstick or a tape measure and measure the height and length of thee enter pile. You need to check the dimensions that are available and the ones that have been listed by the dealer.
You also need to measure the depth of the firewood pile. You need to measure the average log length and not the length of the longest for the shortest piece. If you are looking to buy a full cord then it must be 4 feet.
Conclusion
Buying firewood can be challenging once you don’t know your measurements. You need to get yourself acquainted with this types of measurements though to makes sure that you are really getting what you pay for. It can be confusing at first but with practice, you will get the hang of it.
