When you purchase firewood, you’ll hear many names. Sellers use phrases like twine, face twine, rick, truckload, and free load. These phrases could be laborious to check.
A full twine has a set measurement. Most different phrases don’t. That’s the reason patrons must ask clear questions earlier than they pay.
This information explains every firewood measurement in easy phrases. It additionally reveals the way to verify the stack earlier than the wooden lands in your yard.
Fast Reply: What Are Cords of Wooden?
A full twine is the primary firewood measurement in america.
It’s a stacked pile that’s:
- 4 ft excessive
- 4 ft deep
- 8 ft lengthy
That equals 128 cubic ft.
This measurement contains the wooden, bark, and air gaps.
Phrases like face twine, rick, rack, rank, truckload, and free load are usually not as clear. Their measurement can change by vendor and space.
Firewood Dimension Fast Information
| Time period | Frequent Dimension | Quantity | Purchaser Be aware |
| Full twine | 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft | 128 cubic ft | That is the usual twine measurement. |
| Half twine | 4 ft × 2 ft × 8 ft | 64 cubic ft | Good for medium winter use. |
| Quarter twine | 4 ft × 1 ft × 8 ft | 32 cubic ft | Good for mild house use. |
| Face twine / Rick | 4 ft × 8 ft × log size | About 32–64 cubic ft | At all times ask for the log size. |
| Range twine | 4 ft × 8 ft × 12 in | About 32 cubic ft | Typically lower quick for wooden stoves. |
| Bush twine | 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft | 128 cubic ft | One other title for a full twine. |
| Truckload / Free load | Modifications by truck | Unknown till stacked | Don’t pay full twine worth with out actual measurement. |
What Is a Full Twine of Wooden?
A full twine is the perfect measurement to make use of while you examine firewood costs. It’s a neat stack of wooden that’s 4 ft excessive, 4 ft deep, and eight ft lengthy. The whole area is 128 cubic ft. That doesn’t imply 128 cubic ft of strong wooden. The stack additionally has bark and air gaps between the logs.
A full twine have to be stacked nicely. The logs ought to sit in rows. They shouldn’t be dumped in a free pile.
What Counts in a Full Twine?
A full twine contains:
- The wooden
- The bark
- The air gaps between the logs
That is why two cords can really feel a bit totally different. Spherical logs depart extra open area. Break up logs match tighter.
So, a twine of break up wooden typically provides you extra burnable wooden.
Is a Full Twine Proper for You?
A full twine is a whole lot of wooden. It could fill a full-size pickup mattress two or thrice. It could additionally fill a 4×8 ft trailer in a deep stack.
Purchase a full twine should you:
- Warmth your property with wooden many of the winter
- Have dry coated area for a 4 ft × 8 ft × 4 ft stack
- Belief the vendor
- Need the perfect worth per cubic foot
- Plan to dry or break up the wooden your self
Purchase a face twine or half twine should you:
- Use your fire solely generally
- Have little space for storing
- Need to take a look at a brand new vendor
- Will use the wooden in a single season
What Is a Face Twine of Wooden?
A face twine is one row of stacked wooden. It’s typically 4 ft excessive and eight ft lengthy. The depth depends upon the log size. Many logs are 12, 16, 18, or 24 inches lengthy. That is the place patrons can lose cash.
Two stacks can look the identical from the entrance. However one stack can maintain rather more wooden than the opposite.
How a Face Twine Compares to a Full Twine
A full twine is 48 inches deep. A face twine is just one row deep. So the depth is the size of the logs.
Right here is a straightforward information:
| Log Size | Face Twine Quantity | Share of Full Twine |
| 12 inches | About 32 cubic ft | One-fourth |
| 16 inches | About 42.7 cubic ft | One-third |
| 18 inches | About 48 cubic ft | About 38% |
| 24 inches | About 64 cubic ft | One-half |
Instance: 16-Inch Face Twine
A face twine with 16-inch logs is:
- 4 ft excessive
- 8 ft lengthy
- 1.33 ft deep
That offers about 42.7 cubic ft.
That’s one-third of a full twine.
So worth issues.
If a vendor asks $150 for a face twine and $300 for a full twine, the total twine is the higher deal. You get thrice the wooden for less than twice the worth.
What Is a Rick of Firewood?
A rick of firewood is an area time period. Individuals use it most within the Midwest and South. In lots of locations, a rick means the identical factor as a face twine.
It’s typically one row of stacked wooden that’s:
- 4 ft excessive
- 8 ft lengthy
- As deep because the log size
However right here is the important thing level.
A rick just isn’t a authorized firewood measurement in america. Which means one vendor could use “rick” a technique. One other vendor could use it differently. So, at all times ask for the total measurement before you purchase.
Ask:
- How excessive is the stack?
- How lengthy is the stack?
- How deep are the logs?
The Rick Drawback
A rick could be laborious to evaluate by sight. A rick of 16-inch logs and a rick of 24-inch logs can each appear to be the identical 4×8 ft wall from the entrance.
However they don’t maintain the identical quantity of wooden. A 24-inch rick has 50% extra wooden than a 16-inch rick. So, if each price the identical, the 24-inch rick is the higher deal. However you solely know that should you ask for the log size.
Different Names for a Rick
Some sellers use different names, equivalent to:
These phrases are usually not customary. If a vendor makes use of one among these phrases, ask for the stack measurement in ft and inches earlier than you pay.
What Is a Range Twine?
A range twine is a brief stack of firewood. It’s typically lower into 12-inch logs. This measurement matches many wooden stoves.
A typical range twine stack is:
- 4 ft excessive
- 8 ft lengthy
- 12 inches deep
That offers about 32 cubic ft.
So, a 12-inch range twine is about one-fourth of a full twine.
What Is a Bush Twine?
A bush twine is one other title for a full twine. Individuals use this time period in Canada and elements of the northern United States.
A bush twine is:
- 4 ft excessive
- 4 ft deep
- 8 ft lengthy
That equals 128 cubic ft. So, a bush twine and a full twine are the identical measurement.
Measure Firewood Earlier than You Pay
Use this easy system:
Peak × Size × Depth = Cubic ft
A full twine is 128 cubic ft.
A rick or face twine is normally smaller.
Easy Instance
You see a stacked pile of wooden.
It’s:
- 4 ft excessive
- 8 ft lengthy
- 18 inches deep
First, flip inches into ft.
18 inches ÷ 12 = 1.5 ft
Now multiply:
4 × 8 × 1.5 = 48 cubic ft
Now examine it to a full twine:
48 ÷ 128 = 37.5% of a full twine
So, this stack is a bit more than one-third of a full twine.
Worth Instance
Say the vendor prices $200 for that 48-cubic-foot stack.
The value per cubic foot is:
$200 ÷ 48 = $4.17 per cubic foot
Now say one other vendor prices $400 for a full twine.
The value per cubic foot is:
$400 ÷ 128 = $3.13 per cubic foot
On this case, the total twine is the higher deal.
Twine Calculator
| Stack Peak | Stack Size | Log Depth | Whole Quantity | Share of Full Twine |
| 4 ft | 8 ft | 12 in / 1 ft | 32 cu ft | 0.25 / quarter twine |
| 4 ft | 8 ft | 16 in / 1.33 ft | 42.7 cu ft | 0.33 / one-third twine |
| 4 ft | 8 ft | 18 in / 1.5 ft | 48 cu ft | 0.375 |
| 4 ft | 8 ft | 24 in / 2 ft | 64 cu ft | 0.5 / half twine |
| 4 ft | 8 ft | 48 in / 4 ft | 128 cu ft | 1 full twine |
How A lot Does a Twine of Firewood Weigh?
Firewood weight modifications so much.
It depends upon:
- Wooden kind
- Log measurement
- Water contained in the wooden
- Whether or not the wooden is inexperienced or dry
Inexperienced wooden is fresh-cut wooden. It holds extra water.
Seasoned wooden has dried for months. It weighs much less and burns higher.
Firewood Weight Information
| Wooden Kind | Inexperienced Full Twine | Seasoned Full Twine |
| Oak | About 5,000 lbs | About 3,500 lbs |
| Hickory | About 5,400 lbs | About 4,200 lbs |
| Arduous maple | About 4,700 lbs | About 3,100 lbs |
| Ash | About 4,400 lbs | About 3,000 lbs |
| White pine | About 3,000 lbs | About 2,000 lbs |
| Cedar | About 2,600 lbs | About 1,800 lbs |
Can a Pickup Truck Carry a Full Twine?
Most half-ton pickup vans can carry about 1,000 to 1,200 lbs within the mattress. A full twine of inexperienced hardwood can weigh 4,000 to five,400 lbs. Which means one full twine can take 4 or 5 truckloads. This issues while you examine supply costs. A vendor who says “one truckload” just isn’t the identical as a vendor who says “one full twine.” At all times ask for the stacked measurement.
How Lengthy Does a Twine of Wooden Final?
A twine of wooden doesn’t final the identical for each house.
It depends upon:
- How typically you burn wooden
- How chilly your space will get
- What sort of range or fire you utilize
- Whether or not the wooden is hardwood or softwood
A full twine lasts longer while you burn it in an environment friendly wooden range.
It burns quicker in an open fire as a result of a lot of the warmth escapes by way of the chimney.
How Lengthy One Full Twine Often Lasts
| Use Kind | How Lengthy One Full Twine Lasts |
| Wooden range as primary warmth in a chilly space | 6–10 weeks |
| Wooden range as additional warmth | 3–4 months |
| Open fire, mild use | 3–6 months |
| Hearth insert, weekend use | 4–8 months |
| Out of doors hearth pit, enjoyable use | One season or longer |
Hardwood lasts longer than softwood. Hardwood is denser. Which means every log provides off extra warmth. For instance, a twine of white oak provides rather more warmth than a twine of pine. So, should you warmth your property typically, hardwood is normally the higher purchase.
How Many Items of Wooden Are in a Twine?
There isn’t any actual quantity.
The rely modifications primarily based on:
- Log size
- Break up measurement
- Wooden kind
- How neatly the wooden is stacked
For frequent 16-inch break up logs, use these tough counts:
| Firewood Quantity | Frequent Piece Rely |
| Full twine | About 550–650 items |
| Face twine / rick | About 180–220 items |
| Half twine | About 275–325 items |
These numbers assist you plan day by day use. They aren’t one of the simplest ways to verify a vendor. A vendor can break up wooden into small items and make the rely look excessive. So, at all times measure firewood by stacked quantity, not by piece rely.
Are Firewood Sizes Set by Legislation?
Sure, however solely the twine has a transparent authorized measurement in america. A authorized full twine is 128 cubic ft when the wooden is stacked nicely. Which means the wooden ought to be positioned in neat rows. It shouldn’t be dumped in a free pile.
Phrases like rick, truckload, pile, and free load are usually not clear authorized sizes. Their that means can change by vendor or place.
What This Means for Consumers
Ask the vendor for the actual stacked measurement.
Ask:
- How excessive is the stack?
- How lengthy is the stack?
- How deep is the stack?
- What a part of a full twine is it?
A very good vendor can reply these questions.
If a vendor is not going to give clear sizes, select one other vendor.
What Is a Free Twine or Thrown Twine?
A free twine is wooden that’s tossed right into a truck mattress, trailer, or pile. It’s also referred to as a thrown twine or tossed twine. Free wooden takes up more room than stacked wooden. That occurs as a result of there are bigger air gaps between the logs. So, a free pile can look huge however maintain much less wooden.
Free Wooden vs. Stacked Wooden
A free pile typically has 25% to 30% much less usable wooden than the identical area stuffed with stacked wooden. This issues so much while you pay by the load. A vendor could say they delivered a “full twine” free. However after you stack it, it might solely measure 85 to 95 cubic ft. That’s far lower than a real full twine of 128 cubic ft.
Keep away from Paying Too A lot
At all times ask for the stacked quantity, not the truck quantity. Don’t decide the quantity by the dimensions of the truck mattress. If the vendor brings free wooden, stack it earlier than you determine if the quantity is correct. A very good vendor will inform you the stacked measurement and stand behind the quantity.
Seasoned, Inexperienced, and Kiln-Dried Firewood: What Is the Distinction?
Firewood measurement tells you ways a lot wooden you get. Moisture tells you ways nicely that wooden burns. Dry wooden burns hotter and cleaner. Moist wooden is tougher to mild. It additionally makes extra smoke.
The EPA recommends burning wooden with lower than 20% moisture. That helps the fireplace burn cleaner and higher.
What Is Seasoned Firewood?
Seasoned firewood has been lower, break up, and dried in open air.
It normally dries for 6 to 12 months.
Good seasoned wooden has clear indicators.
It typically has:
- Cracks on the lower ends
- A lighter really feel than recent wooden
- A hole sound when two logs hit one another
- Much less moisture inside
Most seasoned firewood has about 15% to 25% moisture.
Greatest Use for Seasoned Wooden
Seasoned wooden works nicely for many houses. It provides a very good mixture of worth and burn high quality. It’s typically cheaper than kiln-dried wooden. It additionally burns significantly better than inexperienced wooden.
What Is Inexperienced Firewood?
Inexperienced firewood is fresh-cut wooden. It nonetheless holds a whole lot of water. Inexperienced wooden typically has 40% to 60% moisture. That makes it laborious to burn.
Inexperienced wooden can:
- Be laborious to mild
- Make an excessive amount of smoke
- Burn cooler
- Depart extra creosote within the chimney
- Make your range or fire work poorly
Creosote is a sticky black buildup inside a chimney. An excessive amount of creosote can increase hearth threat.
Ought to You Purchase Inexperienced Wooden?
Purchase inexperienced wooden solely you probably have time to dry it. You additionally want a dry, coated place to retailer it. Most inexperienced wooden wants 6 to 12 months to season earlier than use. It isn’t a sensible choice should you want firewood straight away.
What Is Kiln-Dried Firewood?
Kiln-dried firewood is dried in a heated room. This removes moisture quick. Most kiln-dried wooden has about 10% to twenty% moisture. It is able to burn straight away.
Kiln-dried wooden:
- Lights quick
- Burns scorching
- Makes much less smoke
- Leaves much less creosote
- Works nicely for indoor fires
The principle draw back is worth. Kiln-dried wooden typically prices 30% to 60% extra than seasoned wooden.
Greatest Use for Kiln-Dried Wooden
Kiln-dried wooden is greatest if you’d like wooden now. It’s also good should you would not have area to dry wooden at house. It prices extra, but it surely saves time and storage work.
Examine Firewood Moisture
A wooden moisture meter provides a fast studying. Most price about $15 to $40.
To check wooden the correct means:
- Break up one piece of wooden.
- Check the recent inside face.
- Don’t take a look at solely the surface floor.
- Search for a studying underneath 20%.
If the within is underneath 20%, the wooden is able to burn nicely.
Firewood Warmth by Wooden Kind
Not all firewood provides the identical warmth.
Hardwood is denser than softwood. Which means hardwood provides extra warmth from every twine. Softwood burns quicker. It’s nonetheless helpful for kindling and hearth beginning.
Firewood Species Comparability
| Wooden Kind | Warmth per Twine | Burn Time | Greatest Use |
| Osage orange | 32.9 million BTU | Longest | Fundamental house warmth |
| White oak | 29.1 million BTU | Very lengthy | Fundamental house warmth |
| Hickory | 27.7 million BTU | Very lengthy | Fundamental house warmth |
| Arduous maple | 25.5 million BTU | Lengthy | Warmth and cooking |
| Crimson oak | 24.6 million BTU | Lengthy | Fundamental house warmth |
| Ash | 23.6 million BTU | Lengthy | Common use |
| Douglas fir | 20.7 million BTU | Medium | Additional warmth |
| Black cherry | 20.4 million BTU | Medium | Warmth and good fires |
| White pine | 14.3 million BTU | Quick | Kindling |
| Cedar | 13.0 million BTU | Quick | Fireplace beginning |
Hardwood vs. Softwood
Hardwood is greatest for regular warmth.
Good hardwoods embody:
These woods burn longer.They work nicely in wooden stoves and hearth inserts.
Softwood burns quick.
Good softwoods embody:
These woods are usually not greatest for lengthy warmth. However they mild quick and assist begin a fireplace.
How A lot Does a Twine of Firewood Price?
Firewood costs change by space, season, wooden kind, and repair. Supply and stacking can even change the ultimate worth.
Listed below are frequent U.S. worth ranges for a full twine.
| Firewood Kind | Frequent Worth per Full Twine |
| Inexperienced hardwood | $150–$250 |
| Seasoned hardwood | $250–$400 |
| Premium hardwood | $350–$500 |
| Kiln-dried hardwood | $400–$600+ |
| Seasoned softwood | $100–$200 |
What Raises Firewood Costs?
Firewood prices extra when:
- You reside in a metropolis or suburb
- You purchase throughout peak season
- The vendor delivers the wooden
- The vendor stacks the wooden
- The logs are lower quick and even
- The wooden is heat-treated for transport
Peak season typically runs from October to January.
Costs rise as a result of extra folks purchase firewood then.
What Lowers Firewood Costs?
You possibly can typically pay much less should you:
- Purchase in summer season
- Choose up the wooden your self
- Purchase inexperienced wooden and dry it your self
- Purchase two or extra cords without delay
- Use an area vendor with decrease supply prices
Summer time shopping for can save about 15% to 25% in lots of areas.
At all times Ask What the Worth Contains
Earlier than you order, ask clear questions.
Ask if the worth contains:
- Supply
- Stacking
- Tax
- Quick log cuts
- Kiln drying
- Warmth remedy
Supply and stacking can add $50 to $150 or extra. So, a low firewood worth can change into a lot larger at checkout. At all times affirm the total price earlier than the wooden arrives.
Retailer a Twine of Firewood the Proper Manner
Good storage retains firewood dry. It additionally helps defend the cash you spent. Moist wooden burns poorly. It makes extra smoke and fewer warmth.
Firewood Storage Fundamentals
Observe these easy steps:
- Stack wooden off the bottom.
- Use pallets, a firewood rack, or 2×4 boards.
- Cowl solely the highest of the stack.
- Depart the edges open for air.
- Retailer wooden in a sunny, breezy spot.
- Hold it a minimum of 5 ft from your home.
- Break up giant logs earlier than stacking.
- Face the lower ends outward.
Airflow issues. When you cowl the entire stack with a tarp, moisture can get trapped inside. That slows drying and may trigger rot.
How A lot House Does a Twine Want?
A full twine of firewood takes up a whole lot of area.
A stacked full twine is about:
- 4 ft excessive
- 4 ft deep
- 8 ft lengthy
So, plan your storage space earlier than you order. Don’t wait till the truck arrives.
Why You Ought to Purchase Native Firewood
Purchase firewood close to the place you intend to burn it. Shifting firewood too far can unfold pests and tree illnesses. A very good rule is to purchase wooden inside 50 miles of the place it was lower. Firewood can carry bugs contained in the bark or wooden. These pests can unfold to new forests.
Frequent pests embody:
- Emerald ash borer
- Noticed lanternfly
- Spongy moth
Many states additionally restrict the motion of untreated firewood. When you go tenting, purchase firewood close to the campsite. Don’t carry firewood from house.
What To not Burn Indoors
Not all wooden is secure for a fireside or wooden range.
Don’t burn:
- Painted wooden
- Stained wooden
- Varnished wooden
- Strain-treated lumber
- Plywood
- Particle board
- OSB
- Ocean driftwood
- Moldy wooden
- Rotten wooden
- Trash
- Plastic
- Rubber
- Moist or inexperienced wooden
These supplies could make dangerous smoke. Some can even injury your range, chimney, or flue. Moist wooden can also be an issue. It burns poorly and may trigger creosote buildup. Creosote is a sticky chimney buildup that raises hearth threat.
Inquiries to Ask Earlier than Shopping for Firewood
Ask these questions earlier than you pay:
- Is that this a full twine, face twine, rick, or one other measurement?
- What are the precise stacked sizes?
- How excessive is the stack?
- How lengthy is the stack?
- How deep is the stack?
- How lengthy are the logs?
- What kind of wooden is it?
- Is it inexperienced, seasoned, or kiln-dried?
- How lengthy has it been drying?
- Will it arrive stacked or free?
- Is supply included?
- Is stacking included?
- Is the firewood native?
- Can I get a receipt with the twine quantity listed?
A very good vendor can reply these questions clearly.
If the vendor avoids the dimensions query, select one other vendor.
Frequent Firewood Shopping for Errors
Keep away from these errors:
- Shopping for by “truckload” with out actual measurement
- Considering a face twine is a full twine
- Paying full twine costs for a rick
- Judging the pile by eye
- Trusting free piles that look larger than they’re
- Skipping the moisture verify
- Forgetting to ask about supply charges
- Forgetting to ask about stacking charges
Two truckloads can maintain very totally different quantities of wooden.
That’s the reason stacked measurement issues greater than truck measurement.
Steadily Requested Questions
What are cords of wooden?
Cords of wooden are a strategy to measure firewood in bulk.
A full twine equals 128 cubic ft.
It’s stacked in a neat pile that’s:
- 4 ft excessive
- 4 ft deep
- 8 ft lengthy
How huge is a twine of wooden?
A full twine is a big stack.
It measures 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft.
Many patrons are shocked by how a lot area it takes.
Is a face twine the identical as a twine of wooden?
No.
A face twine is one row of wooden.
It’s normally:
- 4 ft excessive
- 8 ft lengthy
- As deep because the log size
If the logs are 16 inches lengthy, the face twine is about one-third of a full twine.
At all times ask for the log depth.
What’s the distinction between a twine and a rick?
A twine has a hard and fast measurement.
A rick doesn’t.
In lots of areas, a rick means the identical factor as a face twine.
It’s typically one row of stacked wooden.
However the depth depends upon the log size.
Ask for the total stacked measurement before you purchase.
What’s the distinction between a twine and a truckload?
A twine has a hard and fast quantity of 128 cubic ft when stacked.
A truckload has no fastened measurement.
It depends upon:
- Truck measurement
- Mattress peak
- Log size
- How loosely the wooden is loaded
A full-size pickup mattress typically holds about one-third to one-half of a stacked twine.
What number of cubic ft are in a twine of wooden?
A full twine has 128 cubic ft.
That quantity applies when the wooden is stacked neatly.
A face twine or rick is normally smaller.
It typically has 32 to 64 cubic ft, primarily based on log size.
How lengthy does a twine of wooden final?
It depends upon how a lot you burn.
A full twine could final:
- 6–10 weeks as primary warmth in a chilly space
- 3–4 months as additional warmth
- 4–8 months for weekend fire use
- One season or extra for outside hearth pits
Why ought to I purchase native firewood?
Native firewood helps cease the unfold of pests.
Bugs and tree illnesses can conceal inside logs.
When firewood strikes far, pests transfer with it.
Shopping for native protects close by timber and forests.
Abstract
A full twine of wooden is the one customary firewood measurement.
It equals 128 cubic ft.
A full twine is stacked:
- 4 ft excessive
- 4 ft deep
- 8 ft lengthy
A face twine and a rick are usually not the identical as a full twine.
They’re normally one row of wooden.
The quantity you get depends upon the log size.
Before you purchase, ask for the stack measurement in writing.
Examine:
- Peak
- Size
- Depth
- Wooden kind
- Moisture stage
- Supply price
- Stacking price
Then examine costs by cubic foot.
This takes only some minutes.
It could assist you keep away from overpaying by 30% to 60% in your subsequent firewood order.

