Wood Stove: How many cords?

[jack stand]

5 yr old log length is likely quite rotten.

That would be my concern also.
It's got to be cut and split to dry and to reduce the drying it's got to be stacked. The OP would be amazed how fast a single row stack will dry particularly with the prevalent winds blowing against the stack.

 

[Innovate1]

Figure on 2 saws. A big one is needed for large stuff but is heavy and not the best or easiest for limbs and smaller stuff. Sounds like you already have the smaller one.

1 or 2 years to dry is plenty as long as it is covered and has some ventilation. Some sort of roof is nice but even a tarp over the top with the sides open will work.

Around here people post wood from trees taken down for free. Or you might find some tree trimmers looking for a place to dump. I did 5 cords a couple years with a combination of some trees from 10 acres (mostly storm damage or some other need to be taken down) and picking up nearby free wood. But I also have efficient gas furnace and getting older we just have fires when we want to look at it (wood stove with glass door). If I bought split wood I think natural gas would be about the same cost.

I would do as others suggested and plan on a combo of fuel the first year or two to figure out how much you need. But the weather is going to vary year to year so it's just an estimate. But if you are keeping it year to year that gives you a buffer so it doesn't matter so much.

Long ago I lived in a house in Portland, Oregon for a few years that only had a wood stove. Small house but old with poor insulation. Climate there is pretty mild but it was still a pain to keep the wood stove going all winter. A crappy wood stove didn't help. Heating with only wood is a lot of work even after splitting and stacking the wood. As the say - wood heats you twice (or more).

 

[Rusted Nut]

This was my near zero cost build as a wood shed. Using pallets blocks wind driven rain/snow, but leaves plenty of airflow for drying. If the wood is green rack it instead of stacking.

That is an awesome wood shed!

 

[American Locomotive]

We are planning on buying 3 cords of 16-foot log-length that I'll buck and split, and 3 cords of pre-cut & split that I'll just stack. We are thinking 6 cords should get us through this winter. The 3 cords of log-length are about 5 years old so should be fairly OK to burn this winter if I get to the sweat equity part ASAP.

One of the things I'm worried about is what to build to keep the wood dry, and also fire management. We had a stove when I was a kid, but that was 30+ years ago. When my brother and I used to get in trouble, my dad handed my brother and I boys axes and he told us "better get that pile split while your supper is still warm because we don't go to bed in this house unless you eat everything on your plate". I'm really not worried about the sweat equity part. I know what I'm getting into with bucking and splitting 3 cords (that's why only 3 cords --if it ***** that much we'll just buy cut & split going forward).

It's just the fire management part.

It's a new-ish house to us. It is my father in law's house (where my wife grew up). The insulation isn't great, windows aren't great. It needs a bunch of work and he never had a stove. We will be installing it --not we, just like "we" won't be using chainsaws & axes to buck and split wood --I will be installing the wood stove in the next few weeks and I will be the one bucking and splitting the 3 cords. My wife and the dogs will enjoy the wood stove.

We just don't know how to calculate usage. I work from home and my wife is a nurse. She works 3x 12h shifts so she's not here 3 days a week, I'll be there 24/7. When she's not working it is the usual running errands, grocery store, etc. but when she's not working she's here most of the time too.

Uncut 16 foot logs are probably going to either still be wet, or be rotten, or both. Rotted wood gives little heat and makes a lot of ash. Even cut and split wood really takes a solid 18 months to really dry out, properly stacked and covered.

 

[Sumboodie]

That would be my concern also.
It's got to be cut and split to dry and to reduce the drying it's got to be stacked. The OP would be amazed how fast a single row stack will dry particularly with the prevalent winds blowing against the stack.

Also depends on species and area.

I can only speak for here and Maine

I have logs rolling on 3 years and they are starting to get punky. Not to the point of junk, but they maybe have another year, 2 tops before it'd be unsellable.

 

[Aaron_W]

Many factors, average temps in your area, adequate interior temp (I'm good with high 60s, but some want 80s), wood burned, both quality and type and the stove will all play a part.

Since you've got the propane heat, you are probably better off using a combination of wood and propane. When we had propane heat we would leave the furnace set at around 50 degrees, and then use wood to get beyond that. At 50 it was chilly, but no issues with freezing if we were out for the day and a sweater was adequate until the wood stove started doing its thing. Using the wood stove from 50 to comfortable (70s) really knocked down the propane usage, probably by 2/3 and some of that remainder was the water heater and stove / oven.


First house we lived in that we had a wood stove was only 700 square feet, pretty well insulated, basic but modern wood stove and relatively warm (day time temps in the high 30s to 40s), with short winters so we got away with around 1 cord of "whatever" firewood. Propane wall heater in the living room which we only used to keep the house above freezing or short duration to take the chill off if we had been gone all day. The stove could heat the whole house to unbearable in about an hour if we got carried away.


Next house was much colder, avg day time temps 20s-30s, a solid 6 months of cool to cold weather, older house probably 1920s, 1200 sq ft single story with so so insulation and an ancient cast iron fireplace insert. No viable alternate heat (electric baseboards that would eat my monthly paycheck in about a week) so when the house got cold, like if we were away for the day it took a couple hours to warm up. At 3-4 cords / year we were usually dressing warm in the house by the end of the winter to help the wood pile make it to the end.

Last house had a modern stove with a blower to help distribute the heat, plus fully functional central propane heat to help circulate the air. House was around 1500 square feet, 2 story and built about 1900 with moderately decent insulation (for a 100+ year old house). Weather ran 20s to 30s during the day for most Nov-April. We used 4-5 cords a year with the propane heater set at 50.


In addition to a chainsaw you will want a wood splitter, splitting more than a cord or so a year is just way to much work unless you are 25 and using it as your workout. I was doing 2-3 cords myself. When we were using 4-5 cords that is when I sprung for a small 6 ton splitter. It did the job if used with finesse, but I'd go bigger if I were doing it again.


We've got natural gas and warmer winters now, so when we looked into installing a wood stove the math just doesn't add up. I miss having a fire to sit around, but don't miss the work.

 

[MOwens]

My 76 year old dad and I split an average of 1 to 1-1/2 face cords an hour with your standard 28 ton Iron and Oak wood splitter. Nothing fancy. You should be able to knock out the 3 cords in a weekend without too much trouble. I like the wood heat and the excercise is the only reason I do it. I have a 1200 square foot single story house that is insulated quite well for its age. My good friend has a farm with a stand of dead ash that we cull from. I love everything about it. The chainsaws, the sharpening, the splitting, everything. I only use about 1-1/2 to 2 cords at most a year and dad uses about a half cord a year. We have natural gas and it’s actually cheaper in the long run, especially if you figure in your time.

I actually wanting to get a wood burner for my business because I like it so much. Just don’t know how insurance will handle it.

 

[Gmonkee]

Years ago in Wisconsin I used to make firewood.
We were not picky about species in the least.

Walk the fence lines talking out everything 8" or more, trim branches from yard trees and use the best of that.
One year two huge boxelder had to come down and that was a large portion of three years to follow.

I filled a old chicken shed, about 12 by 12' to the doorway, fresh cut in the back, dryer stuff near the door.
I didn't use firewood, I just filled the shed for my brother.

 

[PopcornSutton]

I'm waiting for the temps to go down, and I'll be back in the woods. 90 degree weather just aint chainsaw friendly. Plus a frost or two would help kill off some ticks/chiggers, etc.

 

[u2slow]

Word of warning: We haven't been able to find a "good" wood guy in Rhode Island in a long time. They all lie. Every cord of "seasoned" wood we had delivered in the past 10 years has been soaking wet garbage that hardly burns. In a modern efficient wood stove, it will really struggle.

Buy it early enough that you can dry/season it yourself. Like a year early.

I pick away at roadside storm leftovers and follow along after the POCO arborists have left their remnants. Bring the odd half-cord home from the bush after a roadtrip or camping trip. No trouble keeping ahead of my annual consumption.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm waiting for the temps to go down, and I'll be back in the woods. 90 degree weather just aint chainsaw friendly. Plus a frost or two would help kill off some ticks/chiggers, etc.

So am I....more reasons to love the Fall. Get out in the woods, cutting wood and burning the junk to clean up the woods....peaceful.

 

[Snapped-off]

My dad burns 3-4 cords every winter in an old drafty house. It gets into the 80s during the day.

Way too hot for me.