Full cord of hardwood

[DanD]

This maybe an unwarranted caution; but make sure that you have a recite from your wood supplier, with the location documented; as to where the wood was harvested.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is stepping up its enforcement of transporting firewood across different counties or being in the possession of wood that came from an infested area, that you do not live in or use the wood in.

I was talking with a CFIA inspector (I work on their fleet cars) and he said; the only way they can hopefully limit the spread of disease (Dutch Elm) and insect infestation (Emerald Ash Bore, Gypsy Mot). Is by limiting the transportation of wood and charging people that are in possession of firewood that came from restricted areas. He said that he has laid a number of charges; which begin at 400 bucks and the confiscation of the wood.

If you have a recite; you may loose the wood; but the guy selling/delivering it will get the fine. These guys (CFIA inspectors) are feds; all they need for probable cause, is to see your wood pile.

Maybe call CFIA or go on-line and find out what or if there are restriction for your area.

I know I cannot transport or be in the possession of firewood from here in the London area; down to/at my trailer, just outside of Turkey Point (Long Point Bay area).

 

Dan.

[lew]

Thanks BillyBob

 

One thing I've NEVER shied away from is hard work and like you, I'm retired and have plenty of time for whatever needs doing. I've got more than enough room for storing wood too so once I find a seller with a good price I can stock up as needed.

 

The wood stove in the family room will be for added heat in the home and the fireplace in the living room will only be used to look purdy when we have company

[lew]

Thanks DanD, that's interesting and something I wasn't aware of.

[Billy Bob]

Thanks DanD, that's interesting and something I wasn't aware of.

 

Same thing is happening here in WNY.....not good. Wood prices will SPIKE.

[John]

What Billy Bob said.

 

What Roy said...........

 

Also the wood guys here in the city are getting more creative every year. They are cutting the "face cords" 12" long rather than 18" and quite a lot are debarking the wood so that the layman can't tell what wood it is. They sell the bark shredded as mulch for $120 a yard!

[Beans]

I haven't done the math yet for this past year (final bill will be in next month) but the first year we burned 5 bush cords @ $200 per...then I found out this was not in line with my home insurance so we cut back to 2 bush cords @$215 per and turned up the electric baseboard heaters...this resulted in an increase of $600 for electricity but 3 bush cords would have cost me $615 that year...

 

The year before last, Maribeth's asthma returned and we suspected the wood stove so we cut back to 1 bush cord @ $245 per for recreation fires and emergency and still have half of it left over....and no sign of her asthma returning...

 

Conclusion:...Doesn't seem to matter what you burn it is going to cost about the same...

 

BTW...wood = a lot of work and "WORK" is a four-letter word...

 

Even when you have it cut and delivered...stacking and hauling it into the house equals "WORK"

[fishhawk7]

We use the guy that is on the N.W. side of line road 15 and highway 28, you turn left onto line road 15 off of 28 and it is the first right and then the first driveway on the right. He does a lot of business in the park we are in and he seems pretty good to deal with, also there is another wood place down line road 15 on the right just before you come to North school road, I have not dealt with him yet.

Hope that helps.

[jimmer]

Hey Lew

The prices have been going up constantly over the last few years. We are now be-grudgingly paying around that price for wood. The one piece of advice is to stack and measure the wood in 4x4x8 stacks to see if you are getting ripped off. I order from two different guys last year. The first guys ripped us off for almost a full face cord and would never return our calls (never use him again, buckhorn area), the second gut brought extra and made up for the first guys. We will use him from now on.

I'm starting to sway to Cliff's thinking, but the propane costs scare me off that idea. The first step is talk my wife into the change-she loves the dry heat for her arthritis.

[irishfield]

Yah.. but Norm.. wood has a LOT more heat in it!!

 

There's the heat when you cut the tree down and limb it.

 

There's the heat when you cut it into 12", 16" or 4' lengths.

 

There's the heat when you split it all up nice and buzz saw those 4 footers into 12's or 16's

 

There's the heat when you pile it all purdy so it can dry out.

 

There's the heat when you unpile it and lug it into the house.

 

There's FINALLY the heat when you light the darn stuff...

 

...and last but not least there's the heat when you haul that big ash bucket outside to dump!

[Billy Bob]

The one BIG advantage of heating with wood is when the power goes out you are not freezing as most furnaces need electric....in 2006 we had a huge snow storm in OCTOBER that destroyed a lot of trees and of course power was out just about everywhere....in my neighborhood we went without electric for 7 days but the house was nice and warm unlike may others that were cold and damp for many days.

 

Bob

[Big Cliff]

As far as the power going out, our fire place will work even if the power is off and at -25 it will still keep the house comfortable, also, our kitchen stove still works so we just put on a big pot of stew or whatever, I bake some bread and who cares about the power! Besides, if you love to cook like I do gas stoves are so much nicer to use!

 

Now last year I did buy a 6500 watt generator because no power = no running water, I had an electrician wire it into the panel and all I have to do is flip 3 breakers and turn a key and we have power to run the whole house.

 

As far as the cost of propane, I negotiate every fall for a fixed price and usually end up paying about $0.05 a liter less than the going rate. We use about 4000L per year and because of the kitchen stove and water heater, our hydro bills are typically less than $110.00 a month average. We have 1500 sq' on each of two floors.

 

Wood is nice, no doubt about it but as Wayne pointed out so well, there is a ton of work involved. One of the reasons I made the change is that if something happened to me, if I got sick or anything Sue would not have been able to haul the wood and keep the fires going. It also makes it difficult to go away in the winter time.

 

Anyway Lew, I am sure you have thought this out well and you will enjoy the wood heat and the smell of the smoke. It is a comfortable warm heat! If I was young enough and had the time I might still be heating with wood.

[irishfield]

It's a lot of work, Cliff, for sure... but with 120 acres of hardwood forest surrounding the house.. 3 airtight Napoleon fireplaces in the house and my grandmothers old parlor stove as my main source of heat in my 30 x 60 workshop... it keeps me in shape!!

[Terry]

I burnt wood exclusively for 7 years

 

and it is a lot of woooooorrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk

 

 

after doing the math of cutting splitting transporting it, I discovered that working overtime a few weekends at my job paid more for my fuel budget, then the hours and hours of cutting and splitting and transporting and piling and piling and piling and carrying it into the house ..love the heat hate the work

[fish_fishburn]

I have been heating my house exclusively with wood for 13 yrs. If your afraid of a bit of hard work, don't even bother with wood heat. I have been using the same supplier for about 10 yrs now. If you can find a good supplier stay with him and he will take good care of you. My wood cost me about 225 a full chord and it is split and seasoned when I pick it up. I only have to haul it about 4 miles. I use about 3 chords on average per winter. By the way I only buy oak from my supplier. I find there is way less ash and it burns longer and way more heat than birch or maple. You need a good woodshed to store your wood in. I know of people who fill their basements with wood so they don't have to go outside to bring wood in during the winter, but you introduce your house to lots of bugs. My stove is a high efficient air tight made in canada by Osburn. They run around 1500 now days. In my opinion there is no nicer heat then wood, it's dry and so toasty but will have to have a pot of water on your stove to add humidity or all your wood furniture will start to fall apart haha and your skin will become dry like a snake. Not only that when the ladies come over for drinks on friday or sat evenings I always throw another log on so they remove them big winter sweaters they always wear in the winter

[Billy Bob]

The DRY heat wood presents is GREAT for my RA....

[lew]

Interesting that this thread popped back to the surface this morning as I just had my new stove installed yesterday, along with delivery the 1st of 3 cords of hardwood that I ordered. Ended up going with Jer's wood guy and got it for $260 per cord.

 

As mentioned previously in this thread, the house is heated with oil, plus I have a nice fireplace in the livingroom and now the new stove has gone downstairs in the family room.

 

Hate to say it, but I'm almost lookind forward to some cold weather to try it out.....well, maybe not

 

[Billy Bob]

Lew, it looks GREAT...did you get the glass inscribed ?

 

Here's what ours looks like....

 

 

One load of Hickory read to be unloaded and stacked...grrrrr....

 

 

ANY VOLUNTEERS.....