Firewood is sold in CBF or CBM measurements. This is the most accurate way to measure, whereas using the weight of the same volume of firewood can vary depending on the type and humidity level. A proper bundle of any size should be stacked so the pieces are tight together. This gives you the most accurate measurement. 

L x W x H is the best way to understand firewood. It is sold by cubic ft with a true cord being 4x4x8. 

The simple answer is the dryer the better, but to get into it your largest pieces of wood should be no higher than 20% moisture. This is the recommended moisture content for most cook stoves or pizza ovens. The best way to test the moisture of your firewood is to take the largest piece from the pile and split it in ½. Take your reading from this piece and it will give you a good idea of the moisture of your firewood. Don’t be fooled by firewood suppliers who show you the surface moisture of a piece of firewood. This is an underhanded and deceptive practice.

Dry wood left in the elements can have a high surface moisture level, this dries quickly and will burn just fine if the core of the firewood is dry. Alternatively, testing surface moisture of wood that was not properly seasoned could show low humidity if it has been protected from the elements, but still, be unburnable because it hasn’t been seasoned for the proper length of time to dry internally.

Any wood can be used for cooking as it all provides enough heat to get the job done. Now if you want to take your wood cooking up to the next level, hardwoods such as Birch or fruitwoods such as apple and cherry are excellent choices. These woods produce little if any smoke so your eyes won’t be tearing it up as you try to keep an eye on your meal. Another reason these woods are preferred is that they don’t crackle or pop, which means you won’t have ash in your food. They can also provide additional flavor and aroma while making it easier to maintain a constant even heat required for cooking.

There are 2 factors to this, one is inflation and the other is demand. Demand for firewood has significantly increased in the past few years, and as per standard market behavior, increased demand results in increased prices.

The amount of fuel and labor it takes to source, process, and finally deliver the wood to your door is immense. The logs are cut using gas powered machines, and labor. The logs are then transported to the sort yard and sorted using gas powered machines and labor. The logs are split using a gas-powered splitter/processor and labor, then the split wood is loaded onto a truck that must transport the split wood from Northern Alberta or BC to our yard near Calgary.

We then package and deliver the firewood locally. Fuel and labor costs have really increased, and we are seeing this in the end price we need to sell our firewood for. Unfortunately, with the way things are going, we don’t foresee the price coming down any time soon. We do our best to mitigate additional costs through efficiencies in packaging and distribution.

A kiln is a large industrial oven capable of holding a truckload of firewood. The firewood is baked in the kiln until it reaches optimal moisture levels. Kiln-dried wood has consistent moisture levels and leaves no question as to its burnability. Seasoned wood is wood that has been cut and left to dry in the elements. If given the proper amount of time to dry, softer woods dry to a good humidity within 6 months if properly stored during seasoning. Harder woods such as birch and fruit wood take longer to properly season so they can be hit or miss depending on the season. In the fall most seasoned product available has been split in the spring and has had ample time to season, these supplies get depleted quickly and some people start to sell whatever they can get their hands on including wood that has not had the time to sit long enough to get to a humidity level conducive of good burning. Seasoned wood can be a bit of a gamble, depending on your expectations.

What you’ll need to start a fire:

• Kindling (small sticks)
• Firestarter (dry grass, paper, bark, taco chips, dryer lint, etc) gasoline, or other accelerants are NOT recommended and most bylaws specifically state this.
• You will need a firepit, an indent in the ground, or a perimeter barrier of some type to keep the fire contained. Can be either stone or metal, something non-flammable.
• Logs. If logs are large, an axe may be required. This can depend on the dryness of your wood or how large your firepit is.
• A spot away from fences, sheds, and trees. Also, make sure there is nothing overhead as heat will rise.

Any wood can be used for cooking as it all provides enough heat to get the job done. Now if you want to take your wood cooking up to the next level, hardwoods such as Birch or fruitwoods such as apple and cherry are excellent choices. These woods produce little if any smoke so your eyes won’t be tearing it up as you try to keep an eye on your meal. Another reason these woods are preferred is that they don’t crackle or pop, which means you won’t have ash in your food. They can also provide additional flavor and aroma while making it easier to maintain a constant even heat required for cooking.

Nothing beats the radiant heat of a fire that burns using real wood. It feels like you have been given a warm hug when you walk into the room. If you want to try heating your home with firewood, we suggest a high-efficiency fireplace located in the basement of your house. We have family members that do this who are on propane and it significantly reduces heating costs.

A kiln is a large industrial oven capable of holding a truckload of firewood. The firewood is baked in the kiln until it reaches optimal moisture levels. Kiln-dried wood has consistent moisture levels and leaves no question as to its burnability. Seasoned wood is wood that has been cut and left to dry in the elements. If given the proper amount of time to dry, softer woods dry to a good humidity within 6 months if properly stored during seasoning. Harder woods such as birch and fruit wood take longer to properly season so they can be hit or miss depending on the season. In the fall most seasoned product available has been split in the spring and has had ample time to season, these supplies get depleted quickly and some people start to sell whatever they can get their hands on including wood that has not had the time to sit long enough to get to a humidity level conducive of good burning. Seasoned wood can be a bit of a gamble, depending on your expectations.

1. Place your Firestarter material in a dense pile in the center of your firepit.
2. Place your kindling on top of the fire starter. A log cabin or teepee layout are the most common configurations.
3. Place average size logs on top of the kindling, save larger logs for when the fire has established a nice hot bed of coals. A hot bed of coals will burn any wood you may have with higher humidity levels. Leave lots of space between the logs so air can reach the center of the pile. Fire needs fuel and oxygen to thrive, if any of these are missing or in short supply, the fire will die or smoke itself out.
4. Use a BBQ lighter or a long match and ignite the Firestarter in 2 or 3 spots
5. Get the family and start enjoying the heat and aroma of a nice fire.