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How Long Does a Cord of Wood Last? – 2024 Complete Guide

How Long Does a Cord of Wood Last: A cord of wood would probably last for about 6 to 10 weeks but there are certain factors that play a part and are to be discussed further in this article.

In case you’re wondering what exactly a cord of wood is, here’s a short explanation. The cord of wood measurement is the volume of stacked firewood. Its principal subdivision is the cording foot, which measures 4 x 4 x 1 foot. A cord is equivalent to a stack of 4 ft. H x 4 ft. W x 8 ft. L (128 cubic feet). Stacking sticks or pieces of wood 4 feet long in a row of 8 feet long constitutes a standard cord.

For the people who live in extreme cold weather conditions, burning firewood is the best heating solution and a lifesaver too! Using firewood as a heating solution can save you a significant amount of money.

It is more expensive to use natural gas, oil, propane, and electricity than to use wood. Therefore, stocking up on firewood is a good idea during the colder months.

For the weight of a cord, there are several factors that influence the weight such as the dryness of the wood, its species, and the greenness of the wood. Standard cords of wood, however, weigh somewhere between 2000 and 3000 pounds.

NOTE: It is always best and highly suggested to store more wood than you expect to use.

How Long Does a Cord of Wood Last?

For an accurate measurement of how long a cord of wood will last, you’ll have to determine how often you light up the fire to heat up your house. Also, how huge the house is, is an important factor that decides how long a cord of wood will last.

How Long Would a Cord of Wood Last

Taking both into account, a full cord of wood will last for between 8 and 12 weeks on average. Or in simpler words, if the fire is used twice a day to heat a 1000 square foot house, a cord of wood would last 8-12 weeks.

How long the wood lasts is determined by some other factors too, such as the quality of the wood, the insulation quality, and the area that will be heated. You should have more wood than your estimates, as we have said earlier. No one wants to run out of wood before the winter is over.

How Much is a Cord of Wood?

The next question that usually arises is how much a cord of wood is. Although cord is the only measure for measuring the volume of wood, you’ll further be happy to hear that there exists a full cord as well as a face cord. Depending on how much wood you need, you can opt for any of these.

Full Cord

Wood measuring 4 feet x 8 feet x 4 feet is known as a Full Cord. It is equivalent to 128 cubic feet of wood.

Face Cord

Face cards are stacks of wood measuring four feet high, eight feet long, and sixteen inches deep.

Modern stoves and furnaces cannot accommodate this measurement. Therefore, many wood traders will only give you firewood with a length of 16 inches as a remedy. There is a 16-inch long, 4-foot high, and 8-foot-wide cord known as the ‘face cord’. This would be equivalent to a wood stack that measures 4 feet x 8 feet x 16 inches (42.6 cubic feet).

How Much is a Cord of Wood - Face Cord

In a nutshell, the Face cord and a full cord are identical, except that the face cord is 16 inches deep, while the full cord is 4 feet.

Keeping all this in mind, you can estimate that 1 Face Cord is approximately 1/3 of a Full Cord. In other words, one Full Cord is made up of three Face Cords. By comparing the two you can determine the amount of firewood you will need to heat your house this winter. This will also help you calculate how much firewood to buy.

Other Measurement Options

Other options for measurement are also available. The dimensions of a half-cord of wood are 4 feet x 12 feet x 16 inches (64 cubic feet), the one-third cord will be one face cord of a full cord, and the one-fourth cord will measure 4 feet x sixteen inches x six feet (32 cubic feet).

How Long Does a Rick of Firewood Last?

Firstly, a rick cord, stove cord, and furnace cord; are all the names for the face cord.

With that in mind, if you plan to burn one or two fires a week, a face cord will usually last the entire season. To determine how much firewood to order if your consumption is higher, you’ll have to consult a reputable firewood dealer.

How Long Does a Half Cord of Wood Last?

When heating a small house, half a cord might last as long as two months. The result is that one cord of wood can be used to heat a small house for about four months. With a rocket mass heater, you may even be able to cook and heat water for six months with one cord.

Several factors can affect how long wood lasts, so you should always keep more wood on hand than you think you will need.

How Long Does a Half Cord of Wood Last

How Much Does a ¼ Cord of Wood Weigh?

The weight of wood can be determined depending on the type of wood and its moisture content. For 1/4 cord of wood, its weight can range from 500 pounds to 1000 pounds, depending upon how dry it is.

Greenwood typically weighs more than seasoned wood in a 1/4-cord bundle. When dry, light softwoods can weigh as little as 500 pounds, making them easier to transport.

What Does a Quarter Cord of Wood Look Like?

The quarter cord of wood is 4 ft. x 6 ft. x 16 inches. To produce a volume of 32 Cubic Feet, wood is only stacked in a single line, and the width is reduced from 8 feet across the face cord to 6 feet across the quarter cord.

What Does a ¼ Cord of Wood Look Like?

A 1/2 face cord consists of a 4 fit. high and 4 ft. long pile of wood. 1/4 face cords are wood stacked 2 feet tall and 4 feet long. Also available are convenient 0.75 cubic foot bundles of kiln-dried wood. There are 12 bundles in a 1/4 face cord, 24 bundles in a 1/2 face cord, and 48 bundles in a face cord.

What Does a ¼ Cord of Wood Look Like

How Much Does a Face Cord of Wood Weigh?

It was approximately 1200 Pounds.  An 8-foot wide by 4-foot high by 16-inch-deep face cord is 42.66 cubic feet, sometimes referred to as one-third of a cord. So, the firewood that has been kiln-dried weighs approximately 1,200 pounds per face cord.

How Long Does a Cord of Wood Last – FAQs

How much is a normal cord of wood?
It varies across the country, but generally, a cord of split and seasoned hardwood costs between $120 and $180. Although these are average prices, many consumers will have to pay a lot more if purchased during winter days. In fact, in some parts of the United States, the cost of a cord of wood can be as high as $200 to $400. A cord of wood does not have a fixed weight, so most sellers will offer a discount to account for the variation in weight. About 25 percent of the weight of a cord will be more wood than the actual volume.
How much wood do you need for a winter?
The average home should be able to stay warm all winter long with just one cord of firewood. According to this definition, a full cord is an 8-foot x 4-foot x 4-foot stack of logs neatly arranged. The weight of a cord of firewood can reach 2 tons after it has been properly seasoned.
How many Ricks are in a cord?
The dimensions of a cord of wood will be 4 x 4 x 8 feet, and each section of the cord, called a rick, will be 4 feet by 4 feet of logs measuring 16 to 18 inches in diameter. The ricks of a cord are divided into three groups, which make up the whole cord.

 

Summing It Up

The length of time your wood stock will last depends on a number of factors, and it is important to control the amount of wood you use to heat your home if you want to keep things under a budget.

For example, you can reduce the amount of wood you need to burn by improving the insulation of your home. By doing this, you will be able to burn less wood. Further, adding a number of sources of heat can decrease the consumption of wood and make it last longer.

You need to take care of each of these factors in order to extend the life of your cord of wood.

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