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As the cold weather slowly makes its way to the Ozarks, so does the sweet and smoky smell of burning firewood. Firewood experts say burning firewood in a fireplace is a cheaper way to heat a home during the winter months if you don't get ripped off in the buying process. KSMU's Kristian Kriner reports.
When buyers go out looking for firewood, they may encounter axes splitting logs from local oak or hickory trees or logs already bundled up to be sold.
But how do you know you’re getting the wood at a fair price?
Bob Schultheis is the natural resource engineering specialist for the University of Missouri Extension Service in Webster County.
He says if a pile of wood is measured in a “rick” or a “rank,” then it is not measured legally and shouldn’t be purchased.
“By state law, Missouri firewood must be sold by the cord or fraction of a cord and accompanied by a bill of sale,” Schultheis said.
Schultheis says a cord is easy to measure and the buyer should measure the stack of wood before handing over the money.
“A cord of wood is typically measured four feet high, four feet wide and eight feet long and that totals up to 128 cubic feet. It doesn’t have to be those exact measurements as long as if you’re selling a cord of wood that it totals up to 128 cubic feet,” Schultheis said.
People can also sell the wood in fractions of a cord-for example half of a cord or a quarter of a cord.
He recommends making sure the wood is compact before measuring.
Schultheis says anyone can figure out if they are getting a good deal on the cord of wood by using the wood’s measurements.
“Just take a tape measure, measure the length of the stack, width of the stack and then the average height all in inches. Multiply those three numbers together and then divide the result by 220,000 and the answer you get is the number of cords of wood that on the truck or in the stack,” Schultheis said.
He says if you multiply the final number by the amount per cord the dealer is advertising, then you can figure out how much you should be paying for the stack of wood.
Schultheis says to always make sure the wood is seasoned, which means it is older wood and dry wood, and to ask the seller what kind of wood it is.
He says the types of wood that burn the best are oak, hickory and ash.
Schultheis recommends if a problem with a seller cannot be resolved; contact the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Division of Weights and Measures at 573-751-5639.
For KSMU News, I’m Kristian Kriner.
