Wood Species BTU Value Chart

[julian abram]

Not sure if any members are serious wood burners for heating their homes. I came across this chart of BTU values and thought it was interesting. Our winters a fairly mild in NW Arkansas but I still burn 4-5 ricks of hardwood each winter. That's a 1-1/3 to 1-3/4 cords in yankee terms. Enjoy cutting, splitting and stacking. Kinda a hobby that gives me a little exercise. Wife, cats and the dog tend to gather around the fireplace on a cold night.

[Ed Aumiller]

Thank you... Appreciate the info...

[Bill Dufour]

First one I have ever seen with eucalyptus. Does not mention Almond which is very popular here since the orchards are replanted every 20-30 years. My experience is btu is related to dry weight. The heavier the wood the more btu's. Some of the wood I have burned is grape. Slow hot coals once you get it going.
Bil lD

[Michael Weber]

Julian, you should have come down to fort smith Saturday. All the hackberry you could possibly split. One of three piles.450303

[Alex Zeller]

It's an interesting chart but if you're buying firewood you get what they give you. Often it's a wood that has little value. Around here that would be red maple. If you own your own land then you most likely do like I do, pick trees that are distressed or are ones that you want removed.

[julian abram]

Julian, you should have come down to fort smith Saturday. All the hackberry you could possibly split. One of three piles.450303

Geez Mike, you river valley folks grow some big hackberries! Appreciate the offer, got all I want to split here at the house. Want it to remain a hobby and not cross over into serious work.:)

[julian abram]

It's an interesting chart but if you're buying firewood you get what they give you. Often it's a wood that has little value. Around here that would be red maple. If you own your own land then you most likely do like I do, pick trees that are distressed or are ones that you want removed.
Yeah, I don't buy firewood. Cut and split my own mostly oak and hickory. I watch some of the Alaskan tv shows and feel sorry for those fellows that have no hardwoods available. They must spend so much time cutting/burning all those low BTU evergreens. Little heat for a lot of work.

[Kev Williams]

not to throw water on yer fires, but that value chart, in every instance, bases the BTU value on the weight-per-cord of the wood, regardless OF the wood--
example, a snippet from the chart:

450378

I don't know that much about wood, but I'm not sure why completely different types of wood will burn at identical rates just because they weigh the same-

What am I missing?

[Jerome Stanek]

Not sure if any members are serious wood burners for heating their homes. I came across this chart of BTU values and thought it was interesting. Our winters a fairly mild in NW Arkansas but I still burn 4-5 ricks of hardwood each winter. That's a 1-1/3 to 1-3/4 cords in yankee terms. Enjoy cutting, splitting and stacking. Kinda a hobby that gives me a little exercise. Wife, cats and the dog tend to gather around the fireplace on a cold night.

Exactly how big is a rick. Here it is anywhere from 1/8 to 1/2 a cord depending on who you buy it from. There is no set standard so we always say we want a cord that is easy to verify

[Roger Feeley]

Wow, Osage orange is ahead by a lot. I was always taught that you should never burn the stuff. Burns too hot and spits a lot.

[julian abram]

Exactly how big is a rick. Here it is anywhere from 1/8 to 1/2 a cord depending on who you buy it from. There is no set standard so we always say we want a cord that is easy to verify
A rick is a stack 16"x4'x8'. Side note, I visited your city back in 2003. I was in the poultry business and visited Chickmaster Incubator Company. Seemed like a nice little town.

[julian abram]

not to throw water on yer fires, but that value chart, in every instance, bases the BTU value on the weight-per-cord of the wood, regardless OF the wood--
example, a snippet from the chart:

450378

I don't know that much about wood, but I'm not sure why completely different types of wood will burn at identical rates just because they weigh the same-

What am I missing?
I'm not sure I understand your thinking. Firewood is sold by volume (cord or rick) not weight. The chart gives BTU values for a cord of each species as well the approximate weight. What is the surprise that 4 or 5 species with similar weight would have would have similar BTU values?

[John K Jordan]

I read years ago that almost all species of hardwood produce nearly the same amount of heat for the same dry weight. Checking a half dozen species in this chart appears to confirm that. For example, dividing the dry weight/cord by the heat/cord gives nearly the same value for both Osage Orange, Black Locust, Cottonwood and Basswood. Of course, that means storing and handling a larger volume of Basswood than Osage for the same heat.

Numbers for conifers ("softwoods") like the cedars and pines are different. I've been told by chimney sweepers that from what they've seen burning pine and such might not be a good idea due to the resin.

The practical problem is always the same - much of what is burned is not dry and lot of energy is wasted turning water into steam. When I used to heat with wood I tried to burn what I split the previous season but that wasn't always possible when I ran low, and besides, some species dry much quicker than others. And purchased firewood it might have been split just the week before.

JKJ


not to throw water on yer fires, but that value chart, in every instance, bases the BTU value on the weight-per-cord of the wood, regardless OF the wood--
example, a snippet from the chart:

450378

I don't know that much about wood, but I'm not sure why completely different types of wood will burn at identical rates just because they weigh the same-

What am I missing?

[Brad Chenoweth]

Jerome, not sure if it's really so, but I've been told, by a police officer, that's it's illegal to sell firewood in Ohio by any other measure than a cord. He told me the law has always been on the books, but it's not enforced.

[Ole Anderson]

A "full' cord is 4'x4'x8'. You get three face cords from a full cord. Most folks ordering firewood use the term cord when they really mean face cord. I always thought a rick was the same as a face cord, but it is not a term used much around here. In Michigan the most desired wood for fires is generally red oak. Burns hot and no pops or sparks. Most suppliers here sell mixed hardwoods, but you can pay a premium for oak. Here a face cord of oak goes for around $100 split and delivered (dumped, not stacked, that is extra). Up north in rural areas, wood is unusually a bit less expensive.

So when you say cord, you need to be clear, full cord or face cord.

[julian abram]

Yes, that is correct a rick is a face cord. If you said face cord here in the south, most folks would have no ideal. In my area a rick of hardwood is about $75 delivered, not stacked.

[John K Jordan]

Yes, that is correct a rick is a face cord. If you said face cord here in the south, most folks would have no ideal. In my area a rick of hardwood is about $75 delivered, not stacked.

It might depend on who makes the definition.

I read a government publication about this once but can't find it now. From what I remember, it looks like this article might be based on it: https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/measuring-stacking-firewood

From that article, "Terms used to describe the volume of wood are cord, face cord, fireplace cord, and rick. A cord is a neatly stacked pile of wood measuring 4 feet by 8 feet with each piece of wood 4 feet in length. A face cord has the same general measurements, but the depth of the pile is the length of the firewood logs, not 4 feet, i.e., 4 feet by 8 feet by 20 inches assuming each log is 20 inches long. A rick and fireplace cord are often regarded as the same and refer to one third of a cord, but regional differences do occur."

I haven't bought firewood in maybe 45 years but from what I see the seller seems to make his own definition. From what I see along the highway, the most common unit around here appears to be the "truckload".

JKJ

[Alex Zeller]

It might depend on who makes the definition.

I read a government publication about this once but can't find it now. From what I remember, it looks like this article might be based on it: https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/measuring-stacking-firewood

From that article, "Terms used to describe the volume of wood are cord, face cord, fireplace cord, and rick. A cord is a neatly stacked pile of wood measuring 4 feet by 8 feet with each piece of wood 4 feet in length. A face cord has the same general measurements, but the depth of the pile is the length of the firewood logs, not 4 feet, i.e., 4 feet by 8 feet by 20 inches assuming each log is 20 inches long. A rick and fireplace cord are often regarded as the same and refer to one third of a cord, but regional differences do occur."

I haven't bought firewood in maybe 45 years but from what I see the seller seems to make his own definition. From what I see along the highway, the most common unit around here appears to be the "truckload".

JKJ

Never underestimate the power of a government to mess things up. First I've never seen anyone sell wood by the 4 foot length (16" is very common). Secondly a cord is split wood that's stacked tightly, not neatly, lol. I think way back when they used the terms "racked" and "well stowed" but I've never seen "neatly" before. A typical cord is 3 rows of 16" wide wood that's 4 feet high and 8 feet long. It's possible to request other lengths, say 20" or 24" but 16" is the standard around here. I don't think I've seen anyone use the term 'rick' locally and usually face cords are sold by people who just have a single row of 16" wood stacked 4' high by 8' long with a sign saying "FOR SALE". A row of 20" wood 4'x8' is not a 1/3 of a cord. It's actually more than 40% of a cord. This is why the buyer needs to understand exactly what they are buying. It's also why a "face cord" or "rick" are not a standardized units of measurement.

[John K Jordan]

...I've never seen anyone sell wood by the 4 foot length (16" is very common)...

When burning wood I always cut mine to 16", partly because that size would fit nicely in my woodburning stove! Having them all the same made my stacks in the wood shed and the wood rack neater and more compact.