Glenns Sheds FAQ:
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A full cord of firewood (I refer to this measurement as “FC”) is 128 cu ft, or cubic feet (which can also be written as ft³)
The common way to explain this is a pile of wood that is 4’ High x 4’ Deep x 8’ Wide—stacked.
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See above for the explanation of a Full Cord (FC)
A face cord (“fc” is the label I use for this) is smaller, and the total amount can vary.
A face cord of firewood is a single stack of firewood that measures 4’ High x 8’ Wide x however deep = the length of the firewood.
For example, if the firewood is 16” long then the 4’x8’ pile of firewood is 16” deep (16” = 1 1/3’) so the pile is exactly 1/3 of a Full Cord, or almost 43 cu ft. Likewise, for firewood that is 24” (or 2’) long, the fc will be exactly 1/2 of a Full Cord, or 64 cu ft. And so it goes.
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Many factors are involved here, too many to give a precise quantity without considering details.
To help you determine your usage, ask these questions:
Will you burn every day in the colder months?
Will you have a fire once or twice a week?
Will you keep a fire going all day long, to seriously reduce your refined fuel consumption and heating costs, or burn only in the evenings and/or weekends?
What is the size of the area you wish to heat?
What type of wood will you burn?
Some will burn slower and hotter(see Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “Woods to Burn at Night”)For example:
A small house, say 1400 Sq ft, might get away with burning one FC (Full Cord) of wood, when burning every day in coldest winter. Add another half FC for burning in the fall and spring
A larger house might use 1.5 to 4 FC depending on how hot you like to keep the house—another considerable factor.
Some folks will throw in 2 or 3 pieces of firewood every time the flames get low. Other folks will add a single log each time, and keep the burn slower and lower. The difference will be considerable.
One point of advice, it is better to slightly over-build rather than under-build. Firewood can remain in these sheds for years, and and still be perfectly ready to burn—so no need to worry about the wood spoiling. I have spoken with many who wished they had built bigger at the start, rather than requesting a second shed later. But that works as well.
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Determining how much wood to store (see prior question) will help you determine this. It’s good to order a shed large enough to cover the amount you expect to burn, plus some extra space to accommodate wood left over that season, as happens some years. You can also be ready to gather unexpected firewood as when a tree dies on your property, or a neighbor offers some.
You may also select a size that can serve a dual function, such as blocking a neighbors parked car or swimming pool, or your own. And these sheds might provide an attractive way to give a sense of dividing a yard, without building an actual fence.
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Sheds placed on gravel (or crushed stone) platforms will have the advantage of:
better drainage
more level surface
less settling of the shed over time
fine aesthetics
Very Good
Placing patio-blocks (or similar construction) beneath the shed base-framing can help prevent shed settling and promote longevity.Let us know ahead of time.
Workable
All that is needed is a clear area to work—for the size of the shed and a few feet around it on all sides.
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “What Will Make My Shed the Happiest?”
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Ground-contact grade pressure-treated lumber can last many years when in contact with the ground. It will, however, begin to decay at some point. I have seen some wood last 4 or 5 years before it begins to weaken, and other times I’ve seen the wood last decades.
Factors include the amount of sun/shade the material gets. Does it get to dry out often or mostly stay shady and damp? And whether the lumber is set into the ground, on top of the ground, or separated from the ground by a non-decaying material. At Glenn’s Sheds we offer the placement of concrete patio blocks to place at all contact points with the ground. This can add years of life for your shed.
The wood that is above ground can easily last for decades, especially if it is periodically stained, at least on the outer surfaces.
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A gravel or crushed-stone pad is one of the best ways to go for your shed. It is not needed, but here are some considerations.
Sheds placed on gravel (or crushed stone) platforms will have the advantage of:
better drainage
more level surface
less settling of the shed over time
fine aesthetics (a sign of intention & beauty)
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “Do I need a Gravel Pad?”
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A happy shed will function as it was meant to do, look great, add to property value, and keep it up for many years to come. Here are some of the factors:
The Base:
Best
Sheds placed on gravel (or crushed stone) platforms will have the advantage of:better drainage
more level surface
less settling of the shed over time
fine aesthetics
Very Good
Placing patio-blocks (or similar construction) beneath the shed base-framing can help prevent shed settling and promote longevity.Let us know ahead of time.
Workable
All that is needed is a clear area to work—for the size of the shed and a few feet around it on all sides.See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “What will make my shed the happiest?
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If the lumber is sealed when it is wet, problems can occur.
Water can be sealed in causing problems with the finish
Sealed-in moisture can promote mold or rot and the wood itself can be damaged
Here are a few of the factors that will determine how dry the lumber is and how soon it can be painted (or better—stained):
Has the material been stored indoors or outdoors at the lumber yard? (since this is material that will laugh at rain it is often stored outside in the elements)
How long has the lumber had to dry after it was treated (a wet process)? Most Treated lumber is kept tightly bound together until it is sold. No drying here.
How much sun does the lumber get where it is currently installed?
How has the weather been since installing the treated lumber? (Windy, dry weather is the best)
What region of the world do you live in? Consider the above criteria – (Hot, dry climate vs Muggy, cloudy environment…)
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “When Can We Stain Treated Lumber?”
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There are two ways that wood can be dry. Externally, wood can be wet from snow or rain. Internally is a different story. The cells of the wood itself contain water—this is what helps sustain life in the tree when growing. When a tree is freshly cut it is considered green. It still has moisture in the internal cells. When the internal cells are dry, the wood is seasoned. Most stove manufacturers suggest burning wood only when it has below 20% moisture content. 10% to 20% is ideal (similar for lumber). This can be measured with an appropriate hydrometer, or one can learn to gauge this through experience. But giving plenty of time for drying is essential to get the most from your firewood and your efforts.
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “When is Firewood Dry?”
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Maple (Hard Maple, Sugar Maple)
This is one of my favorite woods to burn
Very hot
Perhaps the best at leaving coals for the morning
Oak
There are numerous varieties of Oak, all very hot wood to burn —If fully dried—which means allowing the wood to dry for a minimum of one full year, and more if possible, up to two years.
Black Locust
This is a heavy, dense wood that can burn very hot. One challenge is that it can be difficult to keep burning if you are going for a slow burn. To help with this, mix Locust with other woods that are more comfortable burning long and slow, like the Maple, of faster burning woods like Cherry or Ash
or use Locust in hot, faster burn fires. It will give a great deal of heat.
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “What Woods to Burn at Night”
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There are two ways that wood can be dry. Externally, wood can be wet from snow or rain. Internally is a different story. The cells of the wood itself contain water—this is what helps sustain life in the tree when growing. When a tree is freshly cut it is considered green. It still has moisture in the internal cells. When the internal cells are dry, the wood is seasoned. Most stove manufacturers suggest burning wood only when it has below 20% moisture content. 10% to 20% is ideal (similar for lumber). This can be measured with an appropriate hydrometer, or one can learn to gauge this through experience. But giving plenty of time for drying is essential to get the most from your firewood and your efforts.
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “When is Firewood Dry?”
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Firewood that we best use at night (or for any long periods when a fire is left unattended), when certain characteristics would be favorable—characteristics such as:
Maple (Hard Maple, Sugar Maple)
This is one of my favorite woods to burn
Very hot
Perhaps the best at leaving coals for the morning
Oak
There are numerous varieties of Oak, all very hot wood to burn —If fully dried—which means allowing the wood to dry for a minimum of one full year, and more if possible, up to two years.
Black Locust
This is a heavy, dense wood that can burn very hot. One challenge is that it can be difficult to keep burning if you are going for a slow burn. To help with this, mix Locust with other woods that are more comfortable burning long and slow, like the Maple, of faster burning woods like Cherry or Ash
or use Locust in hot, faster burn fires. It will give a great deal of heat.
See Wood-burning Lifestyle post, “What Woods to Burn at Night”
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The Building
Any firewood placed in a closed shed (even a lean-to style with one side open) is at risk. That is, both the firewood and the shed are at risk. If the wood is not fully seasoned, dry to a specific level, it must breathe. It cannot breathe enough, or much at all, in a closed area. In this case, the wood will not dry, but slowly begin to decay, losing BTU heating potential AND putting moisture into the shed. Then the shed itself begins to deteriorate—a lose-lose situation.
Sheds built with semi-open sides, slatted sides for example, will allow ample breathing for the firewood to fully become seasoned, and to stay in that dry, ready-to-burn state. The small amounts of rain and snow that blow onto the firewood affects only the outer layer of the wood, and do little to interfere with the firewood being ready to burn. For this reason, firewood may be safely stored for years, if needed, in these sheds with slat-sides.
See blog posts for more information:
The Lumber
With the slat-sided sheds, the lumber will be continually exposed to the elements, both inside and out. For this reason it’s important that the lumber is able to stand up to the exposure. That’s why we use pressure-treated lumber, top to bottom, on our firewood sheds. The intention is to offer a very long life for your shed. Cedar, for example, will not come close to pressure-treated in terms of longevity, and Cedar framing lumber can be far more costly than pressure-treated. For these high drying-efficiency firewood sheds, pressure-treated lumber is the best regarding cost, durability, and longevity.
If one is building for themselves from plans, one rival for pressure-treated lumber, in terms of longevity, is Black Locust. It can be difficult, however, to locate, and is a hard material to work with when dry.