How to Get Seasoned Firewood – There is Still Time

Here in late August of 2010, of I am sold out of dry firewood. Now many people are scrambling at the last minute trying to find dry firewood as the cold days of winter will soon be arriving. Hopefully you are not one of them, but if you are, I know it can sometimes be hard to find dry wood this time of year.

Many firewood dealers advertise seasoned wood and sometimes you can get lucky and what they deliver will be dry. But it’s all too common that what is delivered will be other than dry. Not all wood cutters are trying to rip you off when they bring you wood that is not fully seasoned. Many of them may not know that it is still wet. Many wood cutters are just someone with access to some wood, a pickup and a chainsaw. They may not even burn wood themselves or know much about burning wood. They are just someone who has found a way to make a buck and are in no way firewood burning savvy.

Depending on some of these guys to bring you dry wood right before it is time to burn, can be a big gamble. I hear tons of stories from customers about how they had a hard time all winter trying to burn wet wood that someone told them was dry. This is a very common problem with firewood dealers and will not likely go away any time soon. And sometimes, like in my case this year, I just don’t have dry firewood available to sell.

How to Have Seasoned Firewood Every Year

There is a simple solution to this problem that many of my customers have learned. They have learned how to get seasoned firewood every year regardless of what a wood cutter brings them. Many actually prefer to buy green firewood since it often makes better quality wood and usually costs less to buy. Green firewood is usually cleaner, has less decay, insects, mold and other types of fungus.

The key they have discovered is to buy it a year ahead of the time when they plan to burn it. Now in the fall or earlier in the summer they buy green wood when everyone else is trying to find dry wood. They are not buying it for this winter, but for the following winter. This way it has a full year to season and dry.

You may be having a hard time finding dry wood for this winter, but you can ensure you will not have that problem next year if you buy green wood this fall. That may not help you out this year but once you get in the habit of buying your firewood a year in advance, you will no longer have to worry about whether or not your winter supply of firewood will be dry or not.

Buy Green Humboldt County Firewood

Where to Buy Firewood

Depending on what part of the world you live in sometimes it can be difficult to find where to buy firewood. Any place where people commonly burn firewood there will likely be able to find firewood dealers, you just have to know where to look.

Unlike with many other products and services that we buy that are well advertised, firewood often comes from small, often one person businesses who don’t have much of a budget for advertising. Firewood dealers do advertise but typically not on TV commercials, radio and in many areas you won’t find them in the Yellow Pages of the phone book.

If you only want a few pieces sometimes grocery or convenience stores will sell bundles of firewood but it can be expensive. Below you will learn where to buy firewood in larger amounts.

Where Firewood Dealers Advertise

A very common place for firewood dealers to advertise is in local newspaper classified ads. Also the weekly papers that you can pick up free that are all ads. There are some dealers who have websites or are listed on the internet so you can find them with an internet search but most do not. If you want to find firewood on the internet look on Craigslist. A lot of dealers are advertising on Craigslist.

If you drive through some rural areas it common to see firewood for sale signs in front of people’s homes or in industrial parts of the city where a commercial firewood yard may be. You may not want to drive around specifically looking for signs but when you are driving keep a look out for them.

How to Find Firewood Dealers Who Don’t Advertise

Word of mouth in a good way to find where to buy firewood. Ask people you know who burn firewood where they get their wood and what kind of experience they had with the dealer and whether they would recommend them. Sometimes this way you can find dealers who don’t advertise at all, they may just sell a little on the side to make some extra money. These people may be more willing to bargain.

Ask a local tree service or forestry related business. In most areas of the world where there are trees you can almost always find tree services advertising, often in the yellow pages. If you call them a lot of times they will be able to tell you where to buy firewood. And a lot of times tree services will sell firewood on the side. Other businesses who may be good referrals are loggers, sawmill operators, lumber yards. Anyone who deals with forest products may be able to tell you where to buy firewood or will know someone who can.