The Joy of Stacking Wood

Are you one of those who looks forward to the firewood delivery? I love it. It is a great day, sometimes it becomes two days if it is a big order. We have two fireplaces in our home at Mont Tremblant, Quebec. One is for ambiance, one for efficiency. Outside is the good ol' fire pit, but I stock that with deadfall from the surrounding area. We love fires and believe we are reducing our hydro bill in the process (the hot tub quickly offsets any savings!).

Our 'wood guy' dumps the ordered cords on the driveway, and I end up handling each piece of wood four times. From pile to wheelbarrow to the stack to inside the home and eventually to the fire itself.

Here is where things get interesting (if they weren’t already!). Just what is a cord of wood? There are actually three types of cords. The one I am familiar with, having grown up in Manitoba, is 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. Let’s call that a “full cord”. It is the standard in my book. What is delivered to homes is a “facing cord”. A facing cord’s dimensions are 4 feet high by 8 feet long, but only 18 inches deep, so the split wood will fit into residential fireplaces.

This means a facing cord is basically a third of a full cord. The last type is called a Sheldon cord, which varies in size but is bigger than a full cord. Some sellers refer to it as a pick-up load, as it fills a half-ton truck, so the buyer knows exactly what they are getting.

When it comes to stacking, it is a game of Jenga. I choose the heaviest, largest, and squarest pieces for the ends of a row. I build the two ends up a couple of feet then begin laying the wood between. Then the whole row takes shape. I don't use a built frame (that's cheating). Some purists suggest laying each piece bark side up, especially if stacked outside. My wood is stored in a covered area, so I am less discriminating.

I build several rows, each comprising one facing cord. I get joy from building the wood into straight lines and even tops that will not fall. Between the rows, I leave two feet of space that is eventually filled with kindling. This past winter, I used only kindling harvested from neighbouring woods or chopped from the delivered wood. In past years, I bought kindling from a local woodworker but now save a couple hundred bucks while getting more exercise.

The reward is a winter with flickering and flowing flames that calm and warm. There is nothing finer than sipping a Seedlip cocktail, reading the latest thriller after a day of hiking, by a fire of wood handled at least four times! And my grandson dog lies close by chewing on the kindling.