What is a cord? What is a Rick?

And how to avoid paying too much for one

Firewood quantities are sometimes difficult to estimate. The official measurement of firewood is a “cord”. To help you make an accurate estimate, here is how some common units of firewood measurement compare to the full cord.

A full cord is a large amount of wood. It measures 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by eight feet long (4' x 4' x 8') and has a volume of 128 cubic feet.
A face cord or rick of wood is four feet high by eight feet long and is as wide as the individual firewood pieces, but averages 12 inches wide. A 12-inch wide face cord is equal to a 1/4 of a full cord.
Face cord (12")	x times		4 four	= equals	One full cord

Two full-size pick-up truck loads (8 foot box) equals one full cord, whether the wood is stacked carefully so it is about level with the truck box sides, or is thrown into the truck box with the top of the pile about as high as the cab.
Full-size pick-up truck (8')	x times		2 two	= equals	One full cord

Four compact pick-up truck loads (6 foot box) equals one full cord of wood, whether the wood is stacked carefully so it is about level with the truck box sides, or is thrown into the truck box with the top of the pile about as high as the cab.
Compact pick-up truck (6')		x times	4 four	= equals	One full cord

Firewood Ratings and Info

based on data from: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory

(and numerous other sources)


Species	Relative Heat	Easy to Burn	Easy to Split	Heavy Smoke ?	Throw Sparks ?	General Rating	Aroma	Weight of Seasoned Cord-lbs	Heat Producd per Cord M Btu
Hardwoods	.
.
Black Ash	Med	Yes/Fair	Yes	No	No/Few	Excel	Minim	2,992	19.1
White Ash	High	Yes/Fair	Yes	No	No/Few	Excel	Minim	3,689	23.6
Red Oak	High	Yes/Poor	No	No	No/Few	Excel	Fair	3,757	24.0
White Oak	High	Yes	No	No	No	Excel	.	4,012	25.7
Beech	High	Yes/Poor	Yes	No	No/Few	Excel	Minim	3,757	24.0
Blue Beech	High	Yes/Poor	Yes	No	No/Few	Excel	Minim	3,890	26.8
.
White Birch	Med	Yes/Good	Yes	No	No/Mod	Excel	Minim	3,179	20.3
Grey Birch	Med	Yes/Good	Yes	No	No/Mod	Poor	Minim	3,179	20.3
YellowBirch	High	Yes/Good	Yes	No	No/Mod	Excel	Minim	3,689	23.6
Paper Birch	Med	Yes/Good	Yes	No	No/Mod	Excel	Minim	3,179	20.3
Black Birch	High	Yes/Good	Yes	No	No/Mod	Excel	Minim	3,890	26.8
Hickory	High	Yes/Fair	Bad	No	No/Mod	Excel	Good	4,327	27.7
HardMaple	High	Yes	Bad	No	No	Excel	.	.	.
.
Pecan	High	Yes	Yes	No	No	Excel	.	.	.
Dogwood	High	Yes	Yes	No	No	Excel	.	.	.
Red or Soft Maple	Med	Yes	No	No	No	Good	.	2,924	18.7
Cherry	Med	Yes/Poor	Yes	No	No/Few	Good	Excel	3,120	20.0
BlackCherry	Med	Yes/Poor	Yes	No	No/Few	Good	Excel	2,880	19.9
Walnut	Med	Yes	Yes	No	No	Good	.	.	.
.
White Elm	Med	Med/Fair	No	Med	No/None	Fair	Fair	3,052	19.5
AmericanElm	Med	Med/Fair	No	Med	No/None	Fair	Fair	3,052	19.5
Sycamore	Med	Med	No	Med	No	Fair	.	.	.
Gum	Med	Med	No	Med	No	Fair	.	.	.
Aspen	Low	Yes	Yes	Med	No	Fair	.	2,295	14.7
.
Basswood	Low	Yes	Yes	Med	No	Fair	.	2,108	13.5
Cottonwood	Low	Yes	Yes	Med	No	Fair	.	2,108	13.5
Chestnut	Low	Yes	Yes	Med	Yes	Poor	.	.	.
Apple	High	Poor	.	.	Few	Med	Excel	4,140	26.5
Hemlock	Low	.	.	.	Many	Fair	Good	2,482	15.9
.
BlackLocust	High	Poor	.	.	None	Good	Minim	3,890	26.8
Sugar Maple	High	Poor	No	.	Few	Good	Good	3,757	24.0
Eastern Hornbeam	High	.	.	.	.	Excel	.	4,267	27.3
Hackberry	Med	.	.	.	.	.	.	3,247	20.8
Boxelder	Low	.	.	.	.	.	.	2,797	17.9
Butternut	Low	.	.	.	.	Poor	.	2,100	14.5
.
Softwoods	.
.
Yellow Poplar	Low	Yes	Yes	Med	Yes	Poor	.	.	.
Southern Yellow Pine	High/ Low	Yes	Yes	Yes	No/Mod	Good	Good	.	.
Douglas Fir	High	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Good	.	.	.
Cypress	Med	Med	Yes	Med	No	Fair	.	.	.
Redwood	Med	Med	Yes	Med	No	Fair	.	.	.
.
White Cedar	Med/ Low	Yes/Exc	Yes	Med	Some	Good	Excel	1,913	12.2
Western Red Cedar	Med/ Low	Yes/Exc	Yes	Med	Yes/Many	Good	Excel	.	.
Eastern Red Cedar	Med/ Low	Yes/Exc	Yes	Med	Yes/Many	Good	Excel	.	.
Eastern White Pine	Low	Med/Exc	Yes	Med	No/Mod	Fair	Good	2,236	14.3
Western White Pine	Low	Med/Exc	Yes	Med	No/Mod	Fair	Good	2,236	14.3
.
Sugar Pine	Low	Med/Exc	Yes	Med	No/Mod	Fair	Good	.	.
Ponderosa Pine	Low	Med/Exc	Yes	Med	No/Mod	Fair	Good	2,380	15.2
Tamarack	Med	Yes	Yes	Med	Yes	Fair	.	3,247	20.8
Larch	Med	Yes	Yes	Med	Yes	Fair	.	.	.
Spruce	Low	Yes	Yes	Med	Yes	Poor	.	2,100	14.5
.
Black Spruce	Low	.	.	.	.	.	.	2,482	15.9
Jack Pine	Low	.	.	.	.	.	.	2,669	17.1
Norway Pine	Low	.	.	.	.	Fair	.	2,669	17.1
Pitch Pine	Low	.	.	.	.	Fair	.	2,669	17.1
Balsam Fir	Low	.	.	.	.	Poor	.	2,236	14.3
Willow	Low	.	.	.	.	Poor	.	2,100	14.5