Buying Firewood in DC without Getting Burned

With nights drawing in, and a chill after sunset becoming noticeable, the evening air will soon be tinged with a sweet aroma from area chimneys. Everybody likes a fire in the colder months—the time of year when the northwest wind rattles windowpanes, or leaden ocean air chills you to the bone. And although a White Christmas is relatively rare this far south, a roaring fire is still an essential component of holiday scenery. Consequently, indoor wood-burning apparati of various shapes and sizes are a common feature of homes in the Chesapeake region. Whether you use wood for heating and cooking, or just for the ambience, securing a suitable wood supply is critical.

This point may seem almost too obvious for words. However, due to a general lack of knowledge about (or interest in) the subject, Washingtonians regularly fall prey to the tactics of unscrupulous firewood merchants. The sale of firewood is totally unregulated, and the only rule is caveat emptor. Therefore, we offer Free & Clear readers the following buyer’s guide—knowledge is power.

Contrary to popular belief, the first thing to look for when purchasing firewood is not how dry it is. All firewood is sold as being dry enough to burn, and although that is frequently not true, any moisture problems will resolve when the wood dries. Instead, the species of tree is what really matters. If you get quality wood such as oak or beech, and it is too moist to burn properly, simply let it sit outside for a couple months. As a general rule, wood is dry enough when you can easily snap a thin strip of wood from the side of the log where it was split; whereas if the wood is still too moist, even the thinnest strips will remain flexible.

The best kind of firewood burns slowly, producing ample heat and a pleasant aroma. Naturally, the greater the heat output, the heavier the wood; which means the firewood dealer burns more gas bringing it to your house and has a tougher time unloading to boot. Furthermore, substandard wood commands almost no value within the trade. The potential profit margin is too much temptation for some: an unscrupulous merchant can easily acquire unwanted downed trees in the summer at no cost to himself, only to pass the same wood off as “seasoned hardwood” to unwitting city dwellers a few months down the line.

As to how much you should buy—firewood is sold in an antiquated unit of volume called the “cord,” which is equal to 128 cubic feet. The actual amount of wood you get if you buy a cord varies widely; and again, since few people know what a cord looks like, chances are good that if you request delivery of a cord, you will get something shy of one. What constitutes a cord is also highly debatable, even among experts. Let’s put it this way—a cord is an enormous quantity of firewood. A standard-bed pickup truck holds maybe three-quarters of a cord when piled high.

So what is a city dweller to do? Experience is the best guide. To shortcut the process of trial and error for Free & Clear readers, we provide the following helpful pointers:

1. Firewood is sold close to its source. Firewood purchased in the District generally comes from the surrounding hardwood forests of Maryland and Virginia, which, despite 400 years of continuous, systematic destruction at the hands of Western civilization, are still vast and extensive. After a storm, there is quality stuff lying around everywhere. Develop an eye for firewood and you can get it yourself for free.

2. The best species are oak, hickory, beech, cherry, and locust. You can go online and get familiar with the appearance of each species; then try to identify some examples near your house. That way, you’ll be able to verify the claims of people hawking “all seasoned hardwood.”

3. Do not place an order for firewood from someone you do not know. They will show up at your house with a bunch of garbage they got for free from some construction site, and then charge you full price, as if it were two-year old Red Oak.

4. Beware of Tulip Poplar. This species is a prized building material—it is lightweight and strong. Tulip Poplars soar to heights of nearly two hundred feet in old-growth forests. But poplar is horrible firewood. It stinks and provides relatively little heat. Technically a hardwood, it is indistinguishable from oak to the untrained eye, and it is ubiquitous in area forests. Plentiful and easy to transport, it is a favorite of shadowy firewood dealers.

5. You are probably more likely to get ripped off on the species of tree than on the cubic footage provided; however, as a rough price guide, you should not pay more than $200 for pickup truck full of the highest quality wood. Many firewood dealers sell by the “rick” or the “rack.” Call it what you like. Volume discounts are normal, but do not pay more than $50 to fill the trunk of your car.

6. My recommendations? In a pinch, Tenley Mini Market on Wisconsin Avenue sells small, mixed oak and hickory bundles. The wood is expensive but is of uniformly high quality. The best place in the area to buy larger quantities, in my opinion, is located off New Hampshire Avenue in Prince George’s County. It’s called Lone Cedar Farm, 9015 Adelphi Road. Just pull in the driveway during normal business hours and ask for Charles. You can buy any quantity you like, and once they’ve met you they’ll be happy to make deliveries to your house in town.

7. In more densely populated and affluent parts of the city, you often see guys in trucks driving around offering to sell firewood, typically on weekends. For intermediate to advanced firewood buyers with busy schedules, this is not a bad way to go—you can inspect the merchandise, negotiate a price, and have it stacked in your backyard. But I have seen the lure of easy money corrupt at least one formerly honest door-to-door firewood merchant. I stopped buying from him after he began to boast openly to me about how he was fleecing my neighbors. Soon enough, I recognized the same tactics being used in deliveries to me.

8. Most firewood merchants are honest. But the trade is totally unregulated, and the authorities (perhaps understandably) don’t take allegations of firewood fraud very seriously. Scam artists have seized upon the opportunity to reap huge profits from unwitting customers by selling half cords as full cords, poplar as oak, or freshly-cut wood as seasoned.

9. Firewood above 4 or 5 inches in diameter must be split to burn efficiently. Even reputable merchants will often skimp on the splitting and leave you with hunks of wood that would be difficult to burn unless you have access to a medieval banquet hall. Buying an axe is a good idea.

10. Have fun! Learning about different trees adds to your cocktail party knowledge and gives you a greater appreciation and respect for the outdoors. And the ability to build a fire in winter is an invaluable life skill for anyone living outside the tropics.