How Big is a Cord Of Wood

Firewood used for fireplaces and sometimes for wood stoves is usually sold by what is called as “cord” or a fraction thereof. This is a stack of wood piled according to measurements specific to the supplier.

There is however, a standardized measurement for a full cord of firewood.

Generally speaking, one cord of firewood will have measurements of four feet in height, four feet in width and eight feet in length. Its full volume is one hundred and twenty-eight cubic feet.

The volume however may differ depending on the air space between the wood pieces. What you would normally get is a volume of about seventy up to ninety cubic feet.

But basing on the standard measurements with a volume of one hundred and twenty-eight cubic feet, a number of suppliers use the following measurements: two by four by sixteen or one by four by thirty-two.

Since firewood usually comes in sixteen-inch measurements for its length, you may be hard put to find the standard length measurement, which is four feet long, used in a full cord.

So basing the measurements on the sixteen-inch long firewood, you may get the following stack widths:

– one stack is equal to sixteen inches in width

– two stacks will be thirty-two inches wide, placed side by side

– three stacks will be about forty-eight inches or four feet wide, placed side by side

So if you’re looking at the standard full cord measurements of four by four by eight, using the sixteen-inch wide firewood; you will have three stacks that are four feet in height and eight feet in length.

Now, basing your full cord on the number of stacks and again, assuming that you have sixteen –inch pieces of firewood, you can have the following measurements per stack:

– one stack will be sixteen inches by four feet by twenty-four feet

– two stacks will be thirty-two inches by four feet by twelve feet

– three stacks will be four feet by four feet by eight feet

– four stacks will be sixty-four inches by four feet by six feet

There are likewise other terms used to identify cord measurements such as furnace, stove and face cords. These usually have measurements of four feet in height by eight feet in length with each piece of firewood normally shorter than four feet long.

Since the pieces come in different length sizes, it may be hard to determine the actual cost of each cord of firewood.