Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 01:25 pm
If you’re ever looking to purchase firewood, you will have a never-ending question about how much a cord will weigh.
The weight of the firewood is just as crucial as the price. The wood’s weight is necessary because it determines how fast the firewood burns out in the fireplace.
Firewood is sold in cords. A cord is a measurement of volume instead of quantity or weight.
And this means there may be variations in the weight of cords of wood, and an exact answer cannot be given. This article talks about how much they weigh if you want to buy firewood in cords.
Approximately a cord of wood weighs 2000 to 3000 pounds. However, certain factors will determine the weight of the cord of wood. Some of them include: how dry the wood is, the length of the wood, specific wood species, and the greenness of the wood.
How Much Does a Cord of Oak Wood Weigh?
While stating the conditions or features that make some cords of wood weigh higher or lower than others, we mentioned wood species.
Oak is an entirely rare tree on its own. This unavailability in mass quantities makes it a bit more expensive than other cord woods.
There are kinds of oak, and the woods weigh differently depending on that. Stating the exact weight of a cord of oak wood will be very difficult. Especially since oak comes in different sub-species.
Despite dry weight being significant when purchasing firewood, firewood is now sold in measurements of a volume known as cords. It is also referred to as a standard cord or full cord.
Below is a table stating the kinds of oak trees and how much their cord of wood will weigh under the right circumstances.
| Species | Weight (lbs./Cord) Green | Weight (lbs. Cord) Dry |
|---|---|---|
| Alder. | 2540. | |
| Apple. | 4850. | 3888. |
| Ash, white. | 3952. | 3472. |
| Ash, green. | 4184. | 2880. |
| Aspen, quacking. | 2160. | |
| Birch. | 4312. | 3992. |
| Beech. | 3760. | |
| Basswood (Linden). | 4404. | 1984. |
| Boxleder. | 3589. | 2632. |
| Cherry. | 3696. | 2928. |
| Catalpa. | 4560. | 2360. |
| Cottonwood. | 4640. | 2272. |
| Douglas-fir. | 3319. | 2970. |
| Elm, American. | 4456. | 2872. |
| Elm, Siberian. | 3800. | 3020. |
| Hackberry. | 3984. | 3048. |
| Honey locust. | 4640. | 3832. |
| Locust Black. | 4616. | 4016. |
| Maple. | 4685. | 3680. |
There is a list of several other kinds of oak wood that do not have specific weights when wet or dry. Many times, this is because of certain factors like:
- Climate conditions.
- Where the trees are grown.
- Availability.
And a list of others.
Examples of oak wood with no specific cord weight include:
- Hemlock.
- Oak Gambel.
- Pinyon (mostly 3000 lbs/cord when dry).
- Poplar (averagely 2080 lbs/cord when dry).
- Spruce Engelmann (2070 lbs/cord when dry).
If you note, you’ll see that the wood weight was categorized by how green or dry they are on the table above.
This is because when the wood is dry, it has better advantages than when wet.
The difference between Greenwood and dry wood includes:
| Greenwood | Dry Wood |
|---|---|
| Green firewood contains around an average of 50% more water. | Drywood has no water at all. And in conditions where it does, only around 2% can result from being packed in a damp environment. |
| Green wood needs combustion to occur before it can give off significant heat. This makes green wood produce less heat. | Drywood can produce better heat faster because no combustion is needed. |
| Green wood produces more creosote and much smoke. | Creosote is not present in dry wood, making it safer for the chimney/fireplace or cooking. |
| Greenwood is less expensive than dry wood. | Drywood may cost more because it is easier to handle and use. |
You should always purchase wood only when it is dry. Unless you have a particular need for Greenwood.
This will save you from a lot of stress. For some people, Greenwood’s materials will harm their health conditions.
Knowing the weight of the dry wood you’re purchasing is essential. Weight per cord is significant because the denser the wood, the less likely it is to burn out faster.
So depending on the oak wood you buy, check out the average weight it’s supposed to weigh per cord and compare it to what you’re paying for.
A standard cord of wood is made of 128 cubic feet of lumber and sometimes little air spaces.
One mistake you shouldn’t make when purchasing oak wood is the seller selling to you in Pick up loads instead of cords.
One Cord of Wood Equals How Many Tons?
One cord of wood equals 2.15 tons. If one ton of wood equals 2000 pounds, One cord of PINE is 4300 pounds—4,300 / 2,000 lbs = 2.15 tons.
Therefore, a cord of PINE, on average, weighs 2.15 tons. Note: Pinewoods are the most measured in tons.
Measuring wood in tons may be tricky for you. Especially when you’re not a frequent wood purchaser.
Nevertheless, some people are more interested in measuring them in tons because they buy in bulk quantities.
Companies, bars, hotels, and other enterprises buy tons of dry wood for their chimneys and fireplaces.
How Much Does a Cord of Pine Wood Weigh?
Aside from the oak tree, the Pine tree is another commonly used tree for making firewood. How much a cord of PINE wood will weigh will depend on certain factors like:
- The species of pine wood.
- How green the wood is.
- How dry the wood is.
Below is a table chart of how much one cord of Pinewood will weigh depending on the wood species, the wood greenness, and the wood dryness.
| Species | Greenwood Weight (lbs/cord). | Drywood Weight (lbs/cord). |
|---|---|---|
| Pine ponderosa. | 3600. | 2336. |
| Pine white. | 3200. | 2250. |
| Pine lodgepole. | No specific weight data. | 2610. |
| Poplar. | No specific weight data. | 2080. |
| Pinyon. | 4000. | 3000. |
Note, however, that this data is calculated on average grounds. For some people and some reasons, the wood may weigh some pounds less than stated on the table.
How Much Does a Half Cord of Wood Weigh?
If you don’t want to buy a full cord of firewood, you can always go for half a cord. As earlier stated, the unit of measurement cord is for determining the quantity of wood.
If a complete cord of wood is 128 cubic feet, half of a cord of wood will be 64 cubic feet.
Nowadays, a standard cord of firewood is cut to around a 16″ length. This means that half the cord of wood will be three rows of 16 pieces.
Before you buy firewood, consider a few things:
- Species.
- Volume.
- Dryness.
- Need for splitting.
This will help you pick the suitable firewood for the correct period. Knowing which species is best for Greenwood to dry will help you choose the proper wood.
Note: a pickup cannot carry half a cord of firewood. Also, an 8-foot truck can have ½ of half a cord of firewood. And a 6-foot bed truck will barely hold ⅓ of the half cord of firewood.
If you live alone and barely stay home, you can buy a quarter cord of firewood. But, if you have a large or average-sized family, you can buy half a cord of wood and store it.
Always be careful when carrying the firewood from the point of sale down to your house. Greenwood is known to harbor a few reptiles, so be extra cautious.
How Much Does a Face Cord of Wood Weigh?
Regular wood (not kiln-dried) will weigh around 400 pounds less than 1200 pounds. A face cord of wood weighs approximately 1200 pounds. For kiln-dried firewood, one face will weigh 1200 pounds.
Kiln-dried wood takes a long period to burn out completely. This means the face of the cord will burn bright for longer hours.
To get dry kiln wood to burn out, you’ll have to soak the wood in around 50 gallons of water.
There are three face cards of wood in every full cord of wood. If the firewood is 16 inches deep, 3 rows can fit in a full cord 4 feet deep.
Remember, every face cord of wood will weigh differently depending on the wood species and how dry the wood is.
How Much Does Fresh Cord of Wood Weigh?
A new cord of wood will weigh from 4000 pounds above or a bit below, depending on the wood type.
The first table (figure 1) shows how much a new cord of wood will weigh by the wood species.
For rarer firewood types, you should ask the dealers how much one cord of fresh wood will weigh.
A fresh cord can weigh up to 6500 lbs for some firewood species. Oak trees are the species of wood known to weigh that much when they’re new.
The most common ones are:
- Oak red ( weighs around 4888 lbs when new).
- Oak white (weighs around 5888 lbs when fresh).
For other rare tree species like the Osage orange, you can have its fresh wood weigh around 5120 lbs per cord.
Essential Things to Note in This Article
- Lbs and pounds are the same units of measurement.
- Different wood species will weigh differently when wet and dry.
- Some sizes may not be precise due to market values and merchant rates.
- A ton of wood weighs more than a half cord.
Conclusion
Wood is essential for everyday use, especially in the winter and rainy seasons. They keep the house warm and everyone in it.
However, you should be aware of the unit of measurements for the wood primarily because wood costs extra money during such seasons, and you don’t want to be charged too much.
Always request that your wood be dried properly before it is sold to you and in cords.