Having a bunch of firewood for your home’s fireplace is wonderful in the winter, but we all know that firewood is generally useless if it is wet or storing an abundance of moisture. One way to ensure that your firewood is ready for your fireplace whenever you feel the need, you should store it in a portable shelter to keep it dry and safe from the elements.
However, if you purchase your bundles of wood from a local seller, you need to be careful of scams. There are reports from all across the country that discuss how many scam artists are involved in selling firewood. You need to familiarize yourself with what is in a cord of wood and how much wood that generally amounts to. Knowing this information will keep you educated about what you are getting for your hard earned money.
Here are some tips from an Ohio Department of Agriculture press release to make sure that you don’t get taken for a ride when purchasing firewood from an independent seller:
Measure the Firewood BEFORE Making Payment
o Non-packaged firewood must be sold by the cord or by fractions of a cord. One cord, when properly stacked, should be 8 feet long by 4 feet high and 4 feet wide (128 cubic feet).
o If sold in bulk, firewood must be purchased by the weight in ton measurements. This must be weighed on a certified scale.
Obtain a Receipt BEFORE Parting Ways with the Seller
o If non-packaged firewood is purchased, the seller must present the consumer with a delivery ticket or sales invoice that includes contact information and the terms and conditions of the sale.
o Receipt should include the seller’s name, address, phone number, amount of wood purchased and type of wood purchased.