Raymond WhitneyTo heat your home with wood, you will need to learn about ricks and cords, as well as how these units of firewood measurement can be utilized.
Frequently, wood is stacked and left until it is needed. Home heating requires more planning and patience.
How many ricks of wood are there in a cord?
Ricks is the stacks of wood that comprise a cord. A cord of wood is 4 x 4 x 8 feet, and rick is a section of 16 to 18-inch logs measuring 4 feet by 4 feet. The ricks, also known as face cords, are divided into three groups that make up the entire cord.
More than expected, wood chopping requires a significant amount of history and mathematics. For novices, not understanding how much and when to prepare firewood can be a lesson in failure.
Do not worry! By reading on, you will learn everything you need to know about the ricks and cords of firewood.
What is a Rick of Firewood?
This section elaborates on what a rick of wood is. As was previously stated, a rick is a portion of a cord of firewood.
These sections are chopped and split pieces of wood that have been stacked to dry. It would be a terrible idea to cut down a tree and then immediately burn the wood. Before it can be burned in a fire, the wood must be appropriately trimmed and aged.
When a tree has recently been cut down, it will be full of water and sap, which may prevent the fire from burning properly or at all. It is not recommended to burn green wood because it can produce creosote, a potentially lethal compound.
When creosote is burned indoors, it can obstruct the chimney and produce carbon monoxide.
Buy only seasoned wood
After a tree has been felled, it is harvested and cut. During this time, the tree remains green and contains a significant amount of water.
Greenwood is not suitable for use in fireplaces, bonfires, wood-burning stoves, or heaters. Before this can be burned, the wood must be dried or seasoned.
However, wood species vary in the amount of moisture they contain when they are green and as they dry out. Different types of wood also age at different rates.
Ashwood dries quickly and may only require a brief seasoning period. As oak dries very slowly, this may require a lengthy seasoning period.
In addition, the wood will dry faster if it is cut to its final length as soon as possible after the tree has been cut down. Moreover, splitting will improve drying.
A large log will dry very slowly, and it can be difficult to determine whether or not it has been seasoned. The only way to determine whether a log is dry is to examine its ends, but this does not indicate that the entire piece has been fully seasoned.
Actually, any species of wood will produce a good fire once it has been completely dried. In a lumber yard, heavier woods such as oak and hickory are the most popular.
This type of wood has a higher fuel value per unit and is, therefore, worth purchasing. Lighter woods, on the other hand, can be combined with heavier wood and processed into kindling for lighting fires.
Other units of measure for firewood
In addition to cord and rick, you may encounter additional terms for purchasing firewood. In addition to racks, truckloads, face cords, and bush cords, you may encounter additional jargon.
Do not be afraid to request the official unit of measurement, which is a cord, if you encounter these terms.
A cord is a stack measuring 4 feet in height, 4 feet in depth, and 8 feet in width, or 128 cubic feet. When wood is cut into 16-inch lengths, it is referred to as a bush cord and will contain three rows.
Each row is comprised of a face cord or rick. This will occupy approximately one-half of a cord, or 64 cubic feet, on a full-size pickup truck.
How to Split Wood into Ricks
Cutting and stacking firewood was one of the most labor-intensive jobs prior to the invention of coal heat.
The task itself is relatively simple, but the most time-consuming aspect is weathering and stacking the wood for optimal results.
Cutting and chopping wood is one of the most dangerous occupations possible. If you don’t have leather chainsaw chaps or any other protective gear, purchase or borrow some beforehand.
If you intend to fall the tree, it would be best to hire an experienced lumberjack or millworker.
How Big Is the Wood?
Before beginning to cut, you should have a pencil or marker available. Mark every 16 to 18 inches along the surface of the wood with this pencil.
These marks will indicate where to cut and allow the pieces to stack efficiently. With their axes, skilled laborers can score the logs.
Split the Logs into Segments.
For cross-cutting and splitting, the more extensive selection of wood should be cut into manageable pieces.
It also helps them to weather more quickly because more surface area is exposed to wind and sun.
Chainsaw the Logs to Crosscuts
Cross-cutting should occur after all other sections have been measured and cut to length. The measurement is the most important aspect.
Don’t skimp. Utilize a chainsaw and make the cuts as square as possible in order to maintain their uniform shape.
Utilize a Splitting Machine or Cudgel Ax to Split the Logs.
Create manageable logs from the 16 to 18-inch sections by slicing them in half. This section may require multiple rounds to produce sufficient wood. Remember that 128 cubic feet of lumber are desired.
This is sufficient to fill a truck bed several times over. If you use a significant amount of wood annually, you may wish to rent or purchase a log splitter.
Preparing the Soil for Stacking
Ensure that the wood is off the ground before you begin stacking. Insects and dirt will embed in the wood if it is left on bare earth, preventing it from burning evenly.
Wood is stacked in cords.
A properly stacked wood pile will ensure that the wood burns evenly and that no dirt or rocks adhere to the logs.
This wood may be necessary for your survival. Ensure that it is adequately stacked, or you could be purchasing wood all winter long.
Cover the Forest
Now that the wood has been stacked into ricks and cords, a tarp must be used to cover it. Utilize a plastic tarp to ensure that water flows away from the pile.
Keep some space around the stack, as complete coverage will result in mold and mildew growth inside the cover.
After performing the entire felling-to-covering process a few times, you will develop a strategy to make it more rapid and effective.
During the cold months, dry wood is necessary for survival. A processing error could leave you without food or heat for several days, which is potentially fatal.
Indications of Well-Aged Firewood
Having good wood to burn not only produces a scent that is calming and relaxing, but also produces the popping sound that all fire watchers enjoy.
The removal of water and sap from wood makes it easier to burn and much more durable.
When preparing to cut into a new woodpile, there are certain indicators to look for to determine whether the wood is ready to burn.
Significant indicators of appropriately weathered wood are:
- When all water evaporates from a piece of wood, it becomes buoyant and much lighter than usual. At the time of decomposition, wood may contain up to 25 percent water. Once the water has been extracted from the log, it will be very light and you should be able to carry multiple pieces.
- Exfoliating bark – The bark on the log should be flaky. Even if some parts are falling off, you should ensure that they are simple to remove. Once the water and sap have evaporated, the bark will easily peel away from the tree.
- Cracked or split ends – The wood you are about to burn should have cracked or split ends. The cracks indicate that the wood has lost its moisture and been completely drained of sap and excess.
- When the wood is struck with a hammer, it will produce a hollow sound. Try slamming a couple of logs against each other to ensure that they produce the hollow sound you desire.
- When wood is dried, it loses the yellowish hue of tree meat and sap, turning grey. When the wood turns grey, it is ready to be burned. It is difficult to miss the grey color, which could be white depending on the type of wood being burned.
- No wood odour – When firewood is ready to burn, it loses its wood odour. Once the sap has dried, the wood will no longer have a scent. Gather a number of pieces and smell them before placing them in the fireplace.
How much is a rick of firewood? Is it half a cord?
No, rick refers to the manner in which a cord of wood is stacked. A standard cord of wood is stacked in a 4×8-foot stack, or rick, and measures 4x4x8 feet (128 cubic feet). Rick also refers to any other material, such as hay, that has been left outdoors.
Final Words
Splitting and sorting wood into ricks is an essential skill that must be acquired through arduous and laborious effort.
Each section should be sized between 16 and 18 inches to accommodate standard ovens and fireplaces. Before beginning the cutting process, carefully measure the material.
The most important part of the process is stacking and storing firewood. If the wood remains covered and dry, it will weather appropriately.
Proper weathering guarantees that the wood will burn evenly and will not produce harmful chemicals. Over-coating the wood could lead to dangerous mold outbreaks.
