Growing up in Arkansas, we called firewood stacked 8 ft long, 4 ft high a rick (perhaps mis-spelled)
Living now in Washington state, they call the same amount a chord. I thought 2 ricks make a chord.
Which is it???
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Replies
8 foot long 4 foot high, 4 foot wide like a stack of plywood 4 foot high is a cord. 8 ft by 4ft by 2 ft is a rick
pacificsbest,
A cord is 4 x 4 x 8, Your description of a rick is correct.
There are some who call a rick a "Face Cord"
Just another name and advertising gimmick.
In most areas a CORD is a legal term for measuring firewood. It is a tight stack 8ft x 4 ft x 4ft.
Any other term is not legal and the meaning is upto the people using it.
http://agr.wa.gov/FAQ/default.htm#wood
"Last year, Weights and Measures personnel received 45 complaints from consumers and more than half
of those complaints came in the last four months of the year. Inspectors make an effort to have the wood seller
make up the shortage. In chronic cases, the agency will work with the county prosecutor to bring criminal
charges against offenders.
WSDA worked with the Pierce County prosecutor earlier this year to bring theft charges against a wood
seller operating in King and Pierce counties.
ôAfter receiving numerous complaints against Shannon Mariotti, we are pleased that he was ordered to
make restitution to customers,ö Buendel said."
"Tips for purchasing firewood
The legal measure for firewood in Washington is the cord or a fraction of a cord. Sellers often deceive
buyers with terms such as ôunit,ö ôtruckload,ö ôface cord,ö ôrickö or ôpile.ö These terms have no legal definition
and cannot, therefore, be used as a measure for the amount of firewood being sold.
A cord is 128 cubic feet. To be sure you have a cord, stack the wood neatly by placing the wood in a
line or a row, with individual pieces touching and parallel to each other. Make sure the wood is compact and has
as few gaps as possible. Finally, measure the stack. If the width times the height times the length equals 128
cubic feet, you have a cord of firewood. If there is a problem, contact the seller before you burn any wood.
ôWhile wood stacked in a crisscross or log cabin fashion is secure and will stand freely, it does not meet
the legal definition,ö Buendel said. ôMost likely the stack will contain less wood than one that is stacked by the
legal method. You should also know there are no legal definitions for terms such as æseasoned,Æ ædryÆ or
æcuredÆ.ö
For best results, be present for the delivery and take time to inspect the firewood before itÆs unloaded.
ôIf youÆre not satisfied refuse the load or negotiate a new price,ö Buendel adds. You should also ask for a
receipt. Washington law requires wood sellers to provide a receipt that shows the name and address of both the
buyer and the seller and the date delivered.
The invoice should also state the price, the number of cords delivered, the quantity upon which the price
is based, and the type and quality of the wood. If the vendor refuses to give you a receipt at the time of delivery,
it could be a signal that you are about to be ripped off."
http://agr.wa.gov/News/2005/05-46.pdf
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Yea, the quick way to tell on delivery is whether is is stacked neatly in a pickup truck, to the top of the cab. That is pretty close to 4X4X8-ft.
In my neck of the woods we call that a "Face Cord" and a full cord being 4' x 4' x 8' long.
Dave
one ric make a face cord...
3 rics make a full cord..
a full cord is 8'W by 4'H by 4'D....
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You are mostly right. A chord is 4x8x4
A rick is also called a face chord which is 4x8 but no specific depth. That depends whether the wood is cut 14", 16", 18", 24"
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A milkbone for best comprehensive, yet concise answer.
Fight fire with water.
Shoot, I just started my diet and can't eat one right now
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Around here:
A cord is 4x4x8 and a face cord is 1/3 of that (one face of a cord made from 16" cuts). Never heard of a rick.I once heard a cord should be stacked tight enough that a rabbit can run through but not the fox chasing it ...or something like that.Jerry
Whatever the unit is if it is'nt stacked right and tight we call them possum garage's.
What's this "around here" stuff?;)How many ounces of water in a gallon around there?How many inches can you guys fit into a foot around there?See what I'm getting at? A cord is a cord is a cord. Bill Hartman had a link to an excellent page pointing out the legal description and standard in this country.and - IMO - if a rabbit can run through a stack, it is so loose it is ready to fall over.
A squirrel maybe
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PPPPPPiffin,
Well correctly described a cord is 128 cu ft. of wood.
Doesn't matter if stacked, heaped, one long row at single cut length deep etc. etc.
But it is common to use the 4 x 4 x 8 as a description of the volume needed."Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
" Doesn't matter if stacked, heaped,"Yes it does.It needs to be stacked " with individual pieces touching and parallel to each other. Make sure the wood is compact and has
as few gaps as possible.".
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
bill, I do understand the common usage of the term cord and it's configuration, not really meaning to argue the point, just pointing out that to use the given dimensions as a measuring device may not work.
Around here I know quite a few old timers who stack their firewood in a "cone", sheds water better and they claim it dries better. I know that a talented stacker can make a "cord" look like a full cord , but deliver less. You can't stack 18" or 20" pieces into a 4 x 4' x 8' stack and come up with a cord either. I used to get "mill ends" anywhere from 2 x 4 to 2 x 12 drops from the sawmill. Cut that up to length and stack it and you really had a "cord", a solid block of firewood. "Peeler Cores" were another favorite. They are the heart of the tree left after a veneer mill cut the veneer for plywood using a lathe. Generally 4" - 6" diam. Made nice clean stacking wood.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
Those firewood 'cones' are cool looking. I seem to remember reading how to do it, musta been an old Mother Earth News. Wouldn't know where to start now.If you come to a fork in the road,You can eat your lunch.
Is that squirrel jumping on your P key looking for his nut?;)
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Piffin, Must be , I didn't notice the multiples when I posted. Wily little devil. ;-)
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
LOL, I know your pulling my leg, buy I'll clarify anyway.I've always lived on Long Island, but as a 'yute' I spent a lot of time in NE PA. In the winter the only heat was wood, so I've split and stacked many cords.Yes a cord is a cord, but a face cord always seemed to vary between a half and a third of a cord. To me, a third just makes sense.Although rabbits can fit through surprisingly small holes, squirrels can fit through even smaller. You're probably right.:-) Jerry
around here they sell by truck load. a nissian bed even with rails $75. its about 1 /2 of cord
And if you are selling it to BB, it is a rip cord
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Yeah, if you cut it 16" long, a face cord is 4'x8'x16", a third of a cord, but if you cut it 24" long, then your face cord is a half cord
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Holy crap. This is bewildering. All the more reason to get back to the common denominator of a cord. After that lets talk about nothing but 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 cords.Even better, is there a metric cord? 1M x 1M x 10M? Oooooops... cano worms...Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
A cord is definetly 4X8X4. I always thought that a face cord was 1/3 a cord and a rick was 1/2. All I know is I have to cut 3-4 cords a year assuming the parents don't need restocking at their lake house.
Down here in the Houston they sell what they call a "Face Coord" which is 8' x 4' with each piece being 12"-14" long.
A Coord of wood is a legal term meaning 8'x4'x4'. Derived from the Steamboat days when 4' long pieces were used in the boilers. Every few dozen miles or so on the rivers there'd be a tie-up place on the bank where they'd load on more wood.
The term "rick" is used in many parts of the country and each piece can be any length up to 24" long. But "rick" is not a legal term.
In Tulsa, I used to sell a rick of 12" long hickory for $45 (30 years ago) to a chain of barbeque stores. The customer wanted each piece to be 12". I told him that I'd have to charge the same as for 24" peices cause the labor was greater. Kept them supplied with hickory for about 5 years till I ran out of hickory trees. Made enough to pay off the mortgage on the place.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
It is 4'X4' by 8' long... but consider several things in that quantity of firewood....
1. When it is stacked, are the gaps between the round sections filled with small wood? Plus is the wood split or are you getting "rounds"?
2. Is the wood a wood that burns evenly and doesn't pop like Hackberry or Mulberry Pops and spits...? A full cord of bad burning wood is worse than being cheated on the amount of actual wood you should have had....
3. Is the firewood dry? Has it aged a season before you plan to burn it? A cord of GREEN wood that is stacked tightly and the gaps filled, will still shrink a very noticeable amount as it dries. When it's dry, you'll be surprised how much the whole 4'X4'X8' has shrunk....Sometimes, it will be equal to the amounts of what you would burn over 2 or 3 days to bring the stack back to full quantity.
Bill