If you have a home heating system that requires firewood, then you need to know how to get your hands on the right amounts, at a decent price, and how long it lasts and what you can use it for. If you’ve never dealt with wood measurements, there are a few terms that might confuse you. The most common of these is a rick. What is a rick of firewood? Do you need that much or more? How long will it last? All these questions and more are answered here in our handy explainer.
Rick of Wood vs. Cord of Wood
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A rick of wood is a term that is used to describe a pile of firewood that measures 4 by 8 feet. The width of the rick will depend on where you buy it from.
A face cord describes the width of a rick of firewood, which typically measures 12, 16, or 24 inches. These three measurements describe the lengths of the logs in the rick, with 16 inches being the most common option.
A cord of wood describes a wood stack that measures 4 feet in height, another 4 feet in width, and 8 feet in length. Since a rick and a cord of wood have the same length and height, the former is practically a fractional portion of the latter. A cord of wood has multiple ricks of wood in it. The exact number of ricks of wood found in a cord depends on the individual width of each rick.
Will a Rick of Wood Fit in a Pickup
A rick of wood can fit in a pickup truck (this depends on the size of the pickup, of course), but a cord of wood is too big. Consider the following: a cord of wood has a volume of 128 cubic feet and weighs about 5,000 pounds on average. You can fit about half of a cord of wood into small and short bed pickups.
Rick of Firewood FAQ
How much does a rick of wood weigh?
There is no universal answer to this question because it depends on what kind of wood we’re talking about. For example, trees like spruce weigh less and one cord of these is about 2,500 pounds. However, oak and other dense woods weigh more, roughly around 5,500 pounds per cord. Based on the width measurement principle that we talked about earlier, a rick of wood can weigh between 625 pounds (if we’re talking about low-density wood) and 2,750 pounds (for higher-density wood).
How much does a rick of wood cost?
Once again, this is a variable that depends on your wood supplier, as well as the type of wood you’re looking to buy. For instance, a rick of oak should cost somewhere between $150 and $250. If you want to have it delivered, you should be prepared to add the transportation costs to the end price.
You can also look for wood suppliers that offer free delivery to your area, but if you can’t find any, it’s always best to ask about transportation fees upfront and ask suppliers to give you at least a rough estimate of what it would cost you to have the wood delivered to your home. Also, there are certain suppliers that will even stack your wood for a fee (which is generally another $25), so if that something you might be interested in, don’t forget to ask.
How many ricks of wood do I need?
Sadly, there is no standard answer to this question because it depends on how much firewood you consume. If you’re looking to buy firewood for campfires, that's one thing, but if you’re looking for wood to heat up the entire house and you want it to last throughout the entire winter, then you will need more. In general, a single rick of wood will not be enough to last you through the entire winter, in which case you might want to get at least 2 (3 would be a sufficient amount for a medium-sized house). If you do decide to buy 3 ricks of firewood, it might be more convenient price-wise to just buy one face cord.
How long does a rick of wood last?
Once again, it depends on what you use it for. Let’s assume that firewood is your primary heating source and you need it to warm your entire house in the winter. A rick of wood should last in between 6 and 10 weeks. However, you should always be prepared to consume more, which means that you need to have more firewood stacked so that you can be 100 percent sure you won’t run out of heat until temperatures outside are finally acceptable.
How many wood logs are in a rick of wood?
This depends on how the wood in the rick is cut and stacked. Generally speaking, most ricks of wood have between 275 and 325 pieces of wood inside them. There are about 550 to 650 logs in a cord.
Conclusion
The number of wood ricks you buy each year will depend on what you’re going to use the wood for. Those of you that like to make barbecues or the occasional campfires won’t need more than one rick per year. However, if firewood is your primary heating fuel throughout the winter, you are going to need a cord, most likely. This will help heat small and medium-sized houses throughout the cord season. Also, make sure you’re careful with how you store your firewood. It should always be placed in a dry spot and shielded from insects as much as possible.