Should I stock up on firewood before winter, and how early should I order it?
Yes, and in Brevard the timing matters even more because of the rain. Transylvania County takes 80-plus inches a year, and that moisture is the enemy of seasoning wood. Order green in spring and give it the drier summer stretch to dry down — then keep it covered, because a wet Brevard fall will undo months of drying fast.
Rain is why you order early here
Brevard's wet season runs hard from March into June, and the humidity lingers well past that. All that water works directly against seasoning firewood, which needs sun and dry air to shed moisture. The earlier you get green wood split and stacked, the more of the drier summer window it gets before the fall rains return. Wait until October and you're not just fighting a scarce market — you're trying to dry wood in the wettest possible conditions.
Storing a woodpile in a wet climate
Around here, storage makes or breaks your wood. Keep it well off the ground — the same ground moisture that spalls brick and rusts dampers on Brevard's cabins will wick straight up into a bottom row sitting on dirt. Cover the top with a tarp or a roof but leave the sides wide open so air moves through, and don't stack it tight against a damp cabin wall. A pile that can't breathe stays wet no matter how early you bought it.
Wet wood, sooty flue
Many Brevard homes and the mountain cabins around Connestee Falls run on propane and wood rather than a gas main, so the woodpile does real work. Green or damp wood burns cool and smoky and cakes the chimney with creosote — the tarry buildup behind most chimney fires. Have the flue swept and inspected before the season, and if any gas work is involved, we permit it through Transylvania County. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.