Should I stock up on firewood before winter, and how early should I order it?
Yes, and Mills River's rural lots make it easy. Many homes out here run on propane and wood rather than a gas main, and large properties give you room to lay in and season a proper woodpile. Order green in spring, stack it where the sun and open-valley wind can reach, and it'll be dry by fall.
Propane country burns wood, too
Out in the farmland and forest between Horse Shoe and Banner Farm, a lot of Mills River homes don't sit on a gas main — they run propane and wood. That makes a well-seasoned woodpile part of how the house stays warm, not just ambiance. The upside of these large rural lots is space: room for a proper stack in a sunny, breezy spot, well away from the house, where a full summer of drying is easy to arrange.
Use your space to season right
Don't waste the room you have by dumping wood in a heap. Lay it in single rows up off the ground, cut faces open to the sun and the open-valley wind Mills River gets, top covered against rain and sides left open. Freshly split hardwood needs months of that to burn clean, so buy green in spring, when it's affordable and available, and let it ride through the warm months untouched.
Fire pits and firewood
Mills River's open valley is made for outdoor living, and if you're planning a gas fire pit or outdoor fireplace, late spring is the time to have it in before entertaining season. For wood, the same dry-fuel rule applies out at the pit as indoors — green wood just smokes everyone out. Whether it's a gas line for the patio through Henderson County or a chimney check inside, call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mills River
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mills River and the rest of Henderson County — just 25 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.