What is a cord of firewood, and how many cords do I need for a winter?
Flat Rock's historic homes are famous for oversized open masonry fireplaces, and those hearths are wood-hungry — an 1800s open firebox can burn three to four cords a winter and still let most of the heat escape up an aging clay flue. A cord is 128 cubic feet. Heat with a sealed insert instead and one to two cords does the same job.
Why those beautiful old hearths burn so much
Many Flat Rock homes date to the 1800s, with big open fireboxes and aging clay flue liners. An open masonry fireplace can actually run a net heat loss — it draws more heated room air up the chimney than the fire returns — which is exactly why these grand old hearths pull cold-air drafts across the room.
It's a gorgeous fire and a poor furnace, so families here burn a lot of wood for fairly modest warmth. At 2,261 feet with cool evenings much of the year, that inefficiency adds up to cords you didn't need to buy.
Keep the character, cut the cords
A sealed insert dropped into that historic opening preserves the mantel and the look while running 70 percent efficient or better — you keep the room's soul and stop feeding it three or four cords a winter. It also seals off the draft that an old open flue lets in.
If you'd rather keep burning open, buy by the true full cord, season hardwood a full year, and have that old clay liner inspected before heavy use. We pull the Henderson County permit and meet the inspector, and our Asheville showroom is about 30 minutes away. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Flat Rock
We install and service fireplaces throughout Flat Rock and the rest of Henderson County — just 30 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What's the difference between a face cord (or rick) and a full cord of firewood?
- How much does a cord of firewood cost in Western North Carolina?
- Should I stock up on firewood before winter, and how early should I order it?
- What should I look for when buying firewood?
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