When is the best time of year to buy firewood?
Spring is the best time to buy firewood — buy green wood in March or April, stack it right, and it seasons through the summer into perfect fall fuel. If you need wood that's ready to burn now, buy by late summer at the latest, and verify it with a moisture meter before you pay. October buyers get the leftovers at the worst moment.
The spring buyer wins twice
Buying green in spring is the move for two reasons. First, supply: sellers are sitting on winter's cutting with months of slow demand ahead, so green wood is plentiful and priced accordingly. Second, control: when you season it yourself — split, stacked off the ground in single rows, top covered, sides open to the summer sun and breeze — you know exactly what you're burning come November. You're not trusting a stranger's definition of "seasoned." Six months handles most species; oak and the dense hardwoods want a year, so spring oak is really next year's wood. Buy accordingly and get a rotation going.
The October scramble
Every fall it's the same story across WNC: the first real cold snap hits the mountains, everybody calls the firewood guy the same week, and truly dry wood gets scarce right when demand peaks. Late-season "seasoned" too often means "cut in August." Protect yourself with a moisture meter — ask to split a piece and test the fresh face, and under 20 percent is the standard. If it reads wet, it will burn smoky and cool, coat your flue with creosote, and waste the money you thought you were saving. Wood sold as seasoned should pass the test on the spot; a good seller won't flinch at the request.
Put your chimney on the same calendar
The firewood calendar and the service calendar are the same calendar: get ahead of the season, late summer or early fall, before you're depending on the fire. That's when we sweep and inspect — especially worthwhile if last winter's wood was wetter than you'd have liked, because that creosote is still up there. Wood in the stack by spring, chimney swept by September, and the first cold night is a pleasure instead of a scramble. Call (828) 545-0525 to schedule.
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