How Many Pieces of Wood Are In A Cord?

This article explains how many pieces of wood are in a cord and how to use it to calculate the amount of various objects you can buy with a given amount of money.

A cord is a unit of weight that is used to measure the amount of wood in a stack of wood. The word “cord” comes from the Latin word “corba”, meaning “heart”.

How Many Pieces of Wood Are In A Cord?

There is no exact answer to how many pieces of wood are in a cord. The answer depends on what type of wood you’re using and where it’s from. For example, pine is a soft wood that breaks into small pieces. you’ll have fewer pieces from hardwood trees because they’re bigger.

How many pieces of wood are in a cord? Find out this and other similar questions and answers in this section.

How Many Pieces Of Firewood Are There In A Cord?

When purchasing wood, it is sold by cords. Depending on what you need the wood for you can buy a full cord or a face cord.

One cord consists of a large amount of wood, therefore if this is your first time purchasing wood it may be beneficial to know how many pieces of wood are in a cord.

This is because a cord may have a lot of wood, it may have too much meaning you are unable to store or use in one season. On the other hand there may not be enough for a large home or family.

When you hear the word ‘cord’ you should know that this refers to the volume and not the quantity. The number of pieces of wood in one cord can vary depending on how each individual piece was cut.

In addition to this, it will also depend on the type of wood that was felled and cut. To make an estimate, a face cord is made up of around 220- 240 pieces of wood.

In contrast, a full cord can consist of around 700 pieces of wood as these are around 3 times the size of a face cord.

However, there is never a set number of pieces of wood in a cord. If you do require a precise figure it would be best to visit a retailer or lumberyard and have the wood cut one by one.

Where To Store Firewood?

When ordering firewood it is important to ensure you have a large space outdoors available where you can stack and store your wood. When you order/purchase your wood you will do it by a cord.

Therefore, you will need to know how long a cord will last you and whether it will be enough for an entire season. One cord may well  be enough as long as you burn your wood minimally just once or twice per week.

If this is not the case for you and you make fires several times per week, we would consider purchasing at least 2 face cords or a full cord to last an entire season.

If firewood is just your secondary heating source or cooking source then a single face cord could be enough to last you for an entire year!

It may be in your interest to consider a storage area solely for storing your firewood. Then you can begin to purchase 2 or 3 face cords to season these all winter long.

An Important Point To Note

– Never use green wood or fresh firewood as these do not burn well. Moreover, when they do burn they may burn creosote which can result in harmful ash and tar to be released into the air.

When your stack of well- drie and well seasoned wood is ready, you can then begin to calculate the amount of wood you actually use per season.

This can be done by taking note of the average number of pieces of wood you are using per day and multiplying this by the number of days that you plan to use the firewood.

Usually 1 face cord is plenty to last an entire season, depending on the climate and your personal wood burning needs.

How Many Pieces of Wood Are In A Cord?

Factors Influencing The Number Of Pieces

Splitting

A major factor which influences the number of pieces of wood in a cord is how the wood is split. As we’re sure you could guess, unsplit wood takes up much more space than split wood, similar to flat pack furniture.

Therefore, the smaller the wood is cut/split up the more pieces of wood there will be.

Moisture Content

Unseasoned wood is commonly called green wood which has been briefly mentioned during this article. Green wood contains a high level of moisture when compared to dried wood, it does burn as well.

The level of moisture in the wood is a vital factor relating to how the wood burns.

When it comes to the number of wood pieces in a cord, green wood will be larger than properly seasoned wood.

Some retailers will sell green wood at a discounted rate, this could be very beneficial and cost effective for you if you are willing to dry and season the wood yourself at home.

Stacking Method

How the wood has been stacked will have an impact on the number of pieces per cord. Loosely stacked wood will have more air pockets in comparison to neatly and tightly stacked wood.

When purchasing wood, be careful that retailers are not loosely stacking their wood and then selling them as a cord. This would result in you getting less than a true cord and not getting your money’s worth. Always insist on a tightly, neatly packed stack of wood.

Conclusion

There are approximately 700 pieces of wood in a full cord. Understanding how many pieces of wood you consume daily will help determine if a full cord or a face cord is for you.

Consider your needs very well because this can be the ultimate factor in determining how much wood you must purchase in a season or in a year.  There are many factors which can affect how many pieces of wood are in a cord.

Always be mind well when purchasing wood that your stack is neatly and tightly packed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Wood Is In A Full Cord Of Wood?

128 cubic feet of wood.  A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood. This measures approximately 4′ high x 8′ long x 4′ deep. Some places that sell firewood might advertise a cord of wood while selling you only a fraction of a cord.

This sometimes happens when they offer you what’s called a face cord.

How Much Does A Cord Of Wood Cost?

The average price for a cord of wood is $300. Most people pay between $150 and $500, but prices could go as high as $700. Prices depend on location, type of wood, and the wood’s type of cut. Seasoned wood, or wood that’s dry, will also cost more.

Maisie Park