Every winter, I find myself asking the same question as the temperatures drop: Did I stack enough firewood this year? No matter how experienced you are, firewood has a way of burning faster than expected once cold days turn into long, cold nights.
I’ve learned there’s no perfect formula. Still, I always start with a general baseline. In colder climates, heating around 1,000 square feet with wood as a primary heat source usually takes two to three cords for the season. In milder areas, one to two cords can be enough. From there, I scale based on the size of the house. A larger home in a northern climate can easily need several cords, while a small house in a warmer region may get through winter with far less.
That baseline helps, but I never stop there. The real answer only becomes clear once I factor in how my home actually behaves once winter sets in.
Why I don’t rely on square footage alone
Climate is the first thing I adjust for. The bigger the difference between indoor comfort and outdoor temperatures, the more wood I burn. Long stretches below freezing always mean my stack shrinks faster than expected.
How I use the fire matters just as much. When wood is my main heat source all day, consumption jumps quickly. If I’m only burning in the evenings or on especially cold nights, the pile lasts much longer.
The house itself plays a huge role. Good insulation slows everything down. Drafty walls, leaky windows, and older construction do the opposite. I also pay attention to whether I’m heating the entire house or just one main living zone. Zone heating alone can cut wood use noticeably.
I’ve also seen the difference stove efficiency makes. Newer stoves squeeze more heat out of every log, while older ones burn hotter and faster with less control.
What I’ve learned about the wood itself
The type of firewood I use changes everything. Dense, well-seasoned hardwoods like oak or beech burn longer and give off steady heat. Poorly seasoned wood wastes energy evaporating moisture, which means I go through logs much faster.
When possible, I look back at how much wood I burned in previous winters. That history is often more accurate than any rule of thumb. If the forecast looks colder than usual or I’ve made changes to the house, I adjust upward.
In the end, I always round up. Properly stacked firewood keeps well, and having extra on hand beats realizing too late that winter isn’t done with me yet.
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