Firewood Information
Firewood is arguably Canada’s best and most readily available renewable heating resource. Here you will find all sorts of great information about how to heat your home in and around Victoria, BC using firewood.
What is a cord of firewood?
A cord is the legal unit of measurement used for firewood in Canada. By law, firewood can not be measured using any other unit of measurement. One cord of firewood is equal to 4ft x 4ft x 8ft or 128 cubic feet. Imagine an original VW Bug car. That’s approximately 128 cubic feet. For comparison, if you’ve had wood delivered loose or unstacked the quantity should be between 180 & 195 cubic feet per cord. Loose firewood takes up approximately 40-50% more space than stacked, depending on the average length of each piece.
How much does firewood cost in Victoria?
The price of firewood in Victoria, BC can vary depending on the species, quality and who you are buying from. Like anything in life, you generally get what you pay for it. If you search on Craigslist, UsedVictoria or Kijiji, you will surely find firewood prices ranging from $250 per cord up to $450. Be sure to watch out for illegal firewood vendors who steal or poach firewood from the bush. While this might seem harmless from the surface, fallen trees are an integral part of a forests eco-system and stealing logs from a forest without permit is classified as poaching. Both the seller and vendor of stolen and or illegally sold firewood can be prosecuted with a maximum penalty up to $25,000.
What species of wood are good for home heating in Victoria?
The best firewood species are known as hardwoods. Unfortunately on the West Coast of British Columbia there are little to no hardwoods available. The good news is that Fir, Big Leaf Maple and Alder are still great for firewood and they are readily available right here in Victoria, BC. The most common species of tree used for firewood in Victoria is some type of Fir.
How much firewood do I need to heat my home?
The quantity of firewood you will need to heat your home varies depending on how well your home is insulated, how often you use it and whether or not you are using firewood as your primary source of heat. If you are using firewood for ambiance and to add a little extra warmth on a cold night, you will probably only need a cord or two.
If you are looking to heat your entire home with firewood and plan on having your fireplace going every day, all day, we suggest buying between four to eight cords of firewood depending on the size of your home.
Chimney Cleaning and Fire Safety
Cleaning your chimney every year is a must! Visit our Fire Safety and Prevention page for more information about how to properly service your chimney.
Firewood Storage
Easy Firewood Storage
Victoria Firewood is all about making heating your home easy and hassle free. The amount of effort you put into starting your next fire depends on two things. How seasoned your wood is when it arrives and how dry you can keep it until it gets cold outside. We can take care of both of these problems before your wood arrives at your door.
Our firewood is guaranteed to be seasoned and we are happy to show you using a moisture content reader before your pay. Simply ask your driver and he or she will be happy to give you a quick demo. 18% – 22% moisture content rating is optimal. Once our wood is partially seasoned to around 24%, we stack it in custom built firewood storage units to speed up the process or we put it in our firewood powered kilns. We suggest you keep them to elevate your firewood as well as provide a perfect frame for a tarp to wrap your pallet of firewood. They have a value of about $100 but we are happy to rent them for the season in exchange for a $25 per unit.
NOTE: Victoria Firewood storage units belong to Victoria Firewood Inc. If you dismantle, damage or lose the firewood storage units we provide, there will be an additional charge of $100 to replace each unit.
Always store naturally seasoned firewood outdoors
Properly seasoned firewood still has a moisture content rating between 18% – 22% and can develop mold and or moss if not properly ventilated. This is especially true in cities like or similar to Victoria, B.C. where temperatures are mild and moist.
- Location – Pick a location for your outdoor firewood storage box that is easily accessible; keep in mind that you may be retrieving firewood in less-than-ideal weather conditions. Take advantage of any natural cover you already have such as an extended roof, a covered walkway, a raised deck or an awning.
- Decide how much firewood you want to store. Is this box going to store the majority of your winter wood or serve as a staging area close to the house to store a few days worth of wood? You can make your firewood storage box longer to accommodate more wood but you don’t want to make it so deep that you can’t reach the bottom or so wide you can’t reach wood stored towards the back.
- Materials – Your outdoor firewood storage box is essential a miniature house for your precious firewood and should be made of materials that are going to stand up to the elements and protect your firewood. Choose sturdy treated lumber or finish your lumber with an all-weather sealant and paint. Consider adding shingles to the lid or roof to further protect your firewood from snow and rain. Keep in mind that you’ll be tossing and piling heavy pieces of firewood into your storage box, so add braces on the inside and use thicker plywood for the walls and floor.
- Dryness – Keeping your firewood dry is key. Add or build wood pallets inside the box to keep wood off the ground and to promote air circulation; alternatively, build a miniature foundation out of cement blocks to elevate your firewood storage box off the ground. Seal the corners of the box with an all-weather caulk to prevent moisture from entering. Treat all unfinished wood with an outdoor deck sealant.
- Other Considerations – If your outdoor firewood storage box is built in an area without natural cover, you’ll want to add a lid or roof. Attach a lid on the far side of the box with heavy-duty hinges for one-handed operation. If you live in an area that receives a lot of winter precipitation, consider building a sloped roof over the box to help prevent snow and rain from pooling atop it.
- Finish your firewood storage box by painting it to match the exterior of your house or outbuilding, or paint it a natural color to blend in with the surrounding landscape.