| Tired of paying those high fuel bills to heat your | | | | provide. Flames from burning wood are hypnotic. |
| home? If you don't mind some hard work, you | | | | People can stare at the flames for hours. There |
| might be able to save a bundle by switching to | | | | seems to be serenity with burning wood that |
| wood as your primary heat source. There are | | | | draws people near. Start a fire in a fireplace or |
| many other benefits, as well. Let's explore some | | | | have one in a stove with glass doors and people |
| of them. | | | | naturally gather nearby. |
| Saving Money Depending upon how much work | | | | There are people who move some distance from |
| you are willing to do, you can save a bit or a | | | | their work just to enjoy wood heat. They are |
| bundle. For example, you can buy wood already | | | | willing to commute the extra distance to have the |
| split and seasoned (dried), ready to burn. This is | | | | ambiance provided by a wood-burning device. |
| the most expensive way of buying wood, but | | | | When it is said and done, all the hard work is |
| you do not have to buck, split, and season the | | | | forgotten when that fire keeps the house cozy |
| wood. Someone else has already done all this | | | | warm on a cold winter's night. |
| work for you. Even so, you could still save a bit | | | | In addition to personal benefits, there are other |
| on your heating bill. | | | | benefits as well. |
| Look at your heating bill for the last year or two | | | | Renewable Resource Wood is a renewable |
| and compare that with the cost of delivered split | | | | resource; gas, coal, and oil are not. When a tree |
| seasoned wood in your area. Although there are | | | | grows, it removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the |
| many variables involved, a general rule of thumb | | | | air, replacing it with oxygen (a benefit already to |
| in comparing the cost of wood heat with heating | | | | mankind). When a tree dies and rots or is burned, |
| oil and natural gas is that one cord of seasoned | | | | the CO2 is returned to the atmosphere. So the |
| wood burned equals 175 gallons of number 2 oil or | | | | net result is zero concerning this greenhouse |
| 225 therm of natural gas. For example, a cord of | | | | gas-not so with coal, heating oil, and gas. When |
| split and seasoned, quality wood delivered for | | | | they burn and give off CO2, that carbon dioxide |
| $250 equates to oil at $1.43 (250/175) per gallon | | | | came out of the atmosphere millions of years |
| or $1.11 (250/225) per therm of natural gas. So | | | | ago. There is no renewing cycle of CO2 (and |
| use the actual prices of wood and oil or gas for | | | | certainly no oxygen being released). The result is |
| your situation and see how they compare. In | | | | that those fuels are adding this greenhouse gas to |
| many instances, wood is still a money saver even | | | | the atmosphere. Wood fuel, therefore, is |
| purchased split and delivered. | | | | environmentally friendly. |
| There is a much greater savings if you can | | | | Reduces Dependency On Foreign Oil When you |
| process wood from delivered logs. Where a split | | | | look at the bigger picture, what you have is a |
| cord of wood costs $250 per cord, a cord | | | | renewable (sustainable) energy source that |
| delivered in log form might cost $100. You are | | | | replaces (at least partly) a non-renewable source. |
| really paying yourself for processing the wood. | | | | When people burn wood, they are not burning |
| When you consider the typical home burns 3 to 6 | | | | coal, gas, or oil, thereby producing a net positive |
| cords of wood a year (depending on stove | | | | environmental result. |
| efficiency and tightness of the home), the savings | | | | For every cord of wood used for home heating |
| can become significant. | | | | instead of oil, more than a ton of carbon is kept |
| In this scenario, you purchase wood in log form | | | | out of the atmosphere. Plenty of households in |
| (usually cut to eight-foot lengths) and delivered to | | | | rural areas and small towns could easily cut their |
| your location. There is a minimum purchase | | | | carbon emissions by four tons each winter by |
| amount, typically 10 cords, which gives you the | | | | substituting firewood for two tanks of fuel oil. |
| best price. You need the room for not only the | | | | Promotes Local Economy Rather than support |
| logs, but for the rounds bucked from the logs, | | | | foreign cartels for our energy, we would do well |
| and space for splitting and stacking. | | | | to support our local economy in the processing of |
| If you have a desire to do hard work and the | | | | wood and sales of wood burning devices and |
| space to do it in (1/2 acre or so), processing | | | | accessories. When you look at all the players in |
| wood yourself can save you a bundle on your | | | | the wood burning industry, there are no mega |
| heating bill. | | | | companies like there are in oil and gas. It consists |
| In addition to the money savings, there are other | | | | of hundreds of manufacturers spread all over, as |
| benefits in processing and burning wood for heat. | | | | well as the local loggers and woodlot owners. |
| Good Body Workout Processing wood is an | | | | In addition, there are the local stores and service |
| excellent way of getting in shape. By its very | | | | organizations providing goods and services related |
| nature, wood processing is labor intensive. It | | | | to wood processing and burning. |
| starts with bucking logs into stove-length rounds | | | | Wood fuel businesses are the main source of |
| using a chainsaw. The rounds are then split using a | | | | income for 10% of rural households, supplying |
| 6- or 8-pound maul. The split pieces are carted to | | | | about 40% of their cash earnings. Wood fuel use |
| an area where they are stacked for drying | | | | generates at least 20 times more local |
| (seasoning) by wind and sun. The seasoned wood | | | | employment than energy from oil products (per |
| is then placed in a wood shed (if available) or left | | | | unit of energy). |
| until brought in for burning. | | | | Summary Although wood processing is not for |
| Each part of the process is hard work, but | | | | everyone, the many benefits may be what you |
| provides a good body workout. Many who | | | | are looking for. Whether you want area heating or |
| process their own wood do so primarily for the | | | | central heating, there are many possibilities you |
| exercise. They enjoy the payoff to their body. | | | | can pursue. A good place to get started is with |
| The results are as good, if not better, than a | | | | the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association which |
| workout at a gym, they are saving money, and | | | | provides a host of services and information |
| producing burnable wood in the process. | | | | related to the wood burning industry at |
| Ambiance Probably the single benefit that most | | | | This article is extracted in part from the author's |
| who burn wood agree to is the warmth and | | | | book Wood Processing Made Simple. |
| comfort that only a wood stove or fireplace can | | | | |