What Does A Cord Of Wood Weigh – Dry Firewood And Fresh Cut (Green) Weights
I am currently in the market for a trailer sized right to haul the yard brush and wood used to heat my home. I know wood can be pretty heavy, but just how heavy it is, and whether or not a trailer will be able to haul a full cord of wood is the bigger issue.
The first thing I need to know… How much does a cord of wood weigh?
The dimensions of a standard cord of wood are 8 feet long by 4 feet wide and 4 feet high; with the wood stacked neatly and not thrown in willy-nilly.
A cord of green, fresh cut wood will typically weigh twice as much as dry wood.
A full-size pickup with a standard bed can hold about a half of a full cord, or 64 cubic feet of wood, when loaded. Random loading will decrease this amount further, and small pickups hold much less.
Some important storing and burning tips:
Because dry wood will give you more heat output, you’ll want to store the cut wood outdoors for at least 6 months in a dry area that receives good sunlight and has ample air circulation.
Softwoods are great for starting fires as they are quicker to ignite. Hardwoods burn longer and produce nice “coals” to keep the fire going as new logs are added, and those coals produce a steady heat.
It’s important to note that the hardwoods like oak may take over a year to season to the point of being dry enough to burn efficiently.
Now back to the trailer issue…
What does a cord of wood weigh, both dry wood as well as fresh cut green wood?
Check out the below Wood Heating and Weight Values chart to find out what various types of wood weigh when gathered as a cord.
| Wood Heating and Weight Values | ||
|---|---|---|
| Species | Cord Weight(pounds) **DRY | Cord Weight(pounds) **GREEN |
| Alder, Red | 2000 – 2600 | 3200 – 4100 |
| Ash | 2680 – 3450 | 4630 – 5460 |
| Aspen | 1860 – 2400 | 3020 – 3880 |
| Beech | 3100 – 4000 | 4890 – 6290 |
| Birch | 2840 – 3650 | 4630 – 5960 |
| Cedar, Incense | 1800 – 2350 | 3020 – 3880 |
| Cedar, Port Orford | 2100 – 2700 | 3400 – 4370 |
| Cherry | 2450 – 3150 | 4100 – 5275 |
| Chinquapin | 2580 – 3450 | 3670 – 4720 |
| Cottonwood | 1730 – 2225 | 2700 – 3475 |
| Dogwood | 3130 – 4025 | 5070 – 6520 |
| Douglas-Fir | 2400 – 3075 | 3930 – 5050 |
| Elm | 2450 – 3150 | 4070 – 5170 |
| Eucalyptus | 3550 – 4560 | 6470 – 7320 |
| Fir, Grand | 1800 – 2330 | 3020 – 3880 |
| Fir, Red | 1860 – 2400 | 3140 – 4040 |
| Fir, White | 1900 – 2450 | 3190 – 4100 |
| Hemlock, Western | 2200 – 2830 | 4460 – 5730 |
| Juniper, Western | 2400 – 3050 | 4225 – 5410 |
| Laurel, California | 2690 – 3450 | 4460 – 5730 |
| Locust, Black | 3230 – 4150 | 6030 – 7750 |
| Madrone | 3180 – 4086 | 5070 – 6520 |
| Magnolia | 2440 – 3140 | 4020 – 5170 |
| Maple, Big Leaf | 2350 – 3000 | 3840 – 4940 |
| Oak, Black | 2821 – 3625 | 4450 – 5725 |
| Oak, Live | 3766 – 4840 | 6120 – 7870 |
| Oak, White | 2880 – 3710 | 4890 – 6290 |
| Pine, Jeffery | 1960 – 2520 | 3320 – 4270 |
| Pine, Lodgepole | 2000 – 2580 | 3320 – 4270 |
| Pine, Ponderosa | 1960 – 2520 | 3370 – 4270 |
| Pine, Sugar | 1960 – 2270 | 2970 – 3820 |
| Redwood, Coast | 1810 – 2330 | 3140 – 4040 |
| Spruce, Sitka | 1960 – 2520 | 3190 – 4100 |
| Sweetgum (Liquidambar) | 2255 – 2900 | 4545 – 5840 |
| Sycamore | 2390 – 3080 | 4020 – 5170 |
| Tanoak | 2845 – 3650 | 4770 – 6070 |
| Walnut, Black | 2680 – 3450 | 4450 – 5725 |
| Western Red Cedar | 1570 – 2000 | 2700 – 3475 |
| Willow, Black | 1910 – 2450 | 3140 – 4040 |
** Weights:
All moisture contents based on “wet” wood basis. | ||
