One thing to note about these materials is that you should never attempt to source them right before you need to use them. Most need the chance to properly cure or dry out. If you buy what you need too close to the fall or wintertime, you need to make sure that this has already been seasoned and prepared for you.
If it has not, you will need to have several months to do this on your own. Check the interior of the wood at the center-most rings for signs of wetness. If it is tacky or sticky in this area, your wood isn't quite ready to burn. You should put it in a dry, light-filled shed or other area to dry out. If you leave it outside it should dry out over time, but given the constant exposure to the elements, this process will take quite a bit longer.
Another important thing to consider is just where the wood has been sourced. After all, you don't want to purchase something that someone else has deemed unfit for use. Even when you're looking for things that you'll only eventually burn, you still want to make sure that these are sufficiently high in quality for justifying their costs.
How you purchase your wood can also play a major role in determining its overall cost. For instance, some suppliers will actually deliver your purchase right to you. Others will allow you to pick it up, but you'll wind up paying a lot less in the process. Just make sure that the drive over isn't so long that you eat up all of the related savings in fuel charges.
Another way to diminish the costs of these purchases is by opting to chop the wood yourself. If you don't like this type of grunt work, look for sellers who will cut your purchase down to your specifications. They can split logs, quarter them, or even chop it up into chips for use in the grills or in landscaping. You can even ask for a combination of any one of these cutting methods.
Before investing in these products, you may want to know just how you intend to use them. For instance, some wood types may be better-suited to outdoor storage pits rather than for use inside. This is especially true of moist wood that's still filled with dry sap. These logs will burn smoky and thus, they may not have the best impact on the indoor air quality in your home. This remains true even when your flu is clean.
Finally, ask your seller what type of discounts you are able to get by purchasing a larger than average quantity. This is often a resource that pays to buy in bulk. Many of the top sellers in this industry are all too happy to have you take their wood off of their hands. As such, you could pay a lot less if you're willing to stock up for a very long time in advance.
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