A Firewood Glossary: Every Term You'll Hear in the Hocking Hills
If you've ever nodded politely while someone said 'I've got a rick of seasoned splits,' this page is for you. Every firewood term, defined in plain language.
Firewood has its own vocabulary, and if you've ever nodded politely while someone said "I've got a rick of seasoned splits" without knowing exactly what any of those words meant, this page is for you.
Measurement terms
Cord
The standard unit of firewood measurement. A full cord is a stack measuring 8 feet long × 4 feet tall × 4 feet deep — 128 cubic feet total. This is a lot of wood. It fills the bed of a full-size pickup truck, heaped. A cord of seasoned hardwood weighs roughly 3,000 to 4,000 pounds depending on species.
Face cord
A stack 8 feet long × 4 feet tall × one log deep (usually 16 inches). A face cord is roughly one-third of a full cord. This is what most cabin renters actually need for a weekend. Also called a "rick" in some parts of Ohio and the Midwest.
Rick
Same thing as a face cord in most of Ohio. In some other states, "rick" has slightly different dimensions, which is why "face cord" is the more precise term. If you're buying a rick in Hocking County, you're getting a face cord.
Bundle
A shrink-wrapped package of firewood, usually about 0.75 cubic feet — five to seven split logs. Sold at gas stations, camp stores, and grocery stores. Convenient but expensive per-volume: roughly $6–$9 per bundle, which works out to $800+ per full cord equivalent.
Wood condition terms
Green
Freshly cut wood that hasn't been dried. Moisture content is typically 50–60%. Green wood burns poorly — it hisses, smokes heavily, produces less heat, and contributes to creosote buildup in chimneys. Do not buy green wood for immediate use.
Seasoned
Wood that has been air-dried over time, typically six to eighteen months. Target moisture content is below 20%. "Seasoned" has no legal definition, so quality varies widely between suppliers. Use the five-point test to verify.
Kiln-dried
Wood dried in a controlled kiln (120–220°F) for three to six days. Produces consistently dry wood below 20% moisture, often reaching 10–15%. The heat kills insects, mold, and fungal spores. More expensive than seasoned wood but more consistent and safe for transport across quarantine boundaries.
Moisture content
The percentage of water by weight in a piece of wood. Below 20% is the target for clean burning. Measured with a handheld moisture meter ($20–$30 at any hardware store). Always test a freshly split surface, not the outside of the log.
Wood processing terms
Round
A section of trunk cut to firewood length (usually 16 inches) but not yet split. Rounds are cylindrical and heavy. They season poorly because the bark traps moisture inside. Wood must be split to dry effectively.
Split
A round that has been divided along the grain with an axe, maul, or hydraulic splitter. Splitting exposes the interior wood to air, allowing moisture to escape. Properly split wood dries in months; unsplit rounds can take years and often rot first.
Checks
The radial cracks that appear in the end grain of drying wood — like a pie sliced from the center. Checks are a visual indicator that wood has been seasoning and moisture is leaving the cell structure. Well-checked ends = dry wood.
Kindling
Small pieces of wood — pencil-thick to thumb-thick — used to bridge the gap between tinder (paper, firestarter) and full-size logs. Good kindling catches quickly and burns hot enough to ignite larger fuel. Without kindling, starting a fire is much harder.
Heat and combustion terms
BTU (British Thermal Unit)
The standard measurement of heat energy. One BTU is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Firewood heat output is measured in millions of BTUs per cord. Hickory tops the common species at about 27.7 million BTUs per cord; pine comes in around 14.3 million.
Creosote
A dark, tarry, highly flammable residue that forms inside chimneys and flues when wood smoke condenses on cooler surfaces. Creosote builds up faster when burning wet or unseasoned wood because the cooler fire temperature produces more uncombusted particles. A significant creosote buildup is a chimney fire hazard.
Hardwood / Softwood
Botanical classifications, not descriptions of physical hardness. Hardwoods come from deciduous (leaf-bearing) trees: oak, hickory, maple, cherry, ash. Softwoods come from conifers: pine, cedar, spruce, fir. Hardwoods are generally denser, burn hotter, and produce less creosote. Softwoods are lighter, ignite faster, and make good kindling but poor main fuel.
Wood that's been dried right
Under 20% moisture, locally cut, stacked and covered for months before it reaches you. Free delivery across the Hocking Hills.
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