How Much Firewood Is In A Rick?

As you prepare for the long cold of winter, you need to do lots of preparation. You need to ensure your home is well insulated, and you might need to fill up an oil tank, and maybe dust off your generator to make sure it is still in good shape. If you have a fireplace or wood stove (or both), there is also firewood to think about. If you live in the woods, then perhaps you chop your own.

But if you are like many others who need wood but don’t have a surplus of logs, you need to buy wood. There are cords, face cords and even ricks of wood to choose from, and this can get confusing. Most of all, you might wonder how much wood is in a rick of firewood, anyway.

A rick of firewood is not an exact unit of measurement, so the amount of firewood in a rick varies. On average, a rick is about one third of a cord. This amounts to between 200 and 275 pieces, on average. Be aware that while a rick is often a third of a cord, it can be as little as one quarter of a cord or as large as one half a cord.

As you get ready to purchase your firewood for the winter, you should understand how wood is measured. There is the most common unit of measurement, which is a cord. But some locals and individuals use face cords, half cords and even ricks.

In order to make sure you are getting the best deal, and enough firewood for the year, you need to understand these terms. Most of all, you need to know what a rick is, and how much firewood it contains.

A “rick” in its purest definition is simply a stack of something left out in the open. Ricks can refer to hay, sticks and even firewood. A rick as a firewood measurement is used in parts of the United States, including the Midwest.

Now that you understand its “word of mouth” meaning, it’s easier to understand that a rick of wood is not exactly a precise unit of measurement. Instead, it refers to a stack of firewood that is the generally agreed upon size in that area, which often ends up being close to a face cord.

A face cord is one, 16-inch row in a standard cord. This means in general, a rick of wood should give you about the same wood that a face cord would. This tends to be between 200 and 275 pieces of firewood. This will depend on the size of the logs and the type of wood used.

A rick of wood is not an exact measurement or science. In fact, a wood seller can call any organized pile of firewood a rick, in theory. So, it is critical you bring along a tape measure, or at least size up the stack of wood before you commit to purchasing it. What seems like a great price might actually be a rip off, depending on how large or small the rick is.

The most important difference you need to understand between a rick and a cord of wood is that one is a distinct unit of measure, and the other is not. A cord of wood is a distinct unit of measure. This means a cord of wood is always that same size. This size is 4 feet high by 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. There are variations on how a cord is stacked (it can be longer and less wide, for example), but the cubic feet will always be the same.

This is not the case when it comes to a rick. A rick is not a distinct unit of measure like a cord is. It is more like a blanket term, or a colloquialism that is a popular way of describing a certain sized bundle of wood. This means that ricks may vary in size and firewood amount from place to place. There are, however, some averages and standards that have developed over time.

The most compelling reason to buy a cord rather than a rick is the fact that you know what you are buying with a cord. A cord of wood is always 128 cubic feet. No matter how you stack it, lengthwise or tall, it will always be 128 cubic feet. Sure, the number of firewood pieces may vary, but the amount of raw materials is always the same.

A rick could be a quarter of a cord, a third of a cord (most common), a half cord, or anywhere in between. Unless you consistently buy ricks of wood from a vendor and they are always the same size, you never know exactly how much you are getting. This grey area is not ideal for those trying to plan effectively for a harsh winter.

Another perk to buying firewood by the cord is that it is usually cheaper. Wood tends to be less expensive the more you buy. This is why many people buy wood by the cord rather than the pile. Even if you get a good deal on a rick, it might not be better than getting a cord.

If, however, you measure a rick of wood and find that the rick is cheaper, you should get the rick. Remember, there are always exceptions. Perhaps someone is selling ricks of wood for cheap. And maybe they are calling them ricks because they don’t feel like perfectly stacking the wood, but want to get rid of it cheaply. There are always exceptions, but always consider the overall price and risk.