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NDA gives advice about buying firewood
Nebraska
As temperatures continue to decrease, many Nebraskans are looking to stay warm by burning firewood. Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Merlyn Carlson would like consumers to remember to purchase their firewood by the cord this season.
"A cord is the cubic measurement used to especially for firewood," explained Carlson. "A cord equals 128 cubic feet, and measures four feet wide, four feet high, and eight feet long."
NDA Weights and Measures Division Administrator Steve Malone urges consumers to mark off the exact 4'x 4' x 8' dimensions in the spot they wish to store their firewood before it is to be delivered. If you plan to purchase a fractional portion of a cord, cut the dimensions accordingly. "Then when the seller delivers the wood," Malone said, "have them stack it in those dimensions to ensure you are getting the amount of firewood you are paying for."
Malone suggests consumers:
--Never buy firewood by the pickup load. There is no standard dimension for a pickup bed, and you never know what you will get.
--Do not buy firewood by the rack. A rack can be almost anything a seller wants it to be.
--When you buy firewood, make sure to get a receipt, which shows the seller's name and address, as well as the price, amount, and kind of wood purchased.
--Measure the wood before paying the seller. If the measurement indicates that you did not receive the correct volume, contact the seller. Do not burn any of the wood until the problem has been corrected.
--If there is a problem and the seller can't or won't correct the problem, contact the NDA Weights and Measures Division (866-471-4292) before you burn any wood.
Additionally, NDA's Weights and Measures Division urges consumers to be wary of a dealer who offers a quick discount on the sales prices for dumping the wood in your yard without stacking it in the prescribed dimensions. "You certainly can't measure the loose-laid wood in the yard," Malone said.
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