A cord of wood, such as you might might buy to fuel your fireplace or woodstove (or to ballast your vehicle so it doesn't tip), is supposed to be a standard measure: 128 cubic feet--a stack 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4 feet wide. Not all cords of wood are stacked equal, however, and you want to keep a couple of things in mind when you place your order.

  • A cord of hardwood (about 1¾ tons) weighs more than a cord of softwood (about 1 ton)--there's more burn for your buck in hardwood.

  • A cord of big logs has a lot of empty space between the pieces; a selection of randomly-sized pieces will pack themselves into a cord of greater value.