Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 7, 1995 TAG: 9511070042
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: IVONNE PEREZ Richmond Times-Dispatch
DATELINE: MECHANICSVILLE, VA. LENGTH: Medium
Waking to cold weather brings a smile to Shelby Dawson's face.
Chilly days are when people begin to crank up the heat and add sparks to their lives with cozy fireplaces. And that means business will be heading Dawson's way.
Dawson developed a love for cutting and selling wood products while growing up on a farm in a family that was in the wood business. About 25 years ago, she started her own firewood business in Mechanicsville, Wood to Burn.
``I've been working in the woods since I was in the fourth grade,'' she said. ``I really look forward every morning to starting my business.''
For those with fireplaces or wood-burning stoves, buying wood - whether from a company or off the street - requires knowing how to find quality.
To ensure a warm and long-lasting fire, consumers should look for oak or hickory that is close to a year old, according to those in the wood industry.
The best wood is ``seasoned wood six to nine months old, so it's dry enough to burn,'' said Becky Gilman of Hanover Timber Harvesters.
Unfortunately, a wood's quality is not evident until it is burned. But wood buyers can get a hint by checking a log's color and weight, said Mike Foreman of the Virginia Department of Forestry.
If wood feels heavier than it looks, it could be too ``green'' to burn, meaning it still has too much moisture. Customers should shop around for the best deal, he said.
Some wood-sellers will deliver and stack wood, while others require the buyer to pick it up. Someone trying to sell a stack of wood on the side of the road may even be more trustworthy than some companies, he said.
``A lot of people make a bit of extra money doing that,'' Foreman said.
Angie DeShazo is the owner of AHD Hauling, which delivers firewood and other products, such as gravel, topsoil and mulch. During the winter months, firewood accounts for 65 percent of her business.
``It kind of fluctuates,'' she said. ``It is the busiest at the first frost and when the snow begins to fall.''
DeShazo suggested that buying wood early secures better quality. And customers should buy in bulk, she said.
Wood usually is sold by the cord, which is a stack measuring 8 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet high.
Most consumers buy a cord or more at a time, said Richard Arvin of Arvin LTD, a Richmond firewood retailer. He sells a cord for $100 and tacks on $25 to $35 for delivery.
``The first cold night, the phone rings off the hook,'' he said.
As far as how much to buy, it all depends on use.
``Most people do not rely on firewood as their main source of heat,'' DeShazo said.
Those who have a wood-burning stove and fireplace may buy up to four cords for the winter. Those who use fire as a secondary heating source or to add romance to winter months may not need that much, she said.
No matter what the use, fire departments advise those burning wood to keep fireplaces, stoves and chimneys clean and debris-free; use a screen; never overload with logs, which could cause cracks in the chimney; keep fire extinguishers handy; and never leave fires unattended.
by CNB