About this calculator
Converts a stacked firewood pile's measured dimensions into stacked, solid, and loose (dumped) volume — the three ways firewood is commonly measured and sold.
Formula
stacked volume = pile length × width × height
solid volume = stacked volume × stacked-to-solid factor
loose volume = solid volume / loose-to-solid factor
Stacked volume is what you measure with a tape on an orderly pile — it includes the air gaps between logs. Solid volume is the actual wood, with the gaps removed. Loose volume is what the same solid wood would occupy if dumped randomly (as it typically is when delivered by tipper truck) rather than neatly stacked — loosely piled wood has larger gaps, so it takes up more volume for the same amount of solid wood.
Worked example
Defaults: 3 m × 1 m × 1.5 m stacked pile, 0.7 stacked-to-solid factor, 0.45 loose-to-solid factor.
stacked volume = 3 × 1 × 1.5 = 4.5 m³
solid volume = 4.5 × 0.7 = 3.15 m³
loose volume = 3.15 / 0.45 = 7 m³
FAQ
Why are the conversion factors adjustable instead of fixed? How much of a pile's volume is actually solid wood depends on log shape, how neatly it's stacked, and the species — there's no single universal ratio, so both factors here are disclosed estimates you should adjust to your own wood and stacking.
Why doesn't the calculator cite a standard?
No standard governing the stacked/solid/loose volume conversion was found, so
meta.standards is left empty.
Assumptions and limits
Both conversion factors are disclosed estimates. If your supplier quotes firewood in a different unit (e.g. a "face cord" or another regional measure), convert to one of stacked, solid, or loose volume first.