Firewood: Know Before You Buy

In case you haven't noticed, it's winter. And in winter, area fireplaces roar. While I don't think that anyone's ever calculated how much firewood is consumed in the Washington, DC area, it's probably a lot.

The problem is that many people only buy wood once a season -- or even once every few years.  If you're the kind of person who can't tell acres from hectares, liters from quarts, or who still has trouble when it comes to divining how many pints are in a gallon, be sure to read this handy guide (PDF) from the National Conference on Weights and Measures on how to not get shortchanged when you buy firewood