Le Stère

[Oldie]

What exactly does this mean with relation to buying wood for burning

(Bois de chauffage)? I suspect it is a measurement of weight, but have

been unable to find the translation.

[Rob G]

As far as I can make out, a "stère" is one cubic metre of cut wood.

Bizarrely, the weight of wood you get will vary depending on what length of logs it is cut into - the shorter the logs, the less wood you'll get - I think it's because with smaller logs you can fit less wood into a one cubic metre space because of the amount of space taken up by the "gaps" in between the logs.

Rob

[andyh4]

A stère is one cubic metre of  wood cut into one metre lengths. 

 

So if you order a stère of wood cut to half a metre you will loose about 15% and if cut to 300mm you loose about 25%.

 

Confused?  well you shouldn't be - put simply cutting the wood into shorter lengths means there are losses, so the original stère becomes smaller - it is however still sold as a stère.  UK weights and Measures would have a field day.

 

 

[Oldie]

Thanks Rob G and andyh4 - things are a bit clearer now! If I have the

choice of 1 metre or 2 metre lengths, it would be more sensible to go

for the 2 metre?

(I'm still in the days of shillings, pounds, feet and inches)

Your help and advice appreciated.

[Tarrot]

  Remember you've got to get the stuff into your stove!  Usually 50 - 60 cm is the limit.  You don't want to spend your days sawing up 2 m logs.

[powerdesal]

Darned good exercise though!!!!!!

[Oldie]

I'm lucky - I do have a log splitter and a saw plus the time. More to

the point, I most definitely do need the exercise!. Appreciate your

replies.

[chessfou]

Yup, a "cubic metre" or a "stacked metre."

I didn't know the answer but I knew a man (or web site, at least) who did:

http://www.tv5.fr/TV5Site/lf/langue_francaise.php

Absolutely essential site.

[JohnM]

I assumed that the reduced quantity for smaller logs, was to allow for the extra time and expense of the supplier making the extra cuts. My plan is to buy big ones next time and cut them myself!

[Loiseau]

[quote user="Oldie"]... have been unable to find the translation. [/quote]

 

It's actually the same word - stere - in English !   [;-)]

Angela

 

[malcw]

What a great website. A question though: I looked up 'corde' there, and among other things it says it's the equivalent of 4 stères. Is that right - I always thought a corde was 3 stères?