It's very important to make sure your fireplace, especially the chimney, is clear and functional for that first fire this winter. Here are some of my hints for purchasing and storing firewood.

This is a good time to purchase firewood. There are so many people trying to sell firewood, the competition is bringing down the price. That can't be said during the middle of winter, though.

Make sure you purchase hard wood not soft wood, like pine or wood from sycamore or poplar trees. This type of wood burns too fast and will never keep a long fire. The wood you want is oak, hickory, maple and you can be sure it will throw out a hot fire over a long period of time.

When purchasing that truckload of wood, here are a few things to consider. Is the wood stacked in the truck or loose? You get more with stacked wood. Is it a mid-size pickup or full-size (for obvious reasons)?

Make sure the wood isn't old rotten wood, but from trees that have felled recently. Ask about how green the wood is. Green wood is OK but it won't be useful until it dries out a little. Will the seller deliver the wood and stack it for the same price?

And one more thing, If you are getting sawed timber from a saw mill, are you getting more bark than wood (again, for obvious reasons)?