Stacked cubic meter (ster) vs solid cubic meter for firewood: the difference, explained simply

When you buy firewood, the price is quoted either per solid cubic meter or per stacked cubic meter (ster). The difference is not a technicality — it is exactly the difference between how much wood you get and how much air you pay for.

A solid cubic meter (m³) means solid wood: an imaginary 1x1x1 meter cube filled completely with wood, no gaps. This is how logs and roundwood are measured in official documents.

A ster means stacked wood: the same 1x1x1 meter cube, but filled with cut and split logs arranged on top of each other. Air gaps inevitably remain between the pieces — and air doesn't burn.

The practical conversion factor: one ster contains roughly 0.6–0.65 m³ of solid wood, depending on how straight the logs are, how long they are and how carefully the stack is built. In other words, to get one solid cubic meter of wood, you need about a ster and a half.

How to check on delivery: ask for the wood to be unloaded stacked, not loose — or stack it yourself before confirming the quantity. Measure the length, height and depth of the stack and multiply them. If you ordered 5 sters and the stack is 5 meters long, 1 meter high and 1 meter deep, you're fine. Wood delivered loose has an apparent volume 30–40% larger than when stacked — a truck that "looks full" guarantees nothing.

An honest seller tells you upfront which unit they sell in and how you can check. We deliver firewood weighed or measured by the ster, with provenance documents — and if you want to check the stack at unloading, the driver will wait.