Hardwood vs Softwood

Did you know that not all firewood is created equal? There are two different types, hardwood and softwood, with hard wood being vastly preferred. Hardwood burns hotter and longer than softwood, because it is more dense.

What is Hardwood?

Hardwood comes from slower growing trees like oak, sycamore, beech, ash, and birch. These are just the most common; any tree that has broad leaves that drop during the fall are hardwoods. If a tree is deciduous, it probably is made of hardwood.

That’s not always the case, however. Technically, the difference between the two types of wood is the way the tree reproduces. Still, for the purpose of firewood, the real key is the density.

Since hardwood is more dense, there is more energy packed in it. This leads to a longer lasting, hotter burn. That hot burn leaves hotter coals behind as well that you can use to restart a fire. It burns cleaner as well, emitting less smoke than its softwood siblings.

What is Softwood?

Conversely, softwood is generally made from conifers and evergreens. These trees tend to grow faster than deciduous trees, leaving wood that is less dense behind.

Softwoods ignite faster, but they burn out quickly and aren’t able to sustain a fire long term. They’re great for campfires, but for heating your home or cooking meals they just don’t compare to hardwood. They always give off more smoke as well.

Softwood might be cheaper than hardwood on the surface, but considering how quickly it burns hardwood gets you more bang for your buck.

We Sell Hardwood!

Our firewood is made from oak trees, the most efficient firewood to burn. It also burns the hottest, so you can rest assured knowing that your home will be kept warm!