What is the difference between hardwood and softwood we hear you ask. Which is better? Well actually they are both great, they just have different benefits.
Softwood
Softwood comes from faster maturing trees such as conifers, pines and spruces so the wood is less dense in structure.
If you want to build a fire quickly and get it going then softwood firewood logs are ideal. They are fantastic for burning and get the stove up to temperature quickly, radiating your room and helping the stove performance. It does burn quicker but that is why softwood should be used to set and build the fire to get it roaring away.
Yes, softwood does contain resins so it is important that the wood is fully seasoned and ready to burn with an average moisture content of 20% or less. Using properly dried softwood, it is considered that the resin acts as a fuel in its own right.
Hardwood
Hardwood comes from slow growing deciduous trees such as oak, ash or birch. Due to their slow-growing nature they produce a more dense wood.
Hardwood logs are best used to keep a fire going. Once you've used your seasoned softwood to get your fire going and its roaring away, you can then add hardwood logs to sustain the burn.
Hardwood logs are much more dense than softwood logs so they are much harder to light but they burn hotter and considerably longer than softwood. They are therefore perfect for wood burning stoves, open fires or pizza ovens.
Chimney Sweep
Whether you burn softwood, hardwood or anything else, HETAS recommends that you sweep your chimney AT LEAST once a year by an approved chimney sweep to ensure it is working properly and is free of deposits.
Click here to Find a HETAS approved chimney sweep in your area
Its a matter of choice
Which wood fuel you burn ultimately depends on the purpose you want it to serve. The two different woods are no better or worse than the other. So now you are in the know, check out our range of firewood get stocked up and burn better.