Here at Pearson Fuels, we believe that knowledge is what makes the world go round! After all, many first-time firewood users tend to make mistakes that could have been easily avoided with a little bit of research. In order to ensure that our clients are able to make the most out of their investment in fuels like firewood and logs, we have decided to go over some of the differences between hardwood and softwood. Read on to find out more…

Hardwood

Deciduous trees are those which lose their leaves during the winter period and are the main source of hardwood logs. They include species like beech, birch, sycamore and oak. In fact, these trees are slow-growing and take between 80-100 years to mature which means that the timber they produce is often dense. They are considered the most sought-after type of wood because the density of the logs creates a long-lasting and hot fire that produces little to no smoke. In addition to this, they will also form coals at the end of their lifespan. With this said, hardwood must undergo a time-consuming seasoning process and is often more costly to buy.

Softwood

On the other hand, softwood longs are made from coniferous trees which often have needles and cones attached to their branches. They include species like spruce, Douglas fir and Scots pine. Contrastingly, softwood trees grow must faster than hardwood trees and will take around 25-30 years to mature, resulting in lighter and less dense logs. As a result, softwood will burn much faster than hardwood and will produce noticeable smoke from the chimney. With this said, the logs are known to provide the distinctive crackle that many homeowners hope to achieve and are often cheaper and easier to burn.

When it comes to logs, it is important that homeowners pay close attention to the quality of their wood. After all, burning hardwood is incredibly different from burning softwood and an incorrect approach can leave customers out of pocket! To find out more information about the different types of wooden domestic fuels, get in contact with the best coal merchants on the market and speak to a member of the Pearson Fuels team today!