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What is softwood firewood?

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 7:55 am
by StevenRobinson
Softwood is the least expensive kind of wood you can purchase. Fir is the most ideal decision, yet different softwoods incorporate pine, resin, tidy, cedar, tamarack, birch, and poplar. Softwoods will in general consume quicker and leave better debris contrasted with hardwoods. Timber merchant Surrey and Sussex recommend softwood firewood because it is the cheaper one. They likewise can be untidy to deal with, particularly pine, tidy, and resin, as they cause creosote to develop all the more rapidly in your fireplace. Rescued firewood or different pieces can spare you a ton of cash with regards to warming your home with wood.

Re: What is softwood firewood?

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:25 am
by Landscraper
Hi Steve

It could be that you're a robot ... in that case beep boop boop bee boo boop
EDIT - Steve is definitely a robot, but I love heating with wood so I'm not going to delete

But if not, I would suggest that you not invest too much time burning soft woods in your furnace.
Perhaps take into consideration the following BTU/Species charts

Utah State University

NCSU Repost of ChimneySweep data

The idea that soft woods leave better quality residuals than hardwoods is patently bullshit. Excuse me.
Also the idea that a quickly consumed cord wood is what you want for a wood heated home is also bullshit. Excuse me again.

For a small stove or temperate climate this would be acceptable as you wouldn't need to heat all that much.

Our furnace is run into the middle of the burn zone at least once a day and fueled on a steady diet of hardwoods with softwood kindling (carpentry scraps) and paper / cardboard from the mailbox to get things going. We rarely light a match between the months of December and March as our hardwood coals persist through the night and make easy lighting the next morning.

Ultimately the issue with softwoods is that, regardless of their cost, they produce poor to middling quality coals and (in addition to their soft nature and often resinous qualities) can drastically accelerate creosote buildup within a wood heating system.

Hardwoods create more heat per pound / per log load and create better quality longer lasting coals which, in turn, are able to keep flues and chimneys at a more constant temperature and dissuade condensation and creosote buildup.

Anyone who cuts you a wicked deal on softwood firewood is likely just trying to off product on you.

Don't burn a whole winter of soft woods, unless you want to make good friends with your local chimney specialist.

Re: What is softwood firewood?

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 9:21 pm
by Smitty
Forum robots are weird and annoying. But in this case, led to a very good post Landscraper. Thanks for the links.

Re: What is softwood firewood?

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:09 pm
by joeatomictoad
Specifically, heat is greater with hardwoods. Physics pun intended...specific heat. :roll:

Re: What is softwood firewood?

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 7:26 pm
by Smitty
Thermodynamics humour is the best kind of humour. Very nice. :D