Hardwood VS. Softwood
Softwood
In our seasoned softwood there is a mixture of any of the following:
Larch, Pine & Spruce.
Seasoned softwood is sold in loose cubic metres (£120)
Available in the standard 9-10inch log size.
Hardwood
In Our Seasoned hardwood there is a mixture of any the following:
Ash, Beech, Oak, Birch, Sycamore.
Seasoned Hardwood is sold in both loose cubic metres (£170) & Barrow bags (£55).
Available in Small 8inch logs, Standard 9-10 inch logs & Long 20 inch logs.
Woodsure 'Ready To Burn' ?
All our seasoned softwood and seasoned hardwood is Woodsure 'Ready To Burn' accredited under 20% moisture content.
Why have you introduced Softwood......Price & Availability!
We have limited UK hardwood woodlands which has caused hardwood prices to rise dramatically over the last few years. Unfortunately the price of UK hardwood is only going in one direction and as a business we cannot absorb these increasing costs and have had to pass them onto the customer. As a business we need to plan for a future where UK grown hardwood will become harder to source and may come at a price some customers understandably may not be prepared to pay.
Softwood Woodlands can have up to three rotations to every one rotation of hardwood. Softwood for many reasons can be supplied cheaper than hardwood including reduced handling time, cheaper to buy in as raw timber and reduced time needed to season the wood to name a few.
Seasoned UK softwood Logs provide an affordable alternative to our hardwood logs.
Current loose cubic meter price at time of writing:
Softwood £120 / Hardwood £170
All Our Firewood is UK Grown!
Since 2020 due to the supply and demand issues with UK grown hardwood, there is an increasing amount of firewood being imported from outside the UK. Myself & Jake are passionate about using UK grown timber and will not be using any imported firewood. Seasoned UK softwood is therefore the best alternative for us to provide alongside our Seasoned UK hardwood.
Our stock of seasoned softwood for 2024/25/26 was supplied from woodlands less than 30 miles away here in West Yorkshire!
The Majority of our Seasoned hardwood is sourced within Yorkshire woodlands.
We are proud Baxter logs support the UK (Yorkshire) Economy.
Wood/Multi fuel stove OR Open Fire
Softwood is only advised to be used in closed appliances such as wood/multi-fuel stoves.
Hardwood does not spit, so it is better suited for open fires.
Heat output & Burning time
There is almost no difference in heat output between hardwood and softwoods by weight. Softwoods are approximately 40-50% bulkier in volume than the same weight of hardwood.
The main disadvantage is that a greater volume of softwood is needed when compared to hardwood to provide the same heat.
Hardwoods burn for longer than softwoods due to hardwoods having a tighter grain.
If you had the same volume of wood the Softwood logs will burn quicker than the hardwood logs.
Using the difference in Hardwood & Softwood's properties to your advantage !
Taking account of the differences in heat output and burning time mentioned above we recommend to use these to your advantage.
How ?
Given Softwood burns for a shorter time compared to Hardwood:
-Due to its looser grain it is easier to start a fire with softwood than hardwood.
-We choose to burn softwood on milder evenings when the fire will be on for 2-3 hours and you do not need the level of heat provided by hardwood logs.
-We would also choose softwood if you are heating a smaller space and do not want to feel overwhelmed by the heat.
-If your house is well insulated then softwood may also be the better option to avoid overheating a room.
-If you use your fire only occasionally than softwood could also be a more cost effective option.
Given Hardwood burns hotter for a longer time compared to Softwood:
-During very cold winter weather when we have the fire on 24-12 hours a day, we would choose to use mostly hardwood in the fire to provide optimum heat output.
-If you would like the fire to be left to burn for up to 2 hours without needing to be refilled, then we would suggest you use either hardwood or a mixture of both soft and hardwood.
-If you are trying to heat a large space/area or are in a older stone property with limited insulation, we would recommend burning either just Hardwood or a mixture of both hard and softwood.
The Ultimate option for us is to burn both Hardwood & Softwood.
Given the differences in heat output and burning time between hardwood and softwoods mentioned above, our Ideal fire and what we choose to use in our home is a mixture of both Hardwood and softwood.
