Is Hardwood Always Harder Than Softwood

Hardwood is wood from deciduous trees and broad leaf evergreen trees.

Is hardwood always harder than softwood.

The best example of this is balsa wood which although extremely lightweight is classed as a hardwood. Upon hearing these terms you may assume that hardwood is literally harder and stronger than its softwood counterpart but this isn t necessarily true. That is hardwood isn t necessarily denser than softwood. Softwood is usually less dense and more resinous burns faster and produces less heat than hardwood.

For example a low quality hardwood is actually softer and less dense than a good quality softwood. Are there any negatives to hardwood. The dense wood takes longer to season or dry out typically between 1 2 years and it s harder to light compared to softwood. Some softwoods are actually harder than hardwoods.

In many cases hardwoods and softwoods are both used for many of the same purposes with more emphasis placed on the type of hardwood or softwood and how dense it is. The differences in the hardness of the wood can be quite varied for both hardwood and softwood. Similarly wood from the yew tree which is one of the toughest woods and is harder than most types of oak is classified as softwood. Some are much denser than others making them better suited to different applications.

All hardwoods are angiosperms flowering plants the largest group of land plants. Likewise yew is a hard softwood. Naturally grown and harvested wood is classified as either hardwood or softwood. Uses of hardwood vs softwood.

Softwood produces more flames and sometimes more intense heat than hardwood but over a shorter period of time. The pelletizing process gives manufacturers precise control over the composition of wood pellets. For instance yew wood is classified as a softwood but is considerably tougher than certain hardwoods. Softwood comes from conifers such as fir pine cedar and redwood.

When you use wood in your wood stove you get the results nature made. Hardwood trees are more varied than softwoods and there are about. You can also expect to pay more for hardwood compared to the same amount of softwood. Not all hardwoods are equal.

Generally though softwoods are cheaper and easier to work with than hardwoods. Hardwoods are not always harder than softwoods balsa wood being an example of this. Softwood is good for starting fires and making kindling. In most cases hardwood tends to be harder than softwood but not always.

The manufacturer and the region the wood is being procured from has more to do with pellet quality than whether it is a hardwood or softwood pellet. Likewise balsa wood is classified as a hardwood and yet it s one of the least dense and softest types of wood. Hardwood is contrasted to softwood which comes from conifers cone bearing seed plants.