Is Hardwood Always Harder Than Softwood

The pelletizing process gives manufacturers precise control over the composition of wood pellets.

Is hardwood always harder than softwood. For instance yew wood is classified as a softwood but is considerably tougher than certain hardwoods. You can also expect to pay more for hardwood compared to the same amount of softwood. For example hard maple is extremely hard hence the name and is often chosen for uses like flooring because it can withstand the pressures it will undergo. Likewise balsa wood is classified as a hardwood and yet it s one of the least dense and softest types of wood.

That is hardwood isn t necessarily denser than softwood. Softwood comes from conifers such as fir pine cedar and redwood. Wood is categorized as either softwood or hardwood based on physical structure and makeup. Likewise yew is a hard softwood.

Not all hardwoods are equal. 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 softwoods are actually harder than hardwoods. Upon hearing these terms you may assume that hardwood is literally harder and stronger than its softwood counterpart but this isn t necessarily true.

Are there any negatives to hardwood. Softwood is usually less dense and more resinous burns faster and produces less heat than hardwood. Softwood produces more flames and sometimes more intense heat than hardwood but over a shorter period of time. The differences in the hardness of the wood can be quite varied for both hardwood and softwood.

Softwood is good for starting fires and making kindling. For example a low quality hardwood is actually softer and less dense than a good quality softwood. The best example of this is balsa wood which although extremely lightweight is classed as a hardwood. 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.

All hardwoods are angiosperms flowering plants the largest group of land plants. 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. Generally though softwoods are cheaper and easier to work with than hardwoods. For example balsa wood is known as one of the softest and least dense types of wood yet it is categorized as hardwood.

When you use wood in your wood stove you get the results nature made. Hardwoods are not always harder than softwoods balsa wood being an example of this. The dense wood takes longer to season or dry out typically between 1 2 years and it s harder to light compared to softwood. Hardwood trees are more varied than softwoods and there are about.

Hardwood is wood from deciduous trees and broad leaf evergreen trees. Uses of hardwood vs softwood. Some are much denser than others making them better suited to different applications.