Btu Lb Hardwood Softwood

The difference in energy content is in the woods density.

Btu lb hardwood softwood.

To get the most energy out of your firewood the wood should be seasoned. One pound of dense hardwood will have about the same amount of energy as one pound of light softwood. All species of wood generate similar heat btu s on a per pound basis with a slightly higher amount for high resinous species of trees. Seasoned firewood is described as having a 20 moisture content.

Btu is nothing more than the amount of energy needs to head a single pound of water and increase the temperature by a single degree. 185 will heat up to 5 182 sq feet including all buildings well insulated plus hot water burning a good seasoned hardwood like oak. Wood species type btu values of a cord burning wood in a wood stove. As you can see from the chart below the famed red oak is not the highest on the list.

Species that contain a high amount of resin can produce as much as 9000 btu s pound. Seasoning firewood takes time. A cord of the more dense wood will have more energy than a cord of less dense softwood. All firewood has about the same btu per pound.

This might seem pretty basic but it can make a huge difference for people who are attempting to heat their home using firewood. Less dense softwoods have less btu per cord than more dense hardwood but they also weigh less per cord. Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 btu per pound and resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 btu per pound. The btu in a cord of firewood is usually close to the same per pound between species.