What is softwood?
Softwood refers to wood that comes from trees, which are primarily cone-bearing trees such as pine, cedar, spruce, and fir. These trees typically have needles and are evergreen. Softwood is called so, not because it's soft in the sense of being weak, but because the trees tend to grow faster and have less dense wood compared to hardwood trees.
Softwood is commonly used in construction, furniture making, paper production, and various other applications. It's valued for its availability, workability, and affordability. Softwood lumber is widely used in framing buildings, producing plywood, crafting furniture, and making wood pulp for paper production. Additionally, softwood is often used for outdoor projects like decks, fences, and landscaping structures due to its natural resistance to decay and insects.
Softwood briquettes are compressed blocks from sawdust or wood chips derived from softwood trees such as pine, spruce, fir, or cedar. These briquettes are typically produced by compressing the softwood material under high pressure without the use of additives or binders.
Softwood briquettes are valued for their high energy content and quick ignition properties. They are known for burning hot and fast, making them suitable for use in wood stoves, fireplaces, and outdoor grills where a rapid heat source is desired. Softwood briquettes can provide an efficient and convenient alternative to traditional firewood, as they produce minimal ash and smoke while delivering consistent heat output.
Due to their availability and relatively low cost compared to hardwood briquettes, softwood briquettes are popular choices for heating and cooking purposes, particularly in regions where softwood trees are abundant. However, it's important to note that softwood briquettes may burn more quickly than hardwood briquettes and may not provide as long-lasting heat. An example of a softwood briquette (from fir/spruce) is produced by our costumer HIT (Mercer Torgau) in Germany
Pine: Are among the most common softwood species. They are known for their straight grain and resinous wood. Pine is widely used in construction, furniture making, and woodworking projects.
Spruce: Have a light-colored wood with a straight grain and fine texture. Spruce is commonly used in construction, paper production, and musical instruments such as guitars and violins.
Fir: Produce light-colored wood with a straight grain and uniform texture. Fir is used in construction, plywood production, and crafting.
Cedar: Are known for their aromatic, reddish-brown wood. Cedar is valued for its natural resistance to decay and insects, making it ideal for outdoor applications such as fencing, decking, and siding.
Douglas Fir: Despite its name, Douglas fir is technically not a true fir. It is a popular softwood species known for its strength and durability. Douglas fir is used in construction, flooring, and woodworking projects.
Larch: Produce a durable, resinous wood with a distinctive grain pattern. Larch is used in construction, boat building, and exterior cladding.
These are just a few examples of the many types of softwood trees found around the world. Each species has its own unique characteristics and is used for a variety of purposes in industries such as construction, woodworking, and paper production.
Europe:
Softwood trees are widespread across Europe, with species like pine, spruce, fir, and larch found in countries such as Sweden, Finland, Russia, Germany, and Austria. Scandinavia is known for its vast softwood forests.
Russia:
Russia is home to extensive boreal forests dominated by softwood species like pine, spruce, and fir. The Siberian taiga is one of the largest forested regions in the world and contains significant amounts of softwood timber.
Asia:
Softwood trees grow in various parts of Asia, including countries like China, Japan, and Korea. Softwood species such as pine, spruce, fir, and cedar are found in temperate and boreal forests across the region.
North Africa and the Middle East:
Softwood trees are less common in these regions compared to other parts of the world. However, some species like cedar can be found in mountainous areas such as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and Lebanon's cedar forests.
Australia and New Zealand:
Softwood species like pine are cultivated in plantations in Australia and New Zealand. These plantations supply timber for construction, furniture making, and paper production.
Softwood trees have adapted to a range of environmental conditions, allowing them to thrive in diverse ecosystems across the globe. They are valuable resources for various industries, including construction, woodworking, paper production, and more.
In the U.K. there is a large market for producing and selling bedding for horses. Most of the bedding is made from shavings from softwood. The shavings have to be clean from dust, so the dust is removed during the processing of the shavings.
One of our customers in the U.K. has decided to utilize the left over dust from the production of shavings to produce briquettes for consumers.