Colorado Tree and Firewood
(970) 682-0462 or (719) 680-1071
Copyright© 2009. All Rights Reserved. Colorado Tree & Firewood
Colorado Firewood
We take pride in our firewood and in taking care of our customers! All our firewood is seasoned, split, palletized, cut
between 15 to 20 inches in length, and is ready to burn upon pickup or delivery.
We specialize in Pinon, Red Cedar, Oak, Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Cherry, Apple, Pecan, Hickory, Osage Orange,
and Mesquite, and Local Hardwoods with more varieties on the way. If you don’t see the variety of wood that you are
looking for let us know and chance are we will find it for you.
Should I buy Softwoods or Hardwoods?
Firewood is classified into two different categories: Softwoods and Hardwoods.
This can be a very confusing topic. The term softwood describes evergreen, or conifer trees, which keep their leaves
year round. The term hardwood applies to leaf-shedding or deciduous trees, which means they loose their leaves in
the fall. A tree classified as a Softwood does not necessarily mean that the wood of these trees is soft – or vice versa
– the term hardwood doesn’t always mean the wood is hard or dense.
For example: Pinon Pine is classified as softwood but it s wood is considerably denser and harder at 23 Btu than say
Green Ash, Cherry, or even Silver Maple which all have less dense wood with Btu ratings under 19. Some
generalizations are true however which are described below.
Softwoods
Softwoods are much easier to ignite and are readily available. They tend to put off a more aromatic smell and if you
don’t mind adding the wood more frequently to you fireplace or stove, then softwoods are probably the best choice
for having the ambiance of a fire while generating heat for your home. But – there are exceptions depending on the
variety of the softwood and the BTU rating. Some softwoods have very respectable heat outputs that are higher than
varieties of hardwoods.
Pinon Also spelled Pinion, Pinyon: Is still considered part of the softwood family but rival hardwoods in heat
output. Known for its dense wood, aromatic smell, and great burn characteristic – It is truly the smell of the high
desert southwest.
Carries and impressive heat output of 23.0 Btu’s with very little, if any popping and great for indoor home
heating and is also the best wood for an outdoor pit or fireplace due to the great smell and ambiance
that is produced when burned. It’s our personal favorite and pinon smoke is even known for repelling mosquitoes!
Red Cedar: Very aromatic, it carries a heat output of 19 Btu’s. It’s easy to ignite, burns clean and will not clog
fireplaces. It has some popping and crackling when burned, so be cautious when using in open face fireplaces.
Rocky Mountain Juniper: Also rivals hardwoods for heat output – Not as aromatic as red cedar or pinon hut
provides a high BTU of 23. Has similar burn characteristics as Red Cedar but burns hotter and has a shaggy bark that
is perfect for igniting the fire. It also can pop and crackle so be careful if using in open face fireplaces.
Pine: A native Colorado wood. Has a lower Btu than the above woods so it burns quicker. Contains some popping,
but offers a lower cost for a lower heat output of 16 Btu’s.
Hardwoods
Hardwoods generally cost more but some varieties give off more heat than softwoods which means you have to add
less logs to keep a fire going and still get a constant heat output.
Hardwoods are harder to ignite, don’t put off as much aromatic scent when burned, and at times are not as readily
available as the softwoods. The majority of cooking woods come from hardwoods. We recommend mixing
hardwoods with a softwood to assist in lighting the fire.
Oak: A hard wood with a heat output of 26 to 29 Btu’s and is one of the most well known home heating woods and
great for smoking as well.
Hickory: Great for smoking and can be used for home heating. A dense hardwood that generates 29 Btu. Produces
an underlying sweet smell when burned.
Pecan: Great smoking wood. Produces a sweet mellow flavored for cooking. 23 Btu.
Mesquite: Great smoking wood. Burns hot with a rich flavored smoke. Btu 28
Cherry: Well known as a smoking wood. Puts off a very pronounced sweet smell when burned. Btu 20
Osage Orange (Hedge): One of the hottest burning hardwoods available with Btu’s comparable to high grade coal.
Btu 32.
Apple Fruitwood: Hot burning wood! It provides a light, slightly sweet aroma and flavor to meats. 26-27 Btu
Peach Fruitwood: Great for smoking!
Local Hardwoods: We may have in stock local hardwoods of Ash, Elm Locust, Aspen and other varieties. Great Value.
Miscellaneous Hardwoods: We are constantly getting in small volumes of hardwood varieties that include Mulberry,
Ash Walnut, Locust, and Sassafras. Ask and we will let you know the availability.
Specialty Mixes
We can mix cords to create your perfect mix. 50/50 mix of each variety.
Colorado Special:
Pinon or Juniper / Pine
Aromatic Mix:
Pinon / Cedar or Juniper
Southern Cross:
Pinon or Juniper / Oak
Romance by Fireside:
Cedar or Juniper / Oak
‘Round the Fire:
Juniper or Pinon/ Osage Orange
Warm My Toes:
Oak / Pine
Hot to Trot:
Pine / Osage Orange
Chiminea Wood
1.0 cubic foot bags can be made up of the
variety you choose of 10 inch lengths and below.
Kindling Box or Bag
1.0 cubic foot Mixed varieties of small sized
pieces ideal for starting the fire!
Full Cords
For your convenience firewood orders of a ½ cord (64 cubic feet) and larger can be delivered or picked up on pallets.
When you order with the pallets there is not the normal “mess” from the traditional dumping or throwing off of the
firewood from the back of the vehicle.
Each pallet equals a half cord (64 cubic feet). So two pallets equal one full cord and all of our firewood is sold as full, 4
feet x 4 feet x 8 feet (128 cubic foot) cords.
Be Cautious
Be cautious when hearing the terms rick, face cord, firewood sold by weight, and pickup beds being used to describe
firewood measurements for firewood that is for sale. These terms make it difficult to know exactly what volume of
wood you are actually getting. Always ask what the cubic feet is for those terms and that will help you compare
accurate volumes and prices.
Delivery In Northern Colorado:
Delivery Mileage Costs begins from our location in North Fort Collins: at 980 West County Road 60 Fort Collins, CO
80524. We will need the delivery address to determine the mileage. If the delivery location is in the mountains or
mountainous type roads - extra mileage will be charged. Our truck is a non four wheel drive and needs about the
same amount of room to maneuver as a large garbage truck. We also need ten feet of room on either side of the
truck to offload the pallets. Our max elevation is 7,000 feet that we can deliver to.
Delivery in Denver:
We can deliver to locations north of I 25 and US 36.
Pick-Up at our Fort Collins Lot:
Pickup is available at our Fort Collins location by appointment only. We are constantly in and out of the lot so please
phone ahead and we will try our best to work our schedule around yours to meet you at the lot.
Pickup Orders:
Please don’t bring any animals with you on pickup orders. Our dogs will want to jump up to say hi and could scratch
paint. We are not responsible for any damages done to vehicles:
In order to best serve our customers we ask that all pickup orders are called in advance to the customer showing up
to avoid waiting as we get your order ready. In most cases we can do same day or next day pick-ups, but not always,
so we ask for as much advance notice as possible.
We do not have a credit card machine on site so cash or check is preferred.
It is highly recommended that all pallets be tarped as wrap and the paint on the wrap can come off during transport
and potentially cause damage to your vehicle or other vehicles around you.
We have two options for pickup orders:
When a customer wants to hand load the wood:
The first option is if the customer knows what variety and quantity they are interested in and then we can get the
order ready and set out for the customer to hand load into their vehicle. For this option we can set the wood out and
the customer can then come by at their convenience to pick the wood up.
A typical mid-size car truck will hold 10 cubic feet. A larger SUV may be able to hold ¼ cord (32 cubic feet) with the
wood stacked up above the windows in the cargo area. A full size pickup bed can hold a ½ cord of stacked wood.
Your order will be marked with your name on it and a black metal drop box is available for cash or check payments to
be placed into.
When a customer wants a pallet or pallets loaded on pickup or trailer:
The second option is if the customer wants the pallet or pallets loaded onto the back of a pickup or trailer. A ¼ cord
or ½ cord fits on one pallet and two pallets equal a cord. Please ask us about the weight of the wood as sometimes
the order will be more weight than the vehicle or trailer can handle. As an example a cord of oak will weigh around
3700 pounds or more which will easily exceed a full ton pickup weight capacity of 2,000 pounds. Also let us know if
the trailer you are bringing isn’t a goose-neck flatbed as smaller trailers are difficult for us to load and we may need
to charge an extra amount for loading for these types of trailers.
Stacking:
With our pallets stacking is usually not required. We can drop the pallet off if we have smooth, even terrain and will
need a clearance of nine feet in height and nine feet in width. If stacking is required give us details of of the stacking
location and we can provide pricing or let you know if we are unable to stack; Pricing is based on stacking within a
twelve feet distance of dropped off pallet to the stacked location. We will always try and place the pallet off of our
truck to as close to your stacking location as possible to reduce stacking costs for our customers. If the access to the
stacking location requires stairs, steep terrain, or is too narrow for a wheel barrow to access then extra cost may
apply.
Pallet Options:
Our machinery requires 9 feet in width and 9 feet in height and smooth, even terrain to access any area where the
pallet is to be placed. This includes placement of the pallet dumped or left on a driveway on a flat surface within 25
feet of the delivery truck. If the requested drop point is beyond these specs then additional costs will be applied or
we may just be unable to drop the pallet at the requested spot due to rough terrain or inadequate clearances. Please
notify us ahead of time it there are special directions to a drop point that falls outside these parameters.
Our firewood varieties come in two ways: on wooden pallets that you pay for, are left at your location and the pallets
are yours to keep; or on specialized metal pallets that require a fully refundable down deposit and that we can take
back at next year's delivery.
Wooden Pallets:
If you want the firewood kept on the wooden pallets and the pallets are left at your location there is an additional
cost per pallet and the pallet is then yours to keep.
Metal Pallets:
If this is the case we will notify you before the delivery. Pay for the $40.00 deposit at the time of delivery and we will
refund the deposit amount once we pick the pallet up on the following years delivery (if we can) or it is returned to
our location. The pallet must not be altered, destroyed, or taken apart in any way in order to get a full refund.
Don’t want to mess with the deposit or pallet? Not a problem - We can simply dump the pallet as close to your
stacking location as possible and take the pallet back with us.
Pallet Deposits:
Some of our firewood varieties may come on specialized pallets that require a fully refundable down deposit. If this
is the case we will notify you before the delivery. Simply write a separate check for the deposit and we will return the
check once we pick the pallet up or it is returned to our location.
Don’t want to mess with the deposit or pallet? Not a problem - We can simply dump the pallet as close to your
stacking location as possible and take the pallet back with us.
Our Guarantee:
We guarantee all of our firewood. We strive for complete customer satisfaction with a process that is hassle free. If
you ever have any questions or concerns please call or email us and we will be happy to help in any way.
Colorado Tree and Firewood Company would like to service your smoking, campfire, and home heating needs
by providing our customers an energy efficient heat source with no hassle delivery.
Discounts:
Refer a Friend
Multi Cord Orders
Repeat Customers
Service Area:
Northern Colorado
Southern Wyoming
Our service area for firewood sales includes the city’s of Ft Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Denver,
Boulder, and surrounding areas. Call us if you have any questions about our delivery area.
Fuel Cost
Comparison Calculator
Firewood is an efficient heating source, producing more BTU's for the price
compared to traditional heating methods. Unlike oil and gas, firewood is a
renewable resource that can be continually replenished over time. Burning
firewood, otherwise known as "cord" wood, also releases a comparable
amount of gas to trees rotting naturally in a forest and does not harm the
environment. Firewood is a safe, clean, environmentally responsible method
for heating homes and buildings.
There are a few things you can look for to see if the wood you intend to purchase
is seasoned or not. Well seasoned firewood generally has darkened ends with
cracks or splits visible, it is relatively lightweight, and makes a clear "clunk" when
two pieces are beat together. Green wood on the other hand is very heavy, the
ends look fresher, and it tends to make a dull "thud" when struck.
Even well seasoned firewood can be ruined by bad storage. Exposed to constant rain or covered in snow, wood will
reabsorb large amounts of water, making it unfit to burn and causing it to rot before it can be used. Wood should be
stored off the ground if possible and protected from excess moisture when weather threatens.