Woods

Hardwood

  • Hardwoods are usually have broad leaves and are deciduous (loose their leaves)
  • Distinguished from softwoods by the structure of the grain
  • They are generally more expensive than softwoods as they take longer to grow

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Hardwood Apperance Properties Uses
Oak
Very strong,tough, durable. Furniture, veneers, doors, fences
Beech
Close grain works and finishes well, Hard and strong but not durable outdoors Wood floor in your house Functional furniture, tools, toys
Mahogany

Hard and Strong but not easy to finish. Expensive Indoor work only

 Expensive furniture, veneers
Teak Very durable, Fire resistant, but quickly blunts tools Fine furniture, chairs, tables, shop fronts
Balsa Very light and very soft, but strong for its weight Model making, life belts, rafts

 

Softwood

  • Usually evergreen trees (Don't loose their leaves)
  • Grow fast therefore cheaper.
  • Often used as construction material as trees grow tall and straight giving long planks of wood

 
Softwood Apperance Properties Uses
European redwood Quite strong, Lots of knots, durable when preserved. cheap General woodwork, cupboards, shelves, roofs.
Stika Spruce Tough, easily worked, straight grain. cheap Indoor work only, low cost furniture
Parana pine Tough with fine grain, prone to twisting General woodwork, fitted furniture
Douglas fir Strong, needs protection outdoors Furniture, plywood, doors, windows. (Xmas trees)
Red cedar Soft and weak.Very durable against weather, insects and rot Weather boarding