3 Types Hardwoods

Many varieties of wood are available and each has its own properties.
3 types hardwoods. Appearance common applications durability strength workability termite resistance and fire resistance. The type of wood you choose determines the beauty and strength of the finished piece. Uses of hardwood vs softwood. The wood from hardwood trees tends to be harder because the trees grow at a slower rate giving the wood its greater density.
Exhibited by actual specimens and with copious explanatory text by romeyn b. Wood products are known for their natural beauty but when selecting a type of wood for your next cabinetry flooring furniture or millwork project it is important to also consider the level of durability by understanding the difference between wood types. Most common hardwoods unlike the conifers or softwood firs spruce and pines hardwood trees have evolved into a broad array of common species. We have an extensive and growing wood database.
Ncsu inside wood project reproduction of the american woods. The following sections introduce you to the most common types of soft and hardwoods. Types of hardwood and softwood explored. On this page you can search hardwoods by botanical name common name or application.
Generally though softwoods are cheaper and easier to work with than hardwoods. However with the many varied types of wood joinery a woodworker has a number of different joints in his arsenal from which to choose based on the project. Scroll over the materials below for a snap shot of their properties and click to learn more. The dominant feature separating hardwoods from softwoods is the presence of pores or vessels.
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. Many different types of wood are listed here. Hardwood from deciduous species such as oak normally shows annual growth rings but these may be absent in some tropical hardwoods. If the wood came from a wood pile or a lumber mill where all the pieces were from trees processed locally then the potential species are immediately limited.
If the wood came from a builder of antique furniture or a boat builder or a trim carpenter. Details for each species include. Hardwoods have a more complex structure than softwoods and are often much slower growing as a result. Types of wood comparing american hardwoods softwoods and tropical hardwoods.
Wood joinery is one of the most basic concepts in woodworking if we didn t have the ability to join two pieces of wood together in a solid fashion all woodworking pieces would be sculptures carved out of a single piece of wood. The remarkable versatility of wood makes it ever present in our everyday lives. Woodsolutions provides details about the timber species and materials available for building in australia.