Common Softwoods And Hardwoods

Common hardwoods and softwoods for furniture.

Common softwoods and hardwoods.

For example balsa wood is known as one of the softest and least dense types of wood yet it is. In both groups there is an enormous variation in actual wood hardness the range of density in hardwoods completely including that of softwoods. Softwood is usually wood from gymnosperm trees such as pines and spruces softwoods are not necessarily softer than hardwoods. Hough us forest products laboratory characteristics and availability of commercially important wood from the wood handbook pdf 916k.

Wood is generally categorized as either softwood or hardwood and it is a common misconception that softwood is soft and workable while hardwood is hard and durable. Also wood names can be misleading. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. Ncsu inside wood project reproduction of the american woods.

Typically they grow slower and are thicker than softwoods. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a. Some common types of hardwoods include oak teak iroko and meranti. This type of wood is relatively soft 1 on a scale of 1 to 4 has a straight grain and has a slightly aromatic smell.

Following is a list of common softwood varieties and their characteristics. Hardwoods are sourced from broad leaved trees. Hardwoods are also stronger and more durable due to their more condensed and complex structure. Do note a wood s heartwood is harder than its sapwood.

For example swietena mahagony south american mahogany and african mahogany are all marketed as mahogany but their. However this is not what qualifies a piece of wood as either soft or hard. The most common type of cedar is the western red variety. Western red cedar as its name implies has a reddish color to it.

Here is a list of common hardwoods and softwoods used in the crafting of furniture. Pine lumber since pine is one of the most abundant sources of lumber it may not be as expensive as other types of lumber and is mostly used in construction and furniture. Exhibited by actual specimens and with copious explanatory text by romeyn b.