A good knowledge of the types of wood, their qualities, and their applications can come in handy while choosing the best wood for your project. From pine wood to oak wood and cedar, the list is endless.
Pine
Pine wood is very popular in carpentry and construction with its over 125 species including Scots pine, Eastern white pine, Lodgepole pine, and Red pine. Trees belonging to the genus Pinus grow straight and very fast with relatively soft wood which makes working with them very easy. Pine comes in varying colors from creamy white to yellow and is great for constructing timber frames, paneling, window frames, and more.
Cedar
Being a conifer, cedar is classified under softwood. Though it comes in many types, Western red cedar or aromatic red cedar is the most common that can be used as lumber. The Western red cedar emits a pleasant smell with a distinctive red tinge. It is quite durable thanks to its natural oil that makes the wood resistant to insects and moths.
This is the reason cedar is great for outdoor use. Other varieties of cedar include Eastern Red Cedar, Yellow Ceder, Northern White Cedar, and Spanish Xedar. It is great for creating exterior wood columns.
Mahogany
Mahogany has been dubbed “the king of hardwood” – a well-deserved title. It is one of the most highly sought-after woods known to man as the wood’s strong properties and visual appeal make it a great choice for constructing high-end furniture, art objects, fine instruments, and more. Varieties of this exotic wood include Australian Mahogany, Tropical Mahogany, and Philippine Mahogany
Maple
Primarily grown in ecological forests of North America, maple wood is great for designs where they require the natural wood grain to be visible. Maple comes in different species – soft and hard maple. The Red Maple tree produces the soft maple while the Sugar Maple tree is responsible for producing the hard maple There is also the sycamore maple
Oak
Oak is a hardwood that is loved by many and very popular among woodworkers. Furniture and heirloom bits and pieces built with oak can last for many generations. This elite wood comes in two varieties – the red and white oak.
Most lumber stores stock the red oak and it is distinguished by its more reddish hint. The white oak is a bit harder than the red oak
Spruce
Spruce belongs to the softwood category. Widely used as structural support within the timber industry, the wood enjoys great popularity among woodworkers. A favorite of furniture makers, spruce planes and molds easily. The color of the wood varies from reddish brown to light yellow. It has very little resistance to decay, thus not great for the outdoors. Examples of spruce include Spruce sapwood which comes in yellow and heartwood which is reddish brown.
Ash
Ash is considered a budget-friendly wood relative to white oak. This lightweight hardwood lumber comes in different varieties including blue ash, white ash, green ash, and black ash. The trees grow very tall up to 60 feet in height and 80 feet wide. The wood is great for producing tool handles, baseball bats, cabinets, furniture, floorings, pool cues, and more.
Birch
Birchwood comes in many variants but the most popular among them include white birch, black birch, and yellow birch. This economical hardwood can grow as tall as 70 feet but remain thinly trunked. It appears tightly and smoothly grained and this uniform appearance is quite becoming. Though they are hard, heavy, and strong, birch responds well to woodworking. It is best suited for millwork, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and toy-making
Acacia
Acacia boasts above a thousand species including Acacia Koa, Acacia Auriculiformis, Acacia Acuminata, Acacia Melanoxylon, and Acacia Mangium. The tree is a fast-growing hardwood that can attain 40 feet. The wood can be lightly browned, reddish brown, or dark mahogany in color. Its water-resistant, insect-resistant, and rot-resistant quality gives the wood durability and makes it great for outdoor use. It can be used for furniture, flooring, and household items.
Cherry
The cherry tree produces woods that are listed among the most popular in the world. It boasts multiple varieties including Black cherry, Brazilian cherry, Sweet cherry, Caribbean cherry, and Patagonian cherry. The color of cherry wood can go from reddish brown to creamy white and can be used in making high-end cabinetry, furniture, paneling, musical instruments, carvings, and floorings.
Alder Wood
Alder wood has a diversity, machinability, and inherent beauty that sets it apart from the crowd. This hardwood appears white when freshly cut but exposure to air and light makes it develop a honey-brown color. It is a medium-grade wood with straight grain which makes it ideal for carving, machining, turning, and many finishing techniques. Examples of alder wood include Red Alder, Italian Alder, European Alder, Seaside Alder, Green Alder, and more.
Aspen
Easy to stain or paint, aspen wood is naturally light-colored. Occasionally, it comes in a fuzzy texture. This kind of wood is best suited for sauna construction because of its heat-resistant nature and it tolerates moisture with minute movement or swelling. Aspen is also great at making matchsticks. Examples of aspen include Chinese aspen, Quaking aspen, Korean aspen, and Eurasian aspen. Bigtooth aspen, Japanese aspen,
Beechwood
American Beech, Tri-Color Beech, European Beech, Japanese Beech, and Copper Beech are the most popular types of beechwood. The cream-colored hardwood boasts a steady grain pattern, normally tight and straight with ashen flecking sometimes. It is apt for constructing veneers, furniture, woodturning, and more
Ebony
A genuinely black wood, Ebony is quite easy to spot. This solid hardwood is endowed with exceptional qualities that endear it to woodworkers with a specialty in carvings. It is also ideal for your specialty woodworking tasks. The notable types of ebony wood include Diospyros ebenum, D. celebica, D. crassiflora, and D. humilis
Larch
Western Larch, American Larch, European Larch, Tamarack wood, Japanese Larch, and Siberian Larch are the best-known types of larch wood. A unique softwood, larch is listed among the strongest and hardest softwoods.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nurlana Alasgarli
Content Specialist
Nurlana Alasgarli is a professional copywriter with more than 6 years of creative writing experience. Having lived and experienced all over the world, there are many writing genres that Nurlana follows, including nature, arts and crafts and the outdoors. Nurlana brings life to content creation, captivating her readers.
