Lumber Comparison And Uses

Wood is used for many different things in the world today, but what many people do not know is there are many different types of it. The average person usually thinks that all wood is the same, but some species are just a different color than others. This generalization is very wrong because every type of wood is different in some way and has its own special characteristics.

To start the biggest difference is if the wood is a hardwood or softwood. They are not called hardwood and softwood because of their physical durability or texture but because of the kind of tree they are cut from. Hardwoods are cut from deciduous trees and softwoods are cut from coniferous trees. A deciduous tree is any tree that loses it leaves during the winter months and a coniferous tree is the opposite, it usually is a cone-bearing tree that does not lose its leaves during the winter months. Both types of trees do have one thing in common though and that is that they are mostly composed of about 60% cellulose, 28% lignin, and the other 12% is there individual consistencies and colors. Even though the two types of wood are composed of mostly the same thing they are still very different and used for many different things.

Hardwoods for the most part are heavier than those of the softwood category making them ideal for furniture, flooring, cabinets, and nice finished projects. Oak is the most well-known and valued hardwood because of its durability and its ability to finish so well. There are a few different types of oak like red oak and white oak. White oak is the most prized of the oak family because it is hard, strong, durable, and finishes well. White oak principle uses are for furniture, veneers, flooring, cabinets, and ship timber. Red oak is used for somewhat the same purposes although it is not as strong or durable. Oak wood more than any other type of wood was the kind of wood used in building the log cabins, barns, mills, and forts of the early settlers. Oaks are now one of the most prized types of wood because they were so abundant that they were cut down so rapidly and it was not until the government realized they were depleting and started to restore them in our forests. Almost half a million white oaks have been planted in Pennsylvania alone in the past twenty years. Oak is not the only hardwood that is used though as mahogany, walnut, maple, and rosewood is a few of the other types. Mostly all of the hardwoods are used for the same purposes, except in a few cases.

Softwoods are normally a lighter wood, but that does not mean they are weak or less durable. These types of wood are normally used as construction lumber, doors