Types of wood and their uses

Why wood is used in buildings?

Wood's strength, lightweight nature, and ease of use make it suitable for constructing the underlying structure of buildings. Wood's innate resistance to heat, electrical conduction, and sound absorption features make it a safe and comfortable material for building homes and businesses.

What wood is used for in structures?

Wooden constructions are sturdy, durable, and resilient. They can be engineered to withstand severe earthquakes and hurricane-force winds. Wood can be utilized to create remarkable elements such as roofs, ceilings, walls, and bridges, resulting in visually pleasing constructions. Wooden building materials are also environmentally friendly.

Major types of wood

Hard wood

These are obtained from trees that do not produce needles or cones but do generate large leaves. These trees may provide you with seeds, fruits, leaves, and gorgeous timber. Their woods show different grain patterns.

Soft wood

Softwoods are generated from trees, commonly known as conifers. They generate needles and cones and are more widely available than trees growing hardwoods as they grow faster.

Composite or Engineered Wood

These are made from chemically-treated scrap wood. They are constructed by humans, which explains why they can be given particular features and characteristics.

What wood is most used for construction?

Wood is a common building material, and there are many different varieties, each with its own set of qualities such as color, grain, density, and durability.

Types of wood

1. Pine wood

Pine is a softwood commonly used by wood dealers in the construction sector. It is a popular choice for framing, sheathing, and flooring because of its accessibility, low cost, and versatility. Aside from its light color, it features a straight grain and a smooth texture. In addition, it is extremely simple to deal with, making it an excellent choice for professional constructors and builders. 

Uses of Pinewood

• Ideal for a variety of outdoor furniture.

• Ideal for interior furniture, shelves, rustic furniture, wall panels, door frames and windows, pavements, and flooring.

2. Spruce wood

Spruce is another common softwood in the construction business. It has an identical look and qualities like pine and is often used in construction projects. It is light in color, with a straight grain and a smooth texture, similar to pine wood. In addition to framing and sheathing, spruce is a preferred material for plywood.

Uses of spruce

• Spruce is commonly used for paper pulp, furniture, building, lumber, crates & boxes, millwork, and musical instrument soundboards.

3. Fir wood

Fir is similar to pine and spruce in numerous respects. It is a softwood that is commonly used for framing, sheathing, and manufacturing doors and windows. It is light in hue, with a straight grain and a smooth feel. However, one significant difference between fir and pine is that fir is typically more expensive, owing to its greater resilience to decay and pests.

Uses of fir wood

• Fir is a high-quality wood used in the manufacture of sashes, doors and windows.

• It is also used to manufacture a wide range of products such as general millwork, flooring, furniture, cabinets, veneer, vats, ships and boats, transmission poles, and marine pilings.

4. Teak Wood

This tropical hardwood is an ideal combination of beauty and durability. Teak has a modest weight and a distinct natural oil that accounts for its resistance to rot and insects. Notably, due to its high quality, it is one of the world's most popular woods.

Teak wood is simple to deal with at every level, including cutting, gluing, and finishing. It is a straight grain wood that is definitely brown and smells like leather when freshly cut.

Uses of teak wood

• Excellent material for constructing boats.

• Creates gorgeous interiors.

• It is appropriate for carvings, outside joinery, and other pieces of furniture.

5. Cedar wood

Cedarwood has shown to be a long-lasting wood that can be used indoors and outdoors. It is a lightweight wood that is pest-resistant and less prone to degradation. It has an aromatic fragrance and a straight wood grain pattern.

There are several varieties of cedarwood, but red and white cedar are the most prevalent. Their names and grain patterns clearly distinguish them.

Uses of cedar wood

• Cedarwood can be used to construct boxes, drawer liners, and basic cases.

• It is used to create robust chests and storage closets.

6. Redwood

Redwood is comparable to Cedar in many different ways. It is also noted for its strength and resilience to decay and pests, making it ideal for outdoor construction projects. One significant distinction from Cedar is that it is generally more expensive, owing to its scarcity and better resistance to decay.

Uses of red wood

• Boxes, bins, bats, barns, bridges, and bungalows were all fashioned of redwood. Posts, porches, piles, pails, pencils, pillars, paving stones, pipe lines

• One of the most dramatic testaments to Redwood's economic significance is the ongoing discovery of new applications for it.

7. Oakwood

Oak is a wood valued for its strength and durability. It's commonly used for flooring, cabinetry, and furniture. However, due to its heavy, thick, strong grain pattern and medium to coarse texture, it is difficult to work with and requires specialized equipment. 

There are two sorts of oaks: red oak and white oak. Red oak has a pinkish-brown color with a more open grain pattern, whereas white oak has a lighter color, almost white, and a finer grain pattern.

Uses of oak wood

• Excellent materials for bookshelves, cabinets, and flooring.

• It manufactures sturdy public structures, external shop fittings, fences, timber frames, and joinery.

• Oak is commonly used in distilling wine, smoking meats, and veneer manufacture.

8. Maple

Maple wood has straight grains and a delicate feel, yet with random patterns. It's a hardwood with high tensile strength. As a result, it can withstand shocks and vibrations without splitting when utilized in construction, particularly on walkways.

It has distinct patterns, some of which resemble a bird's eye. The hue varies with variety, ranging from light brown to reddish-brown, as well as white, yellow, and gold. It yields a great finish with a smooth, delicate texture.

Uses of maple wood 

• It is suitable for violin backs, console tables, floors, bedside tables, baseball bats, veneers, musical instruments, wall shelves, paper, butcher blocks, and workbenches.

9. Cherry

Cherry is a luxury hardwood known for its gorgeous grain and warm reddish-brown color. It is commonly utilized in high-end furniture and cabinetry projects. It has a solid and smooth appearance, with a straight grain pattern that is simple to work with. It can be stained or treated to bring out its natural beauty.

10. Mahogany Wood

When seeking for a rich finish, mahogany is the wood to go with. It is a hard wood that does not expand, contract, or distort. It has a consistent grain pattern and may be readily stained or painted for a stunning finish.

Mahogany is a reddish-brown hardwood that is tough, long-lasting, densely grained, and extremely strong. It is water and insect-resistant.

Uses of mahogany wood

• This wood is used to make beautiful fashion cabinets, custom cabinets, nested tables, and exquisite furniture.

• It is a fantastic material for furniture interiors, high-end flooring, sills, window frames, and dining tables.

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