Hardwoods and Softwoods

The Wooduchoose guide to all woods, hardwood and softwood included
24 Pins
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3y
American White Oak
The heartwood of American White oak can vary in colour from light tan or pale yellow-brown to dark or pale brown, and can even have a pinkish tint. American Oak usually has a straight but open grain and is fairly course in texture. An attractive Oak with multi uses. Normally used internally only
Western Red Cedar
Our Cedar is normally kiln dried, but please refer to the product descriptions. For cladding/exterior use this is air dried - please indicate your use or specify the desired moisture content.
Larch (Siberian)
The heartwood of Siberian Larch is pale red to brick-red and has clearly marked growth rings, with distinction between early wood and late wood. It usually contains hard knots that may loosen after seasoning.
Scandinavian Redwood
he widely distributed species varies according to its origin. Typically, the heartwood of this redwood is pale reddish-brown and clearly distinct from the paler, creamy-white to yellow sapwood. The clear contrast between the light early wood and the darker latewood results in well-defined annual rings.
Southern Yellow Pine
The sapwood of Southern Yellow Pine varies in width, and is white to yellowish, even orange-white or pale yellow. The heartwood is light yellow to red-brown, and is resinous. There is contrast between early wood and latewood and this can be seen in the growth rings.
Utile Wood
The light brown sapwood of Utile is clearly differentiated from the heartwood. When newly cut, the heartwood is pinkish-brown, but it darkens to a deep red-brown on exposure. The grain is typically interlocked with a medium texture. Quarter sawn surfaces can display irregular wide stripe or ribbon figure. Similar in colour and appearance to Sapele, Utile is more durable and often used for external joinery such as windows and doors.
American Maple
The heartwood of Maple is a uniform pale reddish-brown or light tan, the sapwood is white with a reddish tinge. It has a typically straight grain, which can sometimes be wavy or curly. It has a fine, even texture. The distinctive Birdseye form has brownish dots on a whitish background. Other kinds of decorative figuring found in Maple can include fiddle back, leaf, blistered and burr.
Teak Wood
True Burma teak has a uniform dark golden-brown heartwood, free from markings and darkens to a mid to dark brown on exposure. Most teak is a dark golden-yellow. The distinctive narrow to medium-width sapwood is white to pale yellow. The grain is typically straight but sometimes wavy, with a coarse, uneven texture and an oily feel. Teak is considered by many to be the ultimate wood.
European Oak - Character Grade
Character grade Oak is the same as prime and joinery grade Euro Oak in terms of performance and overall colour/look but will display knots, blemishes and be full of character. It is therefore more suited to flooring, cladding and flat surfaces than windows, doors and stairs, where corners and angles are used (as the knots can fall out or sharpe edges can form where cut through the uneven grain).
Douglas Fir
The sapwood of Douglas Fir can be whitish to pale yellow or red-pink, and varies in thickness. The heartwood is variable in colour, with a vast contrast between early wood and latewood. The grain is normally straight, and can be even, sometimes it is wavy or curly. The wood with narrow rings has a more uniform texture than wood with wider rings, which are often uneven.
Steamed European Beech
Ours is kiln dried Beech. The sapwood is hard to differentiate from the heartwood. The colour varies from whitish to very pale brown, and may darken to a pale pinkish-brown. It can turn to a deeper reddish-brown with steaming. Sometimes the wood has a dark red heart or darker veining. It has a straight grain with fine, even texture and a tiny short flecks that are uniquely characteristic with Beech. Quarter sawn, it may display an attractive broad ray figure on radial surfaces
Sapele Mahogany
When newly cut the heartwood of Sapele is pink but then darkens to a red-brown or purple-brown on exposure. The grain is moderately interlocked or wavy, with a fine texture. The wood can exhibit an attractive range of figure, with ribbon and regular stripe on quarter sawn boards. Plus fiddleback, mottle or roe on other cuts. Typically though, Sapele is fairly consistent in colour and grain but boards can differ from one to another. Sapele paints well and is a good all round performer
American Tulipwood
American tulipwood has a wide, creamy-white texture, streaked sapwood. Tulipwood can be referred to as Poplar. The heartwood is pale green to brown, or light yellow to greenish-brown. There can be streaks of blue, purple, dark green and black. Newly cut wood is more of a light yellow to brown, but it changes to a greenish colour on exposure to light.
European Oak - Prime Grade
Depending on origin, the heartwood of oak varies from light tan to a deep brown, with distinct bands of early wood and latewood. The grain is usually straight, but irregular or cross grain can occur adding to the beauty and appeal of this popular and timeless wood. The texture is coarse, and rays and growth rings show an attractive figure ('silver grain') when quarter sawn.
Hemlock Western
Western Hemlock wood - The Hemlock Western sapwood is typically 75-125mm thick and challenging to differentiate from the heartwood, which is creamy-brown to pale yellowish-brown. Hemlock Western latewood areas are darker and frequently tinged with a roseate, purplish or red-brown colour, producing a well-defined growth-ring figure on plain sawn surfaces.