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Types of Wood
Hardness is one of the simplest ways to distinguish the wood used for furniture. Contrary to the
popular belief, hardwood is not necessarily harder and denser compared to softwood. In botanical
terms, hardwood comes from flowering trees while softwood comes from conifers. Both hardwood and
softwood are used for everything from structural to decorative purposes.
1. Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern Cedar, which is commonly called red cedar, eastern red
cedar
and
also aromatic
cedar, is a species of juniper which is native to eastern and southern North
America.
This
tree has a natural habitat that stretches from southeastern Canada to the Gulf
of
Mexico
as
well as east of the Great Plains.
The tree is known because it has aromatic qualities. Lumber is often used to
build
cabinets,
chests and to line closets mainly for the aroma. Tongue & Groove (T&G) boards
are
also
used
for ceilings and walls, and Cedar fireplace mantels, ceiling beams and solid or
wrapped
columns provide a beautiful and stylish addition to your home. Cedar is
rot-resistant
and
often used for patio decks.
Pecan wood has uniquely beautiful wood grains and will stand out in
your home as mantals, dining and coffee tables and other furniture products. Pecan
is sometimes not considered a true hardwood because of its density variations,
particularly in older or near dead trees. However, this makes pecan wood great for
wood working.
Texas Post Oak grows naturally in Central Texas with most trees growing
to 35-40 feet and occasionally reach a height of 60-80 feet with a trunk diameter
diameters reaching 2 to 3 feet. Post Oak is a hardwood with a hardness scale
equivalent to Maple, White Oak and Ash. Post Oak has a good range of tones from
light to dark colors. Each board often has tones of gray, cream, brown, and contains
knots in most cases. It works well for just about any interior application,
including flooring, T&G siding, cabinet lumber, and bar tops. Exterior applications
include fencing and posts, patio furniture (with proper finish), and barn siding.
The Texas Mesquite tree is native to South and Central Texas and is a
hardy slow growing tree that makes beautiful slabs and furniture. It is one of the
hardest wood in America (2435 on the Janka Hardness Scale), twice as hard as Oak.
The demand is growing for this often considered nuisance tree that farmers and
ranchers are constantly battling to keep out of their fields.
Mesquite lumber is one of the most dimensionally stable wood around and makes
outstanding flooring that does not move with weather changes. The hardwood makes
nice furniture, including table tops and benches, and makes beautiful cutting boards
and charcuterie boards.
Texas Post Oak grows naturally in Central Texas with most trees growing to
35-40 feet and occasionally reach a height of 60-80 feet with a trunk diameter diameters
reaching 2 to 3 feet. Post Oak is a hardwood with a hardness scale equivalent to Maple,
White Oak and Ash. Post Oak has a good range of tones from light to dark colors. Each
board often has tones of gray, cream, brown, and contains knots in most cases. It works
well for just about any interior application, including flooring, T&G siding, cabinet
lumber, and bar tops. Exterior applications include fencing and posts, patio furniture
(with proper finish), and barn siding.
Hardwood comes from Angiosperms such as maple, oak, and walnut. These
trees lose their leaves annually (deciduous or broad-leafed trees). As they grow slowly,
hardwood has denser wood fibers (fiber tracheids and libriform fibers).
An interesting fact about hardwood is that some types of hardwood can’t float
in water. For example, Black ironwood is perhaps the hardest and heaviest wood that sinks in
water.
Softwood
Softwood comes from gymnosperms, which are seed-bearing evergreen trees such as
pine, spruce, fir, cedar, juniper, redwood, and yew. As most evergreen trees tend to be less
dense than deciduous trees, it is easier to cut them down. They also grow tall and straight,
making it easier to cut long straight planks of wood.
Hardwood vs Softwood: The difference
Hardwood
Hardwood comes from angiosperm, deciduous trees.
It comes with rough wood texture.
The presence of vessels makes it porous
Tracheid content is around just 5% to 10%.
The complex anatomical structure makes hardwood denser.
Not all types of hardwood are ideal for furniture making. Being expensive, they are
usually used in high-end furniture manufacturing.
Softwood
Softwood comes from coniferous, evergreen trees.
It comes with fine wood texture.
The absence of vessels makes it non-porous.
Tracheid content is around 90% to 95%.
The relatively less complex anatomical structure makes softwood less dense.
Almost all types of softwood are ideal for furniture making. In fact, about 80% of all
timber comes from softwood.
Janka Hardness Scale
The Janka Scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood Species. The Janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0.44” Steel ball into the wwod to half of its diameter.
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