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General
Lumber is available in 2 main categories, hardwood and softwood.Quite simply, hardwood is harvested from any deciduous(leaf bearing) tree. While softwood is from coniferous or needleproducing trees. However a wood worker also needs to decide if anengineered wood product like plywood is better suited for the job.
We will demystify the these 3 classifications by taking a closelook at the 3 main choices a wood worker has to face when buying project wood.
Hardwood
Looking at hardwoods first, it is important to remember that theseclassifications really have no bearing on the true hardness of thewood, not all hardwoods are "hard". Species like poplar are muchsofter then pine even though poplar is classified as a hardwood.
Some of the more common domestic hardwoods include, oak, maple,birch and poplar although your choices certainly aren't limited tothese four. For exotic species there are too many to list but teak,mahogany, rose wood and purple heart are just a few.
Softwood
Softwoods on the other hand include species like spruce, fir, pineand cedar and are often cheaper to buy then hardwoods. This ismainly because softwood trees grow taller and straighter thanhardwood trees. This yields more lumber per log. Along with thefact that most softwood is harvested domestically it is the projectwood of choice for most outdoor projects and for many indoor onesas well.
How do you choose project wood?
There are a number of factors that need to be considered whendeciding which wood to use for what project. There are no setrules stating what wood to use for an indoor or outdoor project.Basically the characteristics of the species will determine whetheror not it will stand up to the punishing conditions of the outdoorsor if it better used indoors.
Both hardwood and softwood can be used for both indoor andoutdoor applications but some are more resistant to UV andmoisture then others. These are the ones that should be chosenwhen being used outside.
These particular species have natural oils and resins that fillthe cells of the wood and provide, in some cases, very goodprotection against rot and insects. Species like cedar for example last for decades in direct contact with the ground while sprucewould be rotten in under 5 years.
Of course cedar is a softwood and is used a lot throughout thefurniture and house construction industry. However, somehardwoods also have very good resistance to rot andinsects. Species like teak and mahogany are used a lot in thetropics for boat construction, but since the cost of these exotichardwood species is so much in North America we tendto use softwood in the outdoor applications.
Another important factor is whether or not you want you intendto use a clear finish or paint to protect your project. Cedar needs to be sealed to prevent oils from leaching throughthe paint. Some species of hardwood like poplar and birch are greatfor accepting paint but have a tendency to blotch when stain is applied.
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