Types of wood: characteristics, uses, and basic formats

Types of wood: characteristics, uses, and basic formats
6 min read

Wood in the DIY sector is considered one of the oldest, noblest, and most beautiful materials that man has worked with. The truth is that different types of wood, like oak woodcan be used in various industrial sectors: furniture construction, work related to DIY, model making and, model building, etc.

But… What is the importance of wood due to? Humans found in it a resistant, malleable, and robust material. Furthermore, it was and is a 100% natural and ecological product that could be easily extracted from forests and other rural areas.

These characteristics made wood the ideal material to create home cabinets, floors, walls, garden furniture Ireland, and ceilings. Likewise, it has also become a perfect product for carpentry projects, shoe manufacturing, and even fuel.

Characteristics of wood: types and utilities

Today's article presents different types of hard and soft woods, their characteristics, and their properties. The composition of the wood indeed varies depending on the tree that is extracted. However, there is a small classification of timber between which we can distinguish:

Types of hardwoods

Here comes the definition of solid wood, that is, those that are extracted from the bark of trees with slow growth. These are beech, walnut, and balsa wood rods.

As a general rule, they are woods that require professional cutting tools to be processed. They cannot be cut quickly and easily with a simple hand saw. For this reason, the work of this type of wood is usually subordinated to cabinetmakers and other professionals in the sector.

Types of softwoods

Woods that proliferate fall into this classification. Therefore, we are talking about species that are more abundant in nature, easy to extract, and much cheaper. Examples are pine wood, softwood plywood sheets, or fir wood.

This type of wood can be manipulated very easily with essential DIY tools. A saw can be used to cut small slats or adjust the wooden plank to the project we have in mind.

Different types of wood and their uses

Below, we highlight the most used and processed types of wood for the manufacture of furniture, models, and other DIY projects:

  1. Fir

Fir wood is one of the most abundant types of softwood in forests throughout central and eastern Europe. Its proliferation makes it the most extracted and processed wood to create all types of carpentry and joinery projects, musical instruments, etc. Among its properties, it is a light and resistant wood with a light color and good quality.

  1. Pine

Pine wood is a soft type with excellent finishes and a uniform texture. It is widely used in the construction sector or garden furniture ireland due to its low cost and ease of mechanization. You get unparalleled aesthetic appeal: a light color, similar to honey, that combines perfectly with minimalist and elegant decorations.

  1. Beech

Beech wood grows throughout Europe, although its species are more sought after as it is a hardwood. It has a reddish color, which becomes darker over time. Regarding its hardness characteristics, we highlight a resistant and rigid material, although it is easy to work with any essential DIY tool.

  1. Walnut

Walnut is the most envied solid wood! Its dark color accompanies a rigid material, very resistant to cracking and impacts, and compact. What type of wood is used to make garden furniture ireland? The truth is that walnut wood is ideal for robust floors and garden furniture Ireland. Undoubtedly, the wood is excellent for making cabinets and other luxury ornaments.

  1. Sapelly

Sapelly or Abebay wood is an exotic African wood widely marketed today thanks to its resistance and beautiful color. Its quality is higher than other woods, translating into a slightly higher price when sold in veneers to cover furniture.

Types of wooden boards according to their composition

In addition to this, we can also divide wood by type according to its composition. As you know, not everything that glitters is gold, and not everything that resembles it is wood. Next, we will show you all the materials derived from wood.

Agglomerate

Wood is made from shavings and covered with a wood veneer. Chipboard is one of the smoothest-looking types of natural wood, although inside, it is made up of pieces of wood instead of being solid. As you can imagine, the chipboard's quality will be determined by the size and quality of these chips.

MDF boards

The undisputed protagonists of low-cost furniture and home renovations or advanced DIY. MDF or MDF boards are better quality than chipboard or oak wood, although they are produced similarly by fusing the chips using pressing methods. It's less porous, so you'll need fewer coats of paint to paint them, and it's prettier. It is used, above all, for walls and doors and, in its water-repellent variety, for outdoor constructions (such as a shed).

Plywood

It is achieved by superimposing wood veneers and combining them with shavings, so its softwood plywood sheets resistance is more excellent than the previous variants. However, it is more difficult to shape.

Melamine

Although it is a resin that imitates wood, we include it because it is usually a popular option for those looking to give their garden furniture Ireland a wood finish. Melamine boards can also replicate any other type of texture, such as stone, granite, or clay.

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Timber Ireland 2
Timber Ireland is a leading importer of sawn hardwoods, clear-grade softwoods, structural hardwoods, joinery redwoods, decking, cladding, and sheet materials. W...
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