Main Types Of Wood And Their Applications
There are three main types of wood which are mentioned below along with their uses or applications:
- Softwood: The softwood attribute to woods which are processed from the coniferous trees. The process by which the softwood & lumber are obtained from the trees is also known as milling. The scientific name of softwood is gymnosperms. The conifer tree produces cones and needles. Examples include fir, pine, cedar, redwood, and spruce. The uses of softwood are making the frames of new buildings, home renovation, and remodeling projects, and design of outdoor furniture.
- Hardwood: Hardwood are also famous as the deciduous trees and the scientific name of this wood is angiosperms. The deciduous tree produces leaves and seeds but this tree does not produce cones and needles. Some of the hardwood trees are maple, walnut, cherry, mahogany, teak, and oak. Like the softwoods, hardwoods are also used in various types of building & construction projects and in furniture making. The teakwood, are also used in the production of veneer.
- Engineered/Composite Wood: According to the name of this wood, the engineered wood have specific purposes. Unlike softwoods and hardwoods, engineered woods don't occur naturally. Rather, they are generally made up of waste woods of sawmills. Rather than chucking them into the landfills, these wastes are properly recycled and then treated by using heat or certain chemical products. This type of wood is used to make the medium density fiberboard, wood veneers, plywood strand board & composite board but remember that the engineered wood is mostly used in interior decoration projects like the constructions of kitchen cabinets.
Other Types Of Wood
Besides the above-mentioned wood types, there are some other types of wood:
- Balsa Wood: Balsa wood is very famous because it is remarkably lightweight and this is the reason why this wood is ideal for craft-type projects. Due to the lightweight and ease of use, this balsa wood is also good for the rookie woodworkers. This balsa wood is also used for making the surfboards, rafts, boat life preserves and others designed to float. If using this balsa wood in woodworking projects then do not assemble your balsa wood by using screws or nails because this wood is weak, simply use glue on it.
- Aspen: The aspen wood is famous for its light color. This aspen wood is a very poor conductor of heat & also highly resistant to moisture. The aspen wood is not very abundant, which makes this wood a little costly to acquire. This wood is an added advantage when you are looking for a wood which is easier to paint or stains.