General Overview
The term softwood is opposite to hardwood, it is the wood from angiosperm trees. Softwood is that type of wood which is from gymnosperm trees like conifers and ambarella. They are not softer than hardwood. They are mostly used for the construction of industries & can also be used to produce paper pulp and card products. Certains species of this wood are more resistant to insect attack from woodworms. The softwood of longleaf pine, yew, Douglas fire are harder than the several hardwoods in the mechanical sense. Usually, this wood is used for many things like heavy construction, doors, furniture, cladding, stair treads, interior works, etc. This wood is about 80% source of the world's timber production. It is the wood that is cut down from the trees which belong to the gymnosperm. Soft trees retain their leaves and grow much faster throughout the air rather than the other wood. Softwood is of less dense and this makes very easier for you to saw, plane, inserting nails, bore, etc.
Different Varieties Of Softwood
Here are some of the varieties of softwood along with their description:
- Douglas Fir: This is one of the spices of the softwood that is mostly found in North America, it's not only plentiful but also it's dimensionally stable as it can be cut, nailed and fastener in green then you can allow it to dry in the air space during construction. When it gets dry then it will return in shape and size. You can make doors, windows, stairs, and baseboards from this wood. This wood has an excellent performance when you use its exposure appreciation without ground contact. The lifespan of douglas fir wood is near about 500-1000 years.
- White Pine Wood: It grows naturally within the area of mid-Atlantic and New England states. This white pine wood includes design applications for interior walls, ceilings, floors, millwork, and furniture. It is light brown in color and occasionally having a reddish tone but the wood color gets dark with the age. The lifespan of pine wood is near about 3000 years.
- Hem Fir: This is a species which is a combination of western hemlock and five of the true firs that are California red fir, grand fir, novel fir, Pacific silver fir, and the white fir. This species of hem fir is one of the most important species in the western regions. It is also used for the purpose of framing application and also used for exposing ceiling, it is light and bright in color differs from creamy to white. The lifespan of hem fir wood is near about 500-1000 years.
- Ponderosa Pine Wood: The lifespan of ponderosa pine wood is near about 150-500 years. This pinewood takes more finished beautifully including paint, varnish, and stain, and it is suited for re-manufacturing that requires clear splinter wood with a minimum of resin, knots. You have to mold it which helps you to make doors, frames, drawers, etc. Also, it has the ability to withstand scuffs, jars without splitting. Early American decors use this pine paneling for their kitchen, family rooms, dens, bedrooms. This pine has a small amount of brown-reddish hardwood color. It is most abundant in America and is covering 27 million acres of land, also you can found them in Canada and mexico.
- Southern Pine: The life span of southern pine wood is near about 30-60 years and also known as the yellow pine wood. This wood is having great value, you can make a farmhouse, building a deck, ceiling, floor. The southern pine forest is the most productive and sustainable timberland over the world. It is grown and manufactured in east texas through Virginia. You can add any character elegance, beauty, and warmth to this type of wood.
- Western Red Cedar: The lifespan of western red cedar is near about 50-60 years and the other name of this wood is thuja plicata. It is mostly used for decking, siding, and outdoor structures. It will help you to enhance the beauty and elegance of your home with the help of cedar molding, paneling, posts, beams, an interior project such as feature walls, saunas. This softwood cedar is pitch and resin-free. It has also the natural compounds that make it resistant to rot, decay and insect attack. This is renewable, recyclable even harvested from most sustainably managed forests in the world. It is a natural thermal insulator which may help you to check it's energy cost. It's color ranging from mellow ambers to reddish cinnamons and rich sienna browns. These species increase rapidly, though in recent years there is a strong emphasis on the planting of cedar species almost 8 million average seedlings are planted each year on the different cost where cedar thrives.