Since there are many types of trees around the world there are also many types of wood that can be used for construction and furniture. Wood uses one of the oldest, noblest and most beautiful materials used by humans. Depending on the tree that we are using to extract the wood, there are many types of wood. In addition, it depends on the type of treatment that they receive from the processes they receive, we also find different varieties.
In this article we are going to tell you about the different types of wood and their main characteristics.
Key features
Both today, common in the past, wood is an element widely used for different purposes. It is a material prepared to do many things. It has technical properties that make it a very interesting element. And it is that wood is a common element of high resistance, longevity over time, ductility and robustness. It is a material that can support large amounts of weight, it can be shaped any way we want and is quite resistant over time.
For all these reasons, wood has been used for the construction of houses and furniture, apart from millions of other things. As we know, depending on the treatment it is given and the processes used in its creation, there are different types of wood. They are used to create floors, walls and ceilings and other types of wood can be used in the construction of any type of furniture. Today you can see wood in classic shelves, doors, beds, tables, kitchen frames, shelves, cabinets and bathroom furniture. We can also find them in decoration elements that have as their main characteristic the power to enhance the details of those places where we place it.
Wood types
We are now going to analyze what are the different types of wood and their most common characteristics. We remember that there are millions of types of wood, but not all of them are used due to the characteristics that we have mentioned above. There are some woods that do not have all the requirements to be used in construction.
In order to know and classify different types of wood, it is necessary to divide them into some categories. The first thing is to divide them into softwoods and hardwoods. The group of soft woods we find those that come from cedar, fir and pine, among others. In the woods that are harder we have those that come from cherry, beech, oak and walnut. In addition to the distinction between hard and soft wood, there are other characteristics and nuances that concern each type of wood.
For all these reasons we must know which wood to choose for each function that is going to be given. Among these nuances we find the color of the wood, the knots and the veins. We must also take into account our own needs, our own tastes and the type of furniture or space we want to create. Taking into account all these factors we will have to say one type of wood or another.
We are now going to analyze which are the main most common types of wood and their main characteristics:
- Fir tree: It is one of the most common types of wood found in Central and Eastern Europe. We find it easily in Spain. One of the main characteristics for which fir wood stands out for its ease of working. Thanks to it, furniture, musical instruments, doors and windows can be manufactured and it is widely used in the construction sector. It has great resistance to humidity.
- PinePine wood is very easy to work and almost all varieties are relatively soft. One of the characteristics that makes this type of wood stand out is that it is very cheap. It is widely used in construction. Its texture is quite uniform and easy to work, which makes it one of the most used types of wood in carpentry, furniture and moldings.
- Cedar: the most common variety is the western red. Its color is reddish and it is a relatively soft type of wood. It has a slightly aromatic smell and is used primarily to make outdoor furniture. This is because its characteristics allow it to withstand humid environments well without decomposing. It has robust characteristics and is an excellent type of wood for garden furniture.
- Maple: it is one of the most widespread woods in the world. It has a very light color and has a medium hardness. Although it does not last very long, it is used both in construction and for the manufacture of immovable musical instruments.
- Beech: This wood is mainly spread throughout Europe and can also be easily found in Spain. Its color is reddish and it becomes darker as the tree gets older. This wood is quite hard but easy to work with. It is used mainly for making musical instruments, but also for furniture of all kinds. It has quite a remarkable resistance.
- Walnut: one of the types of wood considered the most beautiful for lovers of its veins is walnut. Its color is dark and tends to be purple in general. It is frequently used to make furniture, floors and walls. As for the price, it is one of the most expensive woods but it has some characteristics that make it very interesting. It is a hard and very resistant wood. It is able to resist cracking and shock. In addition, it is a fairly compact wood so it can be used almost anywhere. Today it is used for luxury coatings in cabinets, furniture, ornaments and turned elements.
- Oak: There are two main varieties of oak wood: red and white. It is one of the most common woods in Spain and is much loved for being one of the most resistant that we can find. It does not allow to be very easy to work since it has a great hardness. Although it is an expensive wood, it is very beautiful and has a great aesthetic impact. It is used for the manufacture of floors and wall cladding. Also in the manufacture of luxury furniture.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the different types of wood and their main characteristics.