Timber

Types of Timber

There are two types of timber, called hardwood and softwood. These names do not refer to the properties of the wood but from whether the tree is coniferous or deciduous.

Softwood

Softwoods come from coniferous trees which are evergreen, needle-leaved, cone-bearing trees, such as cedar, spruce, fir and pine.

Name

Properties

Uses

Pine

Very light brown colour
Straight grained and sometimes knotty, fairly tough

Cheap quality furniture, simple joinery

Spruce

Creamy white colour
Not very tough

Indoor work including bedroom and bathroom furniture

Hardwood

Hardwoods come from broad-leaved, deciduous trees. The main hardwood timbers include ash, beech, birch, cherry, elm, mahogany, oak and teak.

Name	Properties	Uses
Ash Image	Light brown colour Open grained, tough and flexible	Tool handles, some sports equipment
Beech Image	White to pinkish brown colour Close grained, hard, tough but warps easily	Tool handles, Children’s toys, Furniture
Elm Image	Light to medium brown colour Open and sometimes interlocking grain, durable in water, tough, resists splitting	Outdoor and indoor furniture
Mahogany Image	Pink to reddish brown colour Fairly strong, durable, some interlocking grain	High end furniture
Oak Image	Light brown colour, strong, hard, tough, open grained, corrodes steel screws and fittings	High end furniture, interior wood work

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