Defining Hardwoods & Softwoods
What’s the difference between hardwoods and softwoods?
Botanically speaking, trees are categorized as either hardwoods or softwoods. Here’s a simple way to distinguish the two:
Hardwoods – deciduous (broad leafed), generally losing their leaves in late fall and reproducing with flowers and fruits or nuts.
Softwoods – coniferous; they retain their needle-shaped leaves in the winter and reproduce by spreading their seed through open cones.
Despite what the categories imply, the distinction between hardwoods and softwoods has to do with leaf type and is not a measure of wood hardness. Oak, a common hardwood, has broad leaves that shed in the fall, while pine, a coniferous softwood, retains its needles all winter.
The terms ‘softwood’ and ‘hardwood’ have nothing to do with whether the wood is physically hard or soft.
Hardwoods
#5
Walnut
Uses: Indoor furniture, cabinets, musical instruments, clocks, boat-building, carving
Sources: Eastern United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, fine grain. Moderately heavy. Color ranges from dark brown to purple or black.
Workability: Cuts and drills easily with sharp tools without burning.
Finishing: Takes natural finishes beautifully.
Price: Moderate
#4
Cherry
Uses: Indoor furniture, cabinetry, carving, turning, plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Fine grain pattern with smooth texture. Wood continues to darken as it ages and is exposed to sunlight.
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel or carbide blades but is more prone to machine burns.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well.
Price: Moderate
#3
Hard Maple
Uses: Indoor furniture, trim, flooring, butcher block countertops, instruments, plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain with occasional bird’s eye or fiddleback figure. Blonde heartwood.
Workability: Difficult to machine without carbide blades and bits. Dull blades will leave burns.
Finishing: Takes clear finishes well, but staining may produce blotches.
Price: Moderate to Expensive, depending on figure
#2
White Oak
Uses: Indoor and outdoor furniture, trim, flooring, plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain pattern, tan with yellow to cream tints. Quartersawing reveals wide medullary rays. Naturally resistant to deterioration from UV sunlight, insects and moisture.
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel or carbide blades and bits. Not prone to burning when machined. Drill pilot holes first for nails or screws.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes like red oak, but narrower pores reduce the need for filling.
Price: Moderate to Expensive
#1
Red Oak
Uses: Indoor furniture, trim, flooring, plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain pattern with larger pores. Tan to reddish pink in color. Quartersawing reveals narrow medullary rays.
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel or carbide blades and bits. Not prone to burning when machined. Drill pilot holes first for nails or screws.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well, but pores will show through if painted unless they are filled.
Price: Moderate
Softwoods
#5
Cypress
Uses: Exterior siding and boat building. Interior and exterior trim, beams, flooring, cabinetry and paneling.
Sources: Mississippi Delta Region of the United States
Characteristics: Straight, even grain pattern with low resin content. Naturally resistant to deterioration from UV sunlight, insects and moisture.
Workability: Machines and sands easily
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well
Price: Inexpensive where regionally available
#4
Redwood
Uses: Outdoor furniture, decks and fences, siding
Sources: West Coast of United States
Characteristics: Straight, fine grain with few knots or blemishes. Relatively light-weight. Reddish brown with cream-colored sapwood. Naturally resistant to deterioration from UV sunlight, insects and moisture.
Workability: Machines and sands easily
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well
Price: Moderate to expensive and not widely available in all nominal dimensions.
#3
Aromatic Cedar (Tennessee)
Uses: Naturally-occurring oils seem to repel moths, making this wood a common closet and chest lining. Also used for veneers and outdoor furniture.
Sources: Eastern United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight to wavy grain pattern with fine texture. Red to tan in color with dramatic streaks of yellows and creams. Distinct aroma emitted when machined, and dust can be a respiratory irritant.
Workability: Machines similarly to western red cedar
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well
Price: Inexpensive
#2
Western Red Cedar
Uses: Outdoor furniture, exterior millwork, interior and exterior siding
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, variable grain pattern with coarse texture. Lower density and fairly light-weight. Saw- and sanding dust can be a respiratory irritant. Naturally resistant to deterioration from UV sunlight, insects and moisture.
Workability: Soft composition machines easily but end grain is prone to splintering and tear-out.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well, but oils in wood can bleed through painted finishes unless primer is applied first.
Price: Inexpensive to moderate where regionally available
#1
White Pine
Uses: Indoor furniture, plywood, veneers and trim, construction lumber
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight grain with even texture and tight pores
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel or carbide blades and bits. Not prone to burning when machined. Lower resin content than other pines, so cutting edges stay cleaner longer.
Finishing: Stains may blotch without using a stain controller first. Takes clear finishes and paints well.
Price: Inexpensive
Bonus: Top 7 Exotic Woods
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Exotic Woods Across the Globe
Want more information on available options for exotic woods from around the world? Learn about the Top 7 Exotic Woods to really amp up your woodworking projects. You can find them all in The Art of Woodworking.
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