The forests of England provide wood that we can use for all sorts of things. When carefully managed, wood is a sustainable resource and gives us a quality material that we can use for an array of things.
When you choose wood for a project, you will usually go to a timber supplier like this timber merchants Portsmouth based company who will have an extensive selection of wood of all different types. Various types of wood have different properties, so it is firstly important that you are aware of the various types of wood and their uses when you are embarking on any sort of project that requires the use of timber.
The main types of wood are hardwood and softwood. Generally speaking, broadleaved deciduous trees such as oak, beech and ash are the trees that are classed as hardwood, and coniferous evergreen trees like pine and spruce are the trees that produce softwood. Hardwood timber has a tendency to be more dense but this is not always the case so it is good to get a more detailed idea of types of wood on an individual basis as they all differ in weight, texture and colour.
Here are some commonly used types of wood, and some of the things that they can be used for:
Oak – Oak wood has long been a favourite, and with people becoming more environmentally conscious, once again oak is being used more for timber framed homes, as it was in the Tudor period in the UK. It is also used for furniture and flooring, and its robust strength ensures it will last centuries!
Pine – This is an appealing wood that is used for many things. It is easy to obtain and therefore less expensive than many other types of wood, and can be used for furniture and cabinets, as well as for some home building needs like window frames.
Beech – As well as being well known for being a great firewood, beech is also useful in construction. It is not as moisture resistant as many other types of wood, so you will mainly find beech used for things like indoor furniture, as well as handles for tools and other engineering projects.
