Hardwoods have been around for centuries and has been the first choice of material for many projects such as flooring, furniture, decking and much more. Continue reading to find out the different types of hardwoods and why you should choose them.
Types of Hardwoods
Generally, hardwoods are denser than softwoods this is because they come from slow-growing, broad-leaved trees. Hardwoods are employed in a large range of applications it depends on your preference, budget and lifespan as hardwoods last longer than softwoods. The most popular hardwoods to work with is West African Iroko, European Oak and American White Oak. This is because they are very versatile, have good workability and are a likeable colour.
American Hardwood Range
American hardwoods are traded under standard set of grading rules that have been accepted throughout the hardwood industry. These timbers are White Oak, Ash, Black Walnut, Cherry, Hard Maple and Poplar / Tulipwood.
West African Range
West African hardwood timber is extremely common in the UK market and contain some of the hardest types of wood in the world. The timbers are high quality and offer a more competitive price than European and American hardwoods. These timbers are Sapele, Iroko, Idigbo and Wenge.
European Range
European Hardwoods are accepted as being some of the highest quality timbers in the world. Users can enjoy the rich colour of European Oak and the reddish-brown colour of European Beech.
Other Hardwoods
Meranti, Keruing and Balau are also hardwoods that are mainly used in outdoor applications. Meranti is pale pink to dark red, Keruing is easy to work with and Balau is incredibly durable.
Now that you know the different types of hardwoods available, we hope you are feeling more confident in your timber project. If not, please get in touch or alternatively use our ‘Timber Browser’ on our homepage where you will be able to filter hardwood timber and its use so that you can discover the hardwoods available
Timbersource are a leading online timber merchant in the UK, supplying hardwood timber to the joinery, carpentry, retail and building trade at competitive prices.