Some Popular Types Of Wood Used For Furniture

We have been talking about real estate, homes, villas, designs, architecture, and many other things which directly or indirectly deal with homes. But have you ever given a thought about the furniture you use is actually something that contributes to the beauty of the home in abundance. Almost all of us have furniture in our homes but how many of us give a second thought on what type of wood should we use for which furniture. Today we will be discussing on various types of woods that we actually see but don't go deep into thier details.

The woods are of two types, One is softwood and the other one is hardwood. The former is widely used as woodware for building (homes/cabins) and furniture whereas the latter is used for trimmings and furniture but less frequently than softwood.

Softwood

Softwood is a generic term used in woodworking and the lumber industries for wood from conifers. The term softwood designates wood from gymnosperm trees (plants having seeds with no covering). Examples of the softwood-producing trees are Cedar, Fir, Pine, RedWood, Etc

1. Cedar

The most common type of cedar is the western red variety. Western red cedar, as its name implies, has a reddish color to it. This type of wood is relatively soft has a straight grain, and has a slightly aromatic smell.

Western Red cedar is mostly used for outdoor projects such as furniture, decks, and building exteriors because it can handle moist environments without rotting. Western red cedar is moderately priced and can be found at most home centers.

2. Fir

Often referred to as Douglas Fir, this wood has a straight, pronounced grain, and has a reddish brown tint to it. Fir is most often used for building; however, it's inexpensive and can be used for some furniture-making as well. It doesn't have the most interesting grain pattern and doesn't take stain very well, so it's best to use it only when you intend to paint the finished product.

3. Pine

Pine comes in several varieties, including Ponderosa, Sugar, White, and Yellow, and all of them make great furniture. Pine is very easy to work with and, because most varieties are relatively soft, it lends itself to carving.

4. Redwood

Like cedar, redwood is used mostly for outdoor projects because of its resistance to moisture. Redwood is fairly soft and has a straight grain. As its name suggests, it has a reddish tint to it. Redwood is easy to work with, is relatively soft and is moderately priced.

Hardwood

The term hardwood designates wood from broad-leaved (mostly deciduous) or angiosperm trees (plants that produce seeds with some sort of covering). Hardwoods are employed in a large range of applications, for example (but not limited to), construction, furniture, flooring, and utensils. Most woodworkers love to work with hardwoods. The variety of colors, textures, and grain patterns makes for some beautiful and interesting-looking furniture. The downside to hardwoods is their price. Some of the more exotic species can be too expensive to use for anything more than an accent.

Examples of the hardwood-producing trees are Ash, Birch, Cherry, Mahogany, Maple, Oak, Etc

1. Ash

Ash is a white to pale brown wood with a straight grain. It's pretty easy to work with and takes stain quite nicely, but ash is getting harder and harder to find. Ash is a good substitute for white oak.

2. Birch

Birch comes in two varieties: yellow and white. Yellow birch is a pale yellow-to-white wood with reddish-brown heartwood, whereas white birch has a whiter color that resembles maple. Birch is readily available and less expensive than many other hardwoods. However, it's hard to stain because it can get blotchy, so you might prefer to paint anything that you make with birch.

3. Cherry

Cherry is a very popular and all-around great wood; easy to work with, stains and finishes well with just oil, and ages beautifully. Cherry's heartwood has a reddish-brown color to it and the sapwood is almost white. This is a very common wood for furniture-making and is available from sustainably grown forests. Cherry is getting somewhat expensive compared to other domestic hardwoods, such as oak and maple.

4. Mahogany

One of the great furniture woods, mahogany (also called Honduran mahogany) has a reddish-brown to deep-red tint, a straight grain, medium texture. The only drawback is that mahogany isn't being grown in sustainable forests. Forget going to your home center to get some, the only place to find mahogany is a decent lumberyard and it'll cost you.

5.  Maple

Maple comes in two varieties: hard and soft. Both varieties are harder than many other woods. Hard maple is so hard that it's difficult to work with. Soft maple, on the other hand, is relatively easy to work with. Because of their fine, straight grain, both varieties are more stable than many other woods.

6. Oak

Oak is one of the most used woods for furniture. Available in two varieties, Red and White. Oak is strong and easy to work with. White oak is preferred for furniture making because it has a more attractive figure than red oak. White oak is also resistant to moisture and can be used on outdoor furniture.

Choose the right type of wood for different purposes, whether be it furniture or flooring. Wooden flooring has emerged as the mostly preferred flooring type which most of the top builders are taking care of these days. They have to walk in hand to hand with the trend as well as customer satisfaction. One such promising builder is NeST Infratech. In the field of giving shape to some of the most ambitious and luxurious living spaces across the country with years of experience they have excelled at everything they initiated.