We have a lot to thank nature for and timber is one of them! There are a large range of qualities and colours among the different types of timber available, so here is a little breakdown for you.
Hardwood timber such as oak, ash, teak and walnut are commonly used for flooring, decking, staircases and furniture. It is a more expensive material due to its strength and durability. Over time all hardwoods will change colour - lighter timbers generally become richer in colour and darker hardwood timbers become lighter which is a natural process due to natural light exposure and oxygen.
Oak
Oak timber comes from the Oak Tree, native to the Northern Hemisphere. Oak timber is strong, durable and is a beautiful light colour (tone varies from tree to tree) with a prominent grain. A pro is that it is also resistant to mould and fungi.
Ash
Ash wood comes from the White Ash Tree. It is a lovely light coloured timber with variations of light beige to brown and has a smooth grain.
Teak
Teak is a high quality hardwood tropical timber that is a golden brown in colour and native to Burma, Thailand and Bangladesh. It is incredibly durable and has a natural oil that repels timber, so you'll often find Teak as the go-to timber when it comes to outdoor furniture.
Walnut
Rich brown in colour. highest resistance to denting and scratching out of all the hardwoods.
Mahogany
Straight-grained, deep reddish-brown timber. Used in a lot of traditional or antique style furniture. It is not as commonly used today as it is not sustainably grown.
Beech
Pale to brown in colour and a more cost-effective material to oak or ash. Used in both furniture and flooring.
Birch
A very economical timber used for plywood and furniture and commonly used in Swedish go-to we know as Ikea. It has two varieties: yellow and white in colour.
Maple
Maple is available in both a hard and soft wood. Hard maple is very light in colour and commonly used for gymnasium floors. Soft maple is light in weight and therefore used to make pallets.
Mango Wood
This timber is South Asian tropical timber that has similar visual characteristics to Teak. Because of its moderate quality, it is often used for furniture, musical instruments and plywood, among other things.
Softwoods such as pine, cedar and fir are used for framework and cladding. Soft woods are generally a more economical product as they grow quickly. These timbers are typically lighter in colour and have a coarser grain.
Pine
There are a few varieties of pine however the most commonly used here in Australia are Radiata - house framing, Cypress - flooring, and Hoop pine - plywood.
Cedar
Western Red Cedar is the most common of the cedar species to be used in applications such as furniture, handrails, windows, doors, shutters, lining and cladding. It is used often outdoors and is a pinky-brown in colour.
Fir
Reddish brown in colour and imported from North America, Fir wood features a straight grain, moderate strength and is low in weight making it a fairly inexpensive product.
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