PreQ ESD - 1.3 Choosing wood

Scot pine

Softwood
Straight grained, but knotty, quite strong and easy to work

Building construction. When used outside it needs protection. Takes paint well

Cheap

Parana Pine

Softwood
Straight grained with few knots, quite strong and durable, warps easily

High quality interior construction and furniture

Expensive

Spruce (whitewood)

Softwood
Quite strong, with small knots, resistant to splitting but not durable

Fitted furniture, e.g. kitchen cabinets.

Cheap

Cedar

Softwood
Straight grained that is knot free. Very light in weight. Very durable, inside and outside. Quite soft.

Used outside for shed construction and quality fencing

Expensive

Ash

Hardwood
Light in colour, flexible and tough, steam bends well, varnishes well.
Medium priced

Beech

Hardwood
Mid-brown colour, hard, strong and tough, tends to warp, steam bends well.
High quality furniture, toys, tool handles, veneers
medium prices

Oak

Hardwood
Light brown, hard, tough, heavy and durable outside. Gets harder with age.
High quality furniture, garden furniture, boat building, veneers
Expensive

Mahogany

Hardwood
Red in colour, medium weight, quite strong, durable inside, warps easily
High quality furniture, shop furniture, boat fittings, veneers.
Expensive

Plywood

Manufactured board
Strong in all directions, quite stable but can warp. A waterproof ply is available.
Tabletops, worktops door fronts, drawer bottoms, small boats (waterproof ply)
Medium priced

MDF

Manufactured board
Does not warp easily, cuts and planes well without splitting, needs a finish.
Tabletops, worktops, veneered furniture, clock cases.
Medium priced
Medium priced

Blockboard

Manufactured board
Does not warp easily. Very strong, rigid and rather heavy. Edge finishing is difficult.
High quality furni ture, stage flooring, fire doors
expensive

Chipboard

Manufactured board
Heavy, can warp easily, joining pieces together is not easy, needs a finish
Cheap plastic coated furniture, roofing boards, partitions
Cheap

Hardboard

Manufactured board
Not very strong, warps easily, needs a finish.
Door panels, cheap drawer bottoms, cabinet backs
Cheap