Wood is a popular choice for construction projects, and many types exist, each with unique characteristics, including color, grain, density, and durability.
In this blog post, we’ll explore 15 popular types of wood that retailers in the construction industry commonly use. From strong and durable hardwoods like oak and maple to softer woods like pine and spruce, we’ll cover the properties and uses of each type of wood to help you make an informed decision when selecting materials for your next construction project.
#1 Pine
Pine is a softwood that wood retailers in the construction industry widely use. It is a popular choice for framing, sheathing, and flooring due to its availability, affordability, and versatility. Besides being light-coloured, it has a straight grain and a smooth texture. In addition, it is relatively easy to work with, making it a good choice for professional contractors and builders.
#2 Spruce
Spruce is another softwood popular in the construction industry. It is similar to pine in appearance and properties and is often used for the same construction projects. Like pine wood, it has a light color, straight grain, and a smooth texture. In addition to framing and sheathing, spruce is a popular choice for making plywood.
#3 Fir
Fir is similar to pine and spruce in many ways. It is a softwood often used for framing, sheathing, and making doors and windows. It is light-coloured with a straight grain and a smooth texture. However, One main difference between fir and pine is that it tends to be more expensive, partly due to its greater resistance to decay and pests.
#4 Sapele
Sapele is a type of hardwood that is abundant in Africa and prized for its stunning grain patterns, durability, and sustainability. This wood has a reddish-brown color and medium texture, making it ideal for a wide range of applications, including furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and musical instruments. Sapele wood is sustainably sourced from managed forests, ensuring that it can be used for generations to come. With its unique character and versatile properties, Sapele is a top choice for designers and woodworkers alike.
#5 Cedar
Cedar is a softwood known for its durability and resistance to decay and pests. As a result, it is often used for siding, decking, and outdoor furniture. Like most softwoods, Cedar is light-coloured with a straight grain and a smooth texture. As a result, it is relatively easy to work with and can be stained or painted to match the desired color. In addition to its practical properties, Cedar is also prized for its natural aroma and insect-repellent qualities.
#6 Redwood
Redwood is similar to Cedar in many ways. It is also known for its durability and resistance to decay and pests, making it suitable for outdoor construction projects. One main difference from Cedar is that it tends to be more expensive due partly to its limited availability and greater resistance to decay.
#7 Oak
Oak is a hardwood known for its strength and durability. It is often used for flooring, cabinetry, and furniture. However, due to its heavy, dense, strong grain pattern and medium to coarse texture, it is relatively hard to work with and requires special tools.
There are two main types of oak: red oak and white oak. Red oak has a pinkish-brown color and a more open grain pattern, while white oak has a light-coloured, almost white, and finer grain pattern.
#8 Maple
Maple is also a hardwood often used for flooring, cabinetry, and furniture. When it comes to color texture, it has a light color with a smooth texture and a straight grain pattern. The best thing about maple is that you can stain or paint it to match your desired color.
There are two main types of maple: hard maple and soft maple. Hard maple, also known as rock maple or sugar maple, is denser and more durable than soft maple, which is lighter in weight and less dense.
#9 Cherry
Cherry is a hardwood with a luxurious appearance, prized for its beautiful grain and warm, reddish-brown hue. It is often used for high-end furniture and cabinetry projects. It has a dense and smooth appearance, with a straight grain pattern that is easy to work with. It can be stained or finished to accentuate its natural beauty.
#10 Mahogany
Mahogany is a hardwood that is well-known for its strength and beauty. It comes from the mahogany tree, a premium-grade hardwood that grows in West Africa, the West Indies, and Central and South America. Its rich, reddish-brown color and smooth texture make it a popular choice for construction projects that require a touch of elegance, such as furniture and cabinetry.
#11 Walnut
Walnut is a hardwood known for its deep, rich brown color and smooth, fine texture. It comes from the black walnut tree, which is native to the eastern United States and grows up to 120 feet tall. Walnut wood is strong and durable, with a straight grain pattern that may have occasional waves or irregularities. It is resistant to rot but is prone to insect attacks. Walnut is often used for high-end furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, turned items, and decorative pieces such as carvings and musical instruments. It is relatively easy to work with and finishes well, but it can be expensive compared to other types of hardwood.
#12 Ash
Ash is a hardwood known for its strength, lightweight, and beautiful light brown color. It is obtained from various trees, including black ash, green ash, white ash, and blue ash, which can grow up to 60 feet tall and spread up to 80 feet wide. With a light color that varies between white and gold, and a texture similar to oak, ash wood is relatively easy to work with and finishes well. It is resistant to shock and is often used for tool handles, wooden baseball bats, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and pool cues. However, it can be challenging to find due to the recent problems with the Emerald Ash borer, an invasive pest that has affected many ash trees.
#13 Birch
Birch is a type of hardwood obtained from birch trees native to the eastern United States, particularly in the Northeast region. It is known for its pale, creamy color and smooth, fine texture. It is versatile and easy to work with, making it a popular choice for a wide range of construction and woodworking projects. It is often used for furniture, cabinetry, decorative items, flooring, plywood, and other applications.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, birch wood is known for its durability and strength, making it an economical choice for projects with essential qualities.
#14 Poplar
Poplar wood is derived from several species of trees in the genus Populus, which can grow to impressive heights of up to 160 feet. These trees are native to Europe, Asia, and North America and are known for their light, pale wood with a straight grain pattern. Poplar is a soft and lightweight hardwood that is easy to work with and suitable for a wide range of woodworking projects. It is often used for furniture, cabinetry, millwork, and decorative items such as veneers and carvings. Besides that, it is also used for pulp and paper production. Despite its softness, it is known for its durability and resistance to decay, and it is often chosen for projects where a lightweight, durable wood is desired.
#15 Douglas Fir
Douglas fir is a coniferous tree belonging to the genus Pseudotsuga. It is named after David Douglas, a Scottish botanist who introduced the tree to Europe in the early 19th century. Douglas fir is native to the western United States and Canada and is one of North America’s tallest and most widely distributed tree species. Douglas fir wood is known for its strength, versatility, and resistance to decay, and it is commonly used for construction, flooring, furniture, and other applications.
Get in touch with Tropical Forest Products today!
At the forefront of the lumber industry, Tropical Forest Products stands out as the fastest-growing distributor in North America. With a diverse selection of over 50 species of the finest woods available, we have the ability to meet the needs of businesses both big and small. Whether you’re looking to stock your inventory or complete a construction project, we are your one-stop source for exceptional quality and unparalleled service. So why wait? Make the smart choice today and contact us by calling (855) 344-4500 or signing up on our website to see how we can make an impact on your project.
