Wood surrounds us. It is everywhere, from the instruments we play to the furniture which we sit on. These items are usually made of three main types of wood; Softwoods, Hardwoods, and Engineered Woods.
Softwoods are made from conifer trees, or trees which bear cones and needles. Some common softwood trees are Spruce, Fir, Pine, and Redwood. While soft woods can be found in furniture or around a house, this species is mostly used in construction, specifically when building roof trusses or utility style structures like electricity poles. As many Softwoods are able to resist insects and rot, they are often used outside.
Hardwoods come from any tree which produces leaves and seeds in the place of needles or cones. These trees are most commonly are known as deciduous trees, or trees that loose their leaves. Common hardwood species include oak, maple, cherry, mahogany, and walnut. Many hardwood species are well known for their distinctive and exquisite wood grain patterns. Due to this, Hardwoods are often used in walls, floors, bowls, furniture, or for other decorative purposes. Certain species of trees, like bamboo, have similar qualities to those of other Hardwood species, so while they are not deciduous, they are often considered to be part of the Hardwood family.
While ‘Hardwood’ does have ‘hard’ in it and ‘Softwood’ contains the word ‘soft,’ the distinction between Hardwoods and Softwoods depends more on the type of tree used to manufacture a certain piece of wood rather than its strength. The variations of strength in both groups is enormous and many Hardwood species, like balsa wood, are far worker than certain Softwood species. Some other differences between Softwoods and Hardwoods are the fact that Hardwoods are more expensive than Softwoods. Additionally, Hardwoods take a longer time to grow when compared to Softwoods.
Engineered, or manufactured, wood does not occur naturally in the environment and is instead manipulated through chemical processes to have certain qualities that are hard to come by in nature, like extra strength or size. Also known as composite wood, Engineered woods are often made from the waste wood of sawmills. Popular examples of engineered woods include Plywood, Oriented Strand Board, Medium Density Fiber Board, and Composite Board. Engineered woods are used for everything, ranging from furniture to decorations.