Natural Woods
What is most often done when talking about types of wood is to divide them into three groups: soft, hard and tropical. Each of these groups contains species of wood with many similar characteristics, although on the other hand it is common to find woods in some of these groups that share characteristics with those of other types.
Softwood
Very abundant in Europe, they are light and usually light woods, originating from coniferous species. They are easy to work with and thanks to their abundance they are also inexpensive. Its most prominent uses are in the manufacture of consumer furniture and interior carpentry.
Yellowish in color, pine wood is easy to work with and is used for many things: furniture, laminated wood, carpentry, coatings, packaging …
It has a similar appearance to pine, although it is lighter and has less resistance. Their uses are also similar.
It is a light wood, with a reddish tone and with good resistance, even to humidity.
It is a light wood, not very resistant and with a light tone. Its main uses are shredding for the manufacture of technical woods, veneers and plywood, interior carpentry…
Hardwood
Obtained especially from leafy species common in Europe and mainly in North America. They have a greater hardness, as the name suggests, and have a greater variety of uses. These types of wood, in addition to being used for the manufacture of quality furniture, are also frequently found as structural elements in construction, parquets, etc. Regarding the tones, there is a great disparity and it is impossible to speak in a generic way, since the colors can vary from whitish beech, to the red of cherry or the dark brown of walnut.
It is a species with many varieties where there are also significant differences between some of them, especially in terms of tones and resistance. They are generally hard woods, heavy and with light tones. Its use is not only very varied, it is also frequent, to the point that it is often used as a reference for other woods. Quality furniture, parquet, carvings or structures are just some of the uses of oak wood.
It has a very light color naturally (it is usually treated so sometimes we will find it in yellowish tones) and it is hard. It is a kind of wood that is not considered resistant as it is susceptible to fungal attack. It is used among other things for carving and turning, interior furniture, doors and decorative veneers.
It is a moderately hard and resistant wood, with a slight reddish tone. It is used mainly for the manufacture of furniture and decorative elements.
It has a medium resistance and a more or less intense brown color depending on the subspecies. It is highly valued by artisans and is used above all for the manufacture of quality interior furniture.
It is a type of wood comparable to oak in terms of uses and benefits. Its use has been widespread in northern Spain. It has a light brown color.
Tropical wood
As their name indicates, they originate mainly in tropical areas, although some species or subspecies can be found outside of these. They are highly appreciated for their resistance, not only to blows, but also to humidity, fungi and insects. In some cases it is very dense and heavy wood which makes it difficult to work with them. In general terms they are reddish and / or dark woods, although it is by no means a standard.
It is a resistant wood, reddish in color and easy to work with. It is a kind of wood that is in high demand and with a wide variety of uses where the following stand out: both indoor and outdoor furniture, turning, indoor carpentry (doors, windows, moldings …), decorative veneers, etc.
It is one of the densest, hardest and most resistant woods that exist, hence it is widely used outdoors, from floors to pergolas, although it can also be found in the manufacture of quality furniture.
It is a tropical wood of excellent quality, which has light brown or yellowish tones, and is also widely used outdoors. Its use for shipbuilding stands out.
This species of wood, whose origin is in Africa, is known as “African teak”. It has a color between dark yellow and brown, and like the other woods that we have discussed, it has very good resistance. It is used especially for exterior works.
It is a light brown wood, between white and reddish brown. Normally straight grain and fine to medium grain. It is a wood of considerable durability and hardness. It is easy to work, although it has the disadvantage of its characteristic hardness. Within the types of wood it is not the best surface for the application of varnishes and paints, since its impregnation is limited.
Note: The Janka Scale is a tool used to classify natural woods according to their hardness. This basically measures resistance to blows through the force necessary to introduce a steel ball, of a specific diameter, into the wood. This is not a definitive classification since they do not take into account other types of resistance such as torsion.