Building Technology – Option (I) WoodsTypes of Wood

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Natural and Manufactured Wood

• Natural wood comes from trees and is separated into (2) two categories.

1) Hardwood

2) Softwood

• Manufactured wood is made-up of multiple types of man-made wood. It

uses natural wood as its raw material.

Natural Wood Softwood

• Softwoods come from evergreen/needle bearing trees.

• These are called conifers because many of them bare cones.

• Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods so they are cheaper, they are also

easier to work with as they are softer than hardwoods.

• They are often used as building material, in addition they are used to make

manufactured woods.

Types of SoftwoodPine: 

Pine is a soft, white or pale yellow wood which is light weight, straight grained and lacks figure. It’s resistant to shrinking and swelling. With age pine wood gets heavier, harder and darker in color.

Types of SoftwoodCedar: Cedar is a knotty softwood which has a red-brown color with light streaks. It’s resistant to shrinking and swelling. Cedar stands up to moisture, resisting rot and resisting insect damage better than other woods. 

Types of SoftwoodCypress:

Cypress tends to be a light, yellowish brown. Cypress trees are conifers, but unlike most softwoods, these are deciduous trees that shed leaves like hardwoods. Cypress is very easy to work with but tends to have a horrid odor. It is considered one of the harder softwoods.

Natural Wood Hardwood

• Hardwood comes from deciduous/broadleaved trees.

• They are generally slow growing which tends to make them harder and

more expensive.

• Hardwoods can be distinguish by the structure of the wood grain. They are

generally more durable and dense than softwoods.

• Hardwoods are often used in high-quality furniture, decks and flooring.

Types of Hardwood

Mahogany:

Mahogany that comes from the Caribbean is thought to be the hardest, strongest

and best quality of all its species. It is an easy to work wood which is reddish brown in color. This wood is very expensive.

Types of Hardwood

Teak:

Teak is a yellow to dark brown hardwood which is extremely heavy, strong

and durable. It carves well, but because of its high value, is often used as a

veneer.

Types of HardwoodMora:

Mora is a very heavy and very hard wood. It has outstanding strength properties, and is particularly resistant to wear. Mora heartwood varies from chocolate-brown to reddish brown, the grain is straight to commonly interlocked.

Manufactured Wood • Manufactured wood refers to timber sheets which are produced by gluing wood layers

or wood fibers together.

• These have been developed mainly for industrial production as they can be made in

very large sheets of consistent quality.

• Manufactured wood is available in many thicknesses, their inexpensiveness often result in them being used instead of real woods. Manufactured boards are often covered with a thin layer of real wood which is called a veneer, this improves their appearance.

Types of Manufactured Wood

MDF: 

MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard is a smooth, even surface, easily machined and painted or veneered board . Also available in water and fire resistant forms.

Types of Manufactured Wood

Plywood:

A very strong board which is constructed of layers of veneer or piles which are glued at 90 degrees to each other. Interior and exterior grades are available. Plywood is very strong and is often used in construction, it is available in multiple thicknesses.

Types of Manufactured WoodParticle board Made from chips of wood glued together. Usually veneered or covered in plastic laminate. It is often used for kitchen and bedroom furniture

Types of Manufactured WoodOSB:

Oriented Strand Board is a widely used, versatile structural wood panel. Made from waterproof heat-cured adhesives and rectangular shaped wood strands that are arranged in cross-oriented layers, OSB is an engineered wood panel that shares many of the strength and performance characteristics of plywood.

Types of Manufactured WoodBlockboard: Blockboard is made up of a core of softwood strips. The strips are placed edge to edge and sandwiched between veneers of hardwood. The sandwich is then glued under high pressure. Blockboard is not suitable for exterior use, it is often used to make shelves, doors, paneling and partitions.