Carpentry as we all know implies to working with wood in order to build houses, furniture or other objects. Usually it depends on the type of wood what skills and tools a carpenter should use to do a certain task.
In layman’s term, there are two types of wood – hardwood and softwood. Biologically, hardwoods are denser and thus produce carpentry with fine finishes. These woods take time to grow and thus they are more expensive. Softwoods, on the other hand, are easier to work with and they grow faster. Many carpenters use different woods interchangeably for different works. This, however, might not be the right way of dealing with woods. Depending on the unique quality of a particular wood, it is best to use it for that particular purpose only. Here’s a list of some woods and their best possible use:
Hardwoods
Mahogany / Walnut – This is reddish-brown in colour. It is a fine-grained wood and thus is durable and easier to work with. Another good quality of this wood is that it is resistant to decaying and warping. Quality projects of the home like window frames, cabinets, boats and wood facing should be done with this wood.
Oak / Cherry / Maple – These are durable woods. They shrink minimally and repel moisture. Therefore, they are best when used for projects like flooring and boat framing.
Rosewood – It is very fine-grained and thus it is difficult to work with. But it has a nice reddish-brown colour which shines great when polished. All these features make it a favourite wood for constructing musical instruments and other fine art projects.
Teak – Teak is known for being hard and strong. This characteristic makes it a good choice for building garden furniture and boats. However, teak is very difficult to work with and also bunts tools quickly.
Softwoods
Pine / Fir – They are uniformly textured and thus they are easy to work with. They well resist shrinkage and swelling. Most importantly these are affordable and easily available which makes them a good choice to be used in bulk. It can be used for house construction, moulding and panelling.
Redwood / Cedar – These are lightweight and durable. They resist decaying well. House projects like fencing, building ladders, posts or outdoor furniture should be done with these kinds of wood.
Spruce – Because it’s easy to work with, spruce is often used for general outdoor projects. However, you would need to change your outdoor furniture often as spruce is not durable enough.
You should keep some simple things in mind while choosing which type of wood to use where. Like – easy to work with, durable, swelling resistant, decaying resistant, warping resistant, etc. Best is to choose a reliable carpenter and discuss with him all the above points before starting a project.
Author Resource:-
Joanna is a well renowned Polish journalist specialising in Polish, Russian and English translation services. She has been residing in the UK for 3 years where she has made her home among the Polish community in Tooting, South West London.
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