How to Use Types of Wood in Carpentry

Most woods are categorized as either hardwood or softwood, depending on their density and weight. Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods and are softer, easier to work and cheaper, making them a versatile choice for many carpentry projects. Hardwoods are denser, take longer to grow and are more expensive; but they produce fine carpentry with beautiful, colorful finishes. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Hardwood

1. Consider poplar for finish carpentry. It is usually smooth, straight and knot-free. It easily accepts paint, has a straight grain and is cost-effective and readily available.

2. Select mahogany, or walnut for quality projects such as cabinets, boats, gunstocks, wood facings and window frames. The reddish brown, fine-grained woods are durable, easy to finish, and resist warping, shrinking, swelling and decay.

3. Choose teak for boats and garden furniture, but if you are a beginning carpenter, remember that teak, while extremely hard and strong, can be difficult to work and can blunt tools very quickly.

4. Use oak, cherry, beech or maple for flooring, fine furniture, boat framing and trim. All are durable, have minimal shrinkage and resist moisture.

5. Construct musical instruments, furniture, and fine art projects with rosewood. Rosewood is very fine-grained and more difficult to work, but has a lovely dark reddish brown color and takes on a high sheen when polished.

Softwood

1. Use pine or fir in house construction, window frames, paneling, trim, molding, furniture and veneer. The uniform texture is easy to work and finish and resists swelling, shrinkage and warping, making them good choices for many projects. They are reasonably priced and readily available.

2. Consider hemlock for a variety of basic carpentry projects, such as planks and boards, doors, paneling, boxes and subflooring.

3. Build fencing, paneling, ladders, ship masts and spars, crates, posts, shingles, outdoor furniture or house siding with redwood, cedar or spruce. All are lightweight, easy to work, durable, finish well and resist decay.

4. Choose spruce for general outdoor projects. Spruce is easy to work and resists splitting, but is often not as durable as other softwoods.