Types of Lumber: Pine, Oak & Maple

Lumber is commonly used as a building material.

Although many structures are made from stone and metal, lumber still remains one of the most widely-used building materials contributing to homes, buildings and furniture. In fact, lumber is a blanket term for several different types of wood used in the manufacturing of planks and boards. The expense of mass production as well as availability and durability play major factors in determining the types of wood used in lumber.

Pine

Several species of pine are used for lumber in wood products, including white pine, sugar pine and southern yellow pine. Pine lumber has a white or yellow hue and an almost uniform grain texture. While the grain makes less pronounced ring patterns than maple or oak, it is much easier to cut and work with. Pine is both strong and flexible but is a soft wood that is easily marked by scuffs and scars. Because of this, pine flooring must be stained or sealed with a protective coating. Unvarnished pine is used in framing for homes.

Oak

Oak is a decorative wood with a warm color and ringed pattern woven within the grain. While several species of oak exist, the red and white oaks are most often used. Oak is a dense wood that resists marking and scratching more than other woods such as pine. While oak has a more visible ring pattern in its grain, oak also suffers from knots. Knots in the wood are imperfections that can weaken a piece of lumber or make it more susceptible to infestation or mold. Although small knots in oak lumber are acceptable, larger knots that go from one side of the board to the other may eventually fall out of the board entirely.

Maple

The maple genus of trees consists of more than 200 species; some hardwood species are used for cabinets, flooring, furniture and cutting surfaces, while others are softwood and used for decorative boxes, moldings and trims. Like oak, maple has a warm color and a pronounced ring pattern. Also like oak, boards made from maple may contain knots. The patterns of softer maples such as the silver maple and red maple are similar to those of hardwood maple species such as the boxelder and the sugar maple, which makes soft maple molding a good match for maple floors.

Beech

Although not as expensive as oak or maple, beech is another durable hardwood used in construction of furniture and housing. This wood has a fine grain that makes it easy to cut as well as a beautiful ring pattern. Beech trees also grow in abundance in the northeastern United States. This lumber is often used as a building material for institutional furniture such as school desks and chairs.

References

• Craftsman Style: Pine Wood Characteristics & Types
• McGee Lumber: Oak Lumber Buying Tips
• The Wood Box: Maple
• North Carolina State University: Under Utilized Eastern Hardwood Species Market Development Projec