Wood Identification – How to Tell the Different Types of Wood

Most folks are not also common with different wood types and it can be challenging to identify them.

It’s essential to determine wooden to decide the fees and workability of your projects. Every single variety of wooden is diverse, and every one particular of them has the houses that make it beneficial. By understanding the wood kind you are using for renovations or projects, you would recognize its lifespan, and you will know the greatest use of that wooden variety.

Underneath, you can find 6 actions on how to inform the diverse sorts of wood.

The 6 Steps to Identify Wood

1. Confirm that the wood is real

This is an important stage of wood identification. You require to establish if you’re looking at natural wooden or just a piece of plastic that imitates wood.  There are a couple of different approaches you can detect wooden authenticity. The first way to confirm that the wooden is true is to appear at the yearly expansion rings. The conclude of the piece of wooden need to match the grain path. Organic lumber is unquestionably taken from a tree if you see the annual growth rings. Folks also tend to replicate natural wooden shades on plastic to make it appear as if the wood is actual. Usually check if the colour is authentic or painted like wooden grain.

Also, check out the wooden to validate if it’s actual lumber or veneer. If you see a repeating grain pattern on a huge panel, that could be veneer. That veneer can be natural or manufactured of plastic, so try to discover the materials. Even if the surface area is reliable, that is even now not a solid wooden piece.

2. Observe the color

The subsequent action in wood identification is to notice the color of the wooden. Diverse types of wood range in shade, so some species are gentle beige or white, but others can be deep brown with reddish or pinkish hues. You need to have to check if the colour is stained or organic. Some woods lighten in sunlight, even though others darken with age. You could notify diverse woods primarily based on their color, but you will need to have to stick to other actions to establish which actual wood type you are working with.

3. Look at the grain

The 3rd action in wood identification is to seem at the wooden grain. The grain texture can establish which sort of wooden it is. Woodgrain depends on the species, though hardwoods are usually seriously grained and rough, even though softwoods are gentle-grained with no obvious pores.

Some grain varieties are:

Straight grain

Straight grain represents wood whose wood fibers in the lumber operate parallel to the lengthy axis of the log.

Irregular grain

Irregular grain represents wooden whose grain runs irregularly and has special twists and twirls.

Interlocked grain

Interlocked grain signifies wooden whose grain spirals close to the log axis and reverses its direction.

Diagonal grain

Diagonal grain represents wooden whose grain is not parallel to the surfaces of the piece. Diagonal grain occurs when a straight-grained wooden is not sawn alongside the vertical axis of the log.

Wavy grain

Wavy grain represents wood whose grain is wavy, and the fibers alter by way of the log.

Spiral grain

Spiral grain signifies wooden whose grain grew twisted, and the fibers have a spiral course with possibly a appropriate or remaining-hand twist.

4. Verify the weight and hardness of the wood

The greatest way to establish the type of wood you encounter is to pick it up to get a feeling of its bodyweight. You can also push it with your fingernail to decide its hardness or weigh it with a scale to establish its density. Hardness and density are associated, so if the wooden is large, it will usually be hard. Consider to compare individuals things to other identified wooden types to see which wooden is the most equivalent.

5. Do tests if possible

There are instances when even right after you have accomplished all the earlier actions, you are not able to determine the id of the wood. If you have the ability, it is excellent to do some other tests to recognize the wood. 1 of the checks would be smelling the wooden. There are a great deal of species that have a unique odor when freshly machined. Yet another test you could do is fluorescence. Several types of wood appear equivalent underneath regular lights. But, when you expose them to distinct wavelengths, the wooden will soak up and emit the light-weight in visibly diverse wavelengths. That way, you can establish the wood variety by the absence or presence of their fluorescent characteristics. You could also try out chemical testing, although several men and women do not have the required equipment.

6. Try out wood identification apps

An additional great way to determine the variety of wooden you face would be utilizing wood identification apps. Technologies has improved more than the several years, generating our lives easier. There are specialised applications that contains details about all the wooden species utilized during the world. They have all the needed information and traits that will permit you to decide the wooden sort effortlessly and rapidly.

Wood categories

Wooden is divided into softwoods and hardwoods. Each types include excellent wood species that vary in use and properties. Hardwoods come from deciduous trees, whilst softwoods come from evergreen trees. As the name claims, hardwoods are more challenging than softwoods, but some softwoods are amazingly tough also.

Hardwoods are usually utilized for producing household furniture, boat developing, building, flooring, and musical devices. They have superb quality and are praised for their toughness and looks. The most frequently utilized hardwoods are Oak, Walnut, Cherry, and Maple, though there are other excellent hardwood species.

Softwoods are employed for flooring, decking, structural applications, development framing, interior molding, and landscaping. They are lightweight and significantly less dense than hardwoods, so they are generally less difficult to function with and procedure. Cedar, Spruce, Redwood, and Pine are the most generally used softwoods.

Below you can see a listing of some of the most well-known hardwoods and softwoods, along with their characteristics.

Hardwoods

Oak

Oak is a quite well-known hardwood species worldwide. Individuals in the United states use it for its toughness and normal, charming look. There are various sorts of Oak, and some of the most popular are White Oak, Crimson Oak, and Black Oak. You can use it for flooring, household furniture, cabinetry, and other Diy tasks. Oak will come in beautiful hues that differ from species to species. It can be mild brown/brown with purple hues.

Walnut

Another excellent hardwood that is really common is Walnut. It is well-known owing to its gorgeous color tones ranging from light-weight brown to deep chocolate brown. Walnut wooden is tough, effortless to work with, and decay-resistant. The downside of doing work with Walnut is that the wood has a slight odor even though getting processed. People use it for flooring, cabinetry, furniture, interior paneling, and veneers. All round, it’s a great choice for any person who would like toughness and aesthetic appeal mixed into a single item.

Cherry

When we chat about some of the ideal hardwoods, we need to have to point out Cherry. It’s an additional sort of hardwood folks adore for its appears and exclusive traits. The main Cherry that’s utilised in the US is Black Cherry (American Cherry). It has a distinct brown-reddish color that amazes everyone. It is recognized for its superb workability and longevity and its primary use is for flooring, household furniture, and cabinetry. It is decay-resistant but not water-resistant, so we do not advocate employing Cherry home furniture exterior.

Maple

Maple is a hardwood of amazing longevity and appealing colours that house owners enjoy to see. There are tons of different Maple species, but folks in the United states mostly go for Black Maple (Sugar Maple). That is the strongest of all Maple species. It is great to perform with, though soft Maple varieties are less complicated because of to reduce density. It is mostly utilised for generating furniture, flooring, paper, sports activities equipment, and musical instruments. Maple wood is a amazing alternative for men and women seeking to be a lot more eco-helpful.

Softwoods

Cedar

Cedar is a softwood, and you can easily see the big difference in the Janka Hardness Scale Ranking for a softwood like Cedar with a hardwood like Maple. That doesn’t always imply that Cedar is not a powerful wood, however. It is a best decision for outdoor projects this sort of as decking, siding, fences, or shingles. You can also use it indoors for ceilings or home furniture. It is lightweight, straightforward to perform with, and affordable. Even now, Cedar can be sensitive and requires a lot of upkeep.

Spruce

If you’re hunting for a light-weight, all-natural softwood Spruce should be your choice. You can use Spruce for design, fences, and window frames, or you could make home furniture with it. It’s also an superb choice for ceilings and if there are no knots present, Spruce is not tough to work with. It is not way too expensive, but the parts without knots are far more expensive than the pieces with knots.

Redwood

Redwood is a pinkish-brown/reddish-brown softwood employed for decking, household furniture, trims, structural beams, and outdoor structures. Its color and workability are the issues that draw in men and women to use Redwood, furthermore it is sturdy and drinking water-resistant. Despite the fact that Redwood is fantastic, it does have some disadvantages. It’s fairly high-priced since individuals use it so usually that costs have increased. Also, Redwood calls for typical maintenance, so it’s not for individuals who are not inclined to just take care of it.

Pine

Pine is a softwood that has numerous distinct types. Japanese White Pine, which is frequently employed in the US, has the most affordable Janka Hardness Scale Score amid all Pines. Other Pine species like True Pine or Purple Pine have a scale score greater than some hardwoods. Men and women use Pine for decking, design, moldings, trim, and flooring. Regardless of getting a softwood, this species is tough and most importantly affordable. It is straightforward to operate with, but the last item will require maintenance and treatment.

How can you tell the difference between softwood and hardwood?

The main big difference amongst hardwoods and softwoods is in their hardness and density. Hardwoods are a lot more dense and rigid than softwoods. They expand slower and are typically far more expensive than softwoods. Hardwoods are generally drinking water, rot and decay, and fire-resistant.

On the other hand, softwoods are light-weight and simpler to perform with than hardwoods. The two wood varieties are used worldwide for a variety of reasons and projects. Softwoods are usually far more eco-helpful because of to their rapidly development, but they have a shorter lifespan than hardwoods.

Conclusion

We hope that this report will support you determine any wood sorts you face. Attempt to go by means of as numerous methods as feasible to determine the kind of wood in front of you. If you’re still not sure, even right after you have concluded every little thing, really don't worry! Merely use 1 of the obtainable wooden identification apps to support you discover the wood type more quickly.

Showcased Picture Credit score: Sergey Ryzhov, Shutterstock