Your next beautiful project begins by selecting the perfect piece of wood…
Varieties.
Pine
Hardness: 550 - 700
The most common wood species, this softwood is used as a costruction material. Color range from pale white to yellow.
Poplar
Hardness: 540
Light white to yellow “soft hardwood”. Heartwood can have reds, greens and purples, giving it the name “rainbow poplar”
Maple
Hardness: 700 - 950 (soft); 1,450 (hard)
Primarily light in color, this hardwood is most well-known for its various forms of figuring - ambrosia, curly, spalted.
Birch
Hardness: 970
Light brown, white sapwood. Birch usually has a uniform appearance and is commonly used to make plywood.
Oak (Red/White)
Hardness: 1,220 (red); 1,350 (white)
Old faithful, the most common of hardwoods. “White” and “red” oak varieties offer various characteristics.
Ash
Hardness: 1,320
Very hard, yellow tones. Many have been destroyed in the U.S. due to the emerald ash beetles once native to Asia.
Cherry
Hardness: 950
Sought after for its gorgeous reddish-brown coloring and easy workability. Common in cabinetry and specialty furniture.
Elm
Hardness: 860
When you want a variety of color. While not easy to work with due to it’s interlocking grain, it finishes very well.
Cedar
Hardness: 900
Softwood that is loved by many for its bright red heartwood. Typically used to create a rustic/cabin feel.
Sycamore
Hardness: 770
Dark browns and reds are found in the beautiful sycamore. Ray flecks present in the grain is commonly known as “lacewood”
Hickory / Pecan
Hardness: 1,500 - 1,800
Beautiful pale brown accented by dark grain strands. One of the hardest woods in the U.S.
Black Walnut
Hardness: 1,010
Darkest of the wood species in our area… also one of the most popular due to it’s deep rich colors.
Persimmon
Hardness: 2,300
The white ebony. Also the hardest wood native to NC.
Hackberry
Hardness: 880
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Pear
Hardness: 1,660
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Sweetgum
Hardness: 850
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Buckeye Burl
Hardness: 2,300
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Mulberry
Hardness: 880
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Box Elder
Hardness: 1,660
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Red Alder
Hardness: 850
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*Hardness is based on the “Janka Scale” to determine how well a wood species will withstand dents and wear, as well as finish quality.
The listed number is the amount of force, in pounds, required to imbed a .444” diameter steel ball into the wood to 1/2 the ball’s diameter.
Figuring.
What is figure? Figure is the appearance of the wood grain structure when viewed along it’s sawn surface. Wood that is “figured” is typically more valuable and sought after due to it’s distinct characteristics… simply put, figured wood is not “common”. Below are just a few to consider when choosing wood for your next project. The amount of figuring in your selected wood can be the difference between an elegant finished project and a bold statement piece.
Ambrosia
Also known as “wormy”. Caused by boring ambrosia beetles that create unique, distinguished brown/gray streaks.
Spalting
Fungal reaction (typically when a cut log lays on the ground for a period of time) that creates dark, wavy streaks in the wood.
Curly
Gives the stunning illusion that the wood is wavy due to the internal growth structure of the wood grain.
Burl
Growths that form onto the tree creating a knotted, twisted look inside. Most commonly found near the base of trees.