Softwood Species:

Western Red Cedar

Botanical Name   –   Thuja Plicata

Appearance   –   The sapwood is narrow and white in colour, and the heartwood is reddish-brown. The timber often displays a wide variation in colour from dark chocolate-brown changing to salmon pink. This natural colour variation can occur within a single board.

Density   –   390 kg/m3

Durability   –   Durable

Uses   –   Cladding, Shingles, external and internal joinery and garden building manufacture

European Redwood

Botanical Name   –   Pinus Sylvestris

Appearance   –   Pale yellowish-brown to red-brown heartwood with lighter-coloured sapwood

Density   –    510 kg/m3.

Durability   –   Non Durable

Uses   –   Internal joinery, construction, cladding, carcassing and furniture

 

Douglas Fir

Botanical Name   –   Pseudotsuga Menziesii

Appearance   –   The heartwood is a light reddish-brown shade, which distinguishes itself from the pale-coloured sapwood

Density   –    530 kg/m3

Durability   –   Moderately durable

Uses   –   Construction work, exterior and interior joinery, external cladding, plywoods and veneers

Southern Yellow Pine

Southern Yellow Pine

Botanical Name   –   Pinus Palustris

Appearance   –   The heartwood is yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, generally resinous, which distinguishes itself from the light-coloured sapwood.

Density   –    660 kg/m3

Durability   –   Moderately durable.

Uses   –   staircases, furniture, interior & exterior joinery, boat building, flooring, and construction

Hemlock

Hemlock

Botanical Name   –   Tsuga Heterophylla

Appearance   –   Pale brown to white in colour with a straight grain and fairly even texture.

Density   –    480 kg/m3.

Durability   –   Non Durable

Uses   –   Internal joinery, mouldings and construction

Hardwood Species:

North American

WhiteOak

American White Oak

Botanical Name   –   Quercus Alba

Appearance   –   Colour ranges from a light yellowy brown to pale biscuit, occasionally with a slight pink tinge and straight grained.

Density   –    760 kg/m3

Durability   –   Durable

Uses   –   Furniture, cabinet making, joinery, flooring and decorative veneers

Poplar / Tulipwood

Botanical Name   –   Liriodendron Tulipifera

Appearance   –   Colour ranges from white to pale olive green to brown.  It is straight grained and of even texture.

Density   –    380 kg/m3

Durability   –   Non durable

Uses   –   interior joinery, panelling, furniture manufacture & mouldings

American Black Walnut

Botanical Name   –   Juglans Nigra

Appearance   –    The colour varies from a light grey-brown to a chocolate brown to purplish brown. When machined the timber has an excellent decorative appearance due to its outstanding grain, colour and pattern.  Grain patterns vary from very plain to highly figured.

Density   –    640 kg/m3

Durability   –   Moderately durable

Uses   –   High quality furniture, cabinet making, internal joinery and veneers.

 

American White Ash

Botanical Name   –   Fraxinus Americana

Appearance   –    pale cream to greyish brown in colour, generally straight grained, with a coarse but even texture.

Density   –    660 kg/m3

Durability   –   Non durable

Uses   –   Internal Joinery, sports handles, skirting, architrave and flooring.

Hardwood Species:

European

European Oak

Botanical name   –   Quercus robur / Quercus Petraea

Appearance   –   Light tan to biscuit with silver grey figure on quarter-sawn.  Usually straight grained but varies with growing conditions.

Density   –    670-720 kg/m3.

Durability   –   Moderately durable

Uses   –   Furniture and cabinet work, interior and exterior joinery, flooring, veneers and shopfitting

Beech

Botanical name   –   Fagus Syvatica

Appearance   –   Colour whitish or pale brown. When steamed it turns pinkish or light red.

Density   –    720 kg/m3.

Durability   –   Perishable

Uses   –   Interior joinery, skirtings, architrave and veneers

Hardwood Species:

African

Sapele

Botanical Name   –   Entandrophragma Cylindricum

Appearance   –   Dark reddish brown. Grain is interlocked or wavy with a medium to fine texture. Sapele is characterised by a marked and regular stripe, particularly pronounced on quarter-sawn surfaces.

Density   –    640 kg/m3

Durability   –   Moderately durable

Uses   –   suitable for a wide range of uses including external and internal joinery, flooring and furniture.

Iroko

Botanical Name   –   Chlorophora Excelsa

Appearance   –   The heartwood is golden-brown and the sapwood is narrow, and clearly defined. The grain is usually interlocked and the texture is rather coarse but even.

Density   –    660 kg/m3

Durability   –   Very durable

Uses   –   wide range of uses including external timber cladding, external joinery, boat building & marine work

 

Idigbo

Botanical Name   –   Terminalia Ivorensis

Appearance   –   The timber is yellow to light brown in colour, with a straight to slightly irregular grain.

Density   –    540 kg/m3

Durability   –   Durable

Uses   –   Furniture and joinery work. Often used as a more cost effective alternative to oak.

 

Hardwood Species:

Far Eastern

Meranti

Botanical Name   –   Shorea Pauciflora

Appearance   –   Sapwood lighter in colour and distinct from the heartwood which is red-brown darkening to a dark red with resin streaks. Fairly coarse texture with an interlocked and wavy grain.

Density   –    670 kg/m3.

Durability   –   Moderately durable

Uses   –   furniture, joinery, mouldings and shopfitting. It is widely used for conservatories and can also be used for flooring.