Softwoods, Hardwoods and Manufactured Boards

Objective: •To understand the differences between the 3 categories of wood.•To Know a ranges of examples of each category and their properties.

Evergreen trees which means they do not lose there leaves.

They mainly grow in a cooler climate like Canada

They have a looser grain structure

The trees grow tall and straight which makes it easier for the manufacturer to cut long straight planks of wood

They are often used as building material.

These grow quite faster and so are cheaper

These cone baring trees are called conifers

These are usually softer and easy to work

they are broad leave trees and the seed are enclosed in the fruit that the tree produces

You can have evergreen hardwood trees which do not lose there leaves and Deciduous tress which loses there leaves in winter

They are slower growing trees it can take 100 years to grow fully

they can be very Expensive.

tend to have a tighter grain

Most evergreens are found in tropical or sub-tropical countries such as South America

They generally grow in temperate climates including the British Isles

These are usually quite hard.

Softwood or Hardwood?

• The terms softwoods and hardwoods are used to describe the leaves, seeds and structure of the trees. It is not used to describe the type of wood produced e.g. Balsa is light and very soft to use. It is used to make light weight models. It is however a hardwood. Yew is a coniferous tree but is heavy and hard to use like some hardwoods.

Manufactured boards are timber sheets which are produced by gluing wood layers or wood fibers together

Manufactured boards are often made using waste wood

Manufactured boards have been developed mainly for industrial production as they can be made in very large sheets of consistent quality

Boards are available in many thicknesses

Boards are inexpensive so are often used instead of real woods

Manufactured boards are often covered with a thin layer of real wood which is called veneer this improves their appearance or properties.

Red cedar• Red cedar is a softwood.• It is commonly found in

North America. • It is used for cladding

buildings.• Natural oils make it

durable against the weather, insects and rot

• It is not very strong.

© Folens 2009

Oak• Oak is a hardwood.• Oak is hard, and very strong.• It is used for expensive

furniture.• Oak timber is in short supply,

and therefore expensive.• In the past, in much of

Europe oak was over-forested for furniture, buildings, and ships.

• It has a beige brown colour• It is durable and quite heavy

© Folens 2009

Reuse, recycling and disposal of wood

• When wood rots in landfill or is burned, greenhouse gases are released, contributing to climate change.

• Trees act as carbon ‘sinks’ that absorb the gases.

• Approximately 25% of the fresh weight of timber is carbon.

• If a forest grows at 10m3 per hectare per year, this is equivalent to 10 fresh tonnes of timber, or 2.5 tonnes of carbon.

• Using a recycled timber product reduces deforestation and retains the locked-in carbon.

© Folens 2009

What wood are each of these products made from?

Pine Beech

chipboard

Ash OakMahogany

Plenary

© Folens 2009

1.What manufactured board could be used for boat building?

2. If mahogany proves too expensive to use what would be an ideal substitute?

3. Give two examples of suitable hardwoods that may be used to make quality garden furniture?

4. Name one property of Teak which makes it difficult but not impossible to use?

5. Why is Western Red Cedar a suitable material to use in the construction of children's playgrounds?

6. Name a hardwood that is very soft (soft enough you can dent it with your fingers) and very light?