Types Of Wood

• Alder

  Alder, part of the birch family, is a softer hardwood from the Pacific Northwest. Consistent color, stability, and uniform acceptance of stains and finishes are some of the characteristics that have made Western Alder a preferred wood for furniture. Its elasticity makes it ideal for carving intricate details. Ranking second only to oak as the most commonly used wood, alder offers the look of many fine hardwoods at a value price.

• Ash

  White Ash is commonly used in the furniture market. Ash is a long-fibered, light-colored, medium-density wood that grows in the United States and Canada. Its coarse, porous grain is similar to that of oak, but it varies from white to light-red in color. Hard and heavy enough to be used for baseball bats, it’s also flexible enough for bending. Ash takes stain well and is used mainly for chairs and stools.

• Aspen

  Hailing from the north-eastern and north-central United States, this is a softer, light-colored, even-grained hardwood belonging to the Populous family. Unfinished, aspen appears to have little or no grain, but the natural grain appears after the stain has been applied. Aspen can be finished to resemble cherry, walnut, and other more expensive hardwoods. It accepts most stains well, but may need a sealer to achieve an even coloring.

• Beech

  Found primarily in northeast U.S. and Canada, beech is a heavy, pale-colored, medium-to-hard wood used widely for chairs and stools. It has a fine, tight grain and large medullar rays, similar in appearance to maple or birch woods. Beech wood has a high shock resistance and takes stains well.

• Birch

  Birch is a stiff, close-grained hardwood that grows primarily in northeast U.S. and Canada. A heavy wood, it has a high shock resistance. Birch is very light in color (predominantly a light yellow) and takes any stain well.

• Cherry

  Also known as fruitwood, cherry is a strong, fine-grained hardwood with a pink undertone, often played up with a medium or dark finish to enhance its mahogany-red tones. Its rich coloring darkens with age and exposure to light. Cherry resists warping and is easy to carve and polish. Often used for 18th-century and formal, traditional-style furniture, cherry is often considered a luxury wood. Fine-grained hardwoods, such as maple and alder, are common substitutes for cherry. Black Cherry grows in Canada, the United States, and Central America; European Cherry is distributed throughout Europe and southeast Asia.

• Eucalyptus

  This is a hardwood that earns high marks for strength, durability, and excellent weathering characteristics. Eucalyptus is pinkish-brown in color and ages to a reddish-brown with time and exposure to light. Its resistance to decay is similar to that of teak wood. In fact, when finished with a high-quality oil, eucalyptus takes on a teak-like appearance.

• Hickory

  One of the hardest, heaviest, and strongest woods in the United States, hickory is a hardwood whose varieties can also be found in Canada and Mexico. Distinguished by extreme contrasts of light and dark colors, it has a dramatic natural look. For more even coloring, hickory can be easily stained.

• Mahogany

  A tropical medium-to-hard wood indigenous to South America, Central America, and Africa, mahogany’s strength makes it an excellent carving wood. It has a uniform pore structure, a medium grain, and less defined annual rings. Mahogany ranges from tan to reddish-brown in color, and may display stripe, ribbon, rope, ripple, or blister figures. Its stability and resistance to decay makes the wood ideal for high-quality cabinetry and furniture.

• Maple

  This is a very light-colored medium-to-hard wood, abundant in the eastern United States. Known for its shock resistance, maple has diffused, evenly-sized pores that give the wood a fine texture and an even grain. Eastern maples are generally harder than western maples, due to the colder winters and shorter growing seasons. Both are highly durable and take any stain well. Maple can be finished to resemble walnut, cherry, or other more expensive hardwoods.