Wood is a very important construction material. Wood or timber has been used as a building material from ancient civilizations. The demand for wood is growing day by day in modern construction.
Wood is received from the tree. Different types of trees provide different types of wood. It increases the aesthetic appearance of a structure.
The main benefit of using timber as a building material is that it is a natural resource, making it readily available and economically feasible.
Wood provides very good thermal insulation.
It is an eco-friendly and sustainable product.
Wood can be categorized into three types:
- Hardwood
- Softwood
- Engineered Wood
Table of Contents
1. Hardwoods
High-density woods is known as hardwoods. These types of wood are obtained from deciduous trees, scientifically known as angiosperms. The deciduous trees produce seeds and leaves.
Popular species of hardwoods are oak wood, maple wood, cherry wood, mahogany wood, and walnut wood. They are also known for their beautiful grain patterns.
Let’s discuss some popular types of hardwood which are normally used in construction.
2. Softwoods
Softwood is less dense compared to hardwood. Their growth is much faster than hardwoods. These types of woods are normally obtained from conifer trees, which are scientifically known as Gymnosperms.
Pinewood, cedarwood, firwood, spruce wood, and redwood are the most common species of softwoods, used for construction activities.
Popular species of softwoods are Pinewood, cedarwood, firwood, spruce wood, and redwood.
3. Engineered Woods
Engineered woods are not natural woods. These are man-made artificial woods manufactured in factories.
This kind of wood is made up using the wood found naturally, but the difference is that some admixtures such as adhesives are added to it.
Eventually, artificial woods are used to manufacture engineered wood but the key difference is that some admixtures such as adhesives are added to the natural wood.
Some examples of engineered woods are plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), etc.