There are two different types of wood that people refer to when talking about timber: softwood and hardwood.
Although the names may suggest, this has nothing to do with the density of the wood. Some softwoods can be harder than some hardwood. The name solely comes from the tree the wood comes from.
Softwood
Softwood is the wood that is extracted from coniferous trees that keep their foliage all year round. Common softwood trees are pine and fir which can be found in cooler areas of the globe.
The advantages of softwood is generally easier manipulate and has a variety of uses. Softwood is the prime wood for a lot of structural work and can be found in furniture as well as window and door frames.
Hardwood
Hardwood will generally come from broadleaved trees. Typically, these are native British trees such as ash, beech and oak. There are significantly more hardwood species compared to softwood.
Hardwood trees are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in the winter months. The wood, however, is incredibly resistant to decay when it is used for any exterior work. Previous hardwoods, especially tropical hardwoods, had been widely available, unfortunately, the supply has been restricted as a result of the concern for conserving tropical forests.
Did you know?: 80% of all timber comes from softwood.
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