Natural and manufactured timbers

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Types of timbers and their uses

Timber comes from trees. Trees have to grow to full maturity (between 25 and 100 years) before they can be cut down for wood.

Hardwood

Hardwoods come from trees, which have large flat leaves that fall in the autumn. Hardwoods take longer to grow, are not easily sourced and are expensive to buy.

Hardwood	Physical properties	Working properties
Beech	Slight pink tint, close grain	Tough, durable and smooth to finish
Mahogany	Dark-reddish colour, very close grain	Cuts and polishes easily, gives a fine finish, used for high-quality furniture
Oak	Moderate-brown colour with unique and attractive grain markings	Tough and durable, polishes well, used for quality furniture
Balsa	Pale and wide-spaced grain due to it being a fast-growing hardwood	Very soft and easy to form, often used to make models

Hardwood	Beech
Physical properties	Slight pink tint, close grain
Working properties	Tough, durable and smooth to finish

Hardwood	Mahogany
Physical properties	Dark-reddish colour, very close grain
Working properties	Cuts and polishes easily, gives a fine finish, used for high-quality furniture

Hardwood	Oak
Physical properties	Moderate-brown colour with unique and attractive grain markings
Working properties	Tough and durable, polishes well, used for quality furniture

Hardwood	Balsa
Physical properties	Pale and wide-spaced grain due to it being a fast-growing hardwood
Working properties	Very soft and easy to form, often used to make models

Softwood

Softwoods come from trees. These often have pines or needles, and they stay evergreen all year round - they do not lose leaves in the autumn. They are faster growing than hardwoods, making them cheaper to buy, and are considered a material.

Softwood	Physical properties	Working properties
Pine	Pale coloured with aesthetically pleasing grain	Lightweight, easy to form, used for construction and decking
Cedar	Lightweight, pale colour with even texture	More expensive than pine but not as strong

Softwood	Pine
Physical properties	Pale coloured with aesthetically pleasing grain
Working properties	Lightweight, easy to form, used for construction and decking

Softwood	Cedar
Physical properties	Lightweight, pale colour with even texture
Working properties	More expensive than pine but not as strong

Manufactured board

Manufactured boards are usually made from timber waste and . To make them more aesthetically pleasing they are often . They are cheap to buy.

Manufactured board	Physical properties	Working properties
Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) - used for general carpentry work and flat-pack furniture as a veneer can be applied or it can be painted	Smooth, light brown, can be veneered	Smooth and easy to finish, absorbs moisture so not suitable for outdoor use
Plywood - used for furniture, shelving, construction and toys	Layers of veneer glued at 90 degree angles for strength, aesthetically pleasing outer layer	Easy to cut and finish, can be stained or painted

Manufactured board	Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) - used for general carpentry work and flat-pack furniture as a veneer can be applied or it can be painted
Physical properties	Smooth, light brown, can be veneered
Working properties	Smooth and easy to finish, absorbs moisture so not suitable for outdoor use

Manufactured board	Plywood - used for furniture, shelving, construction and toys
Physical properties	Layers of veneer glued at 90 degree angles for strength, aesthetically pleasing outer layer
Working properties	Easy to cut and finish, can be stained or painted

A stack of three pieces of light plywood boards. — Image caption,
Plywood board

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Material categories and properties - EdexcelNatural and manufactured timbers