Wood Guide

• Ash: A heavy, hardwood often used for framing. Ash is generally pale to light brown in color and features a prominent grain similar to that of oak.
• Beech: This hardwood is strong and heavy. Beech is commonly reddish-brown and is used for veneers and framing.
• Birch: Tightly grained and ranging from paler shades of light brown to richer reddish-browns. This hardwood is suited for most types of furniture.
• Cedar: A fragrant, knotty lightweight softwood. Cedar is very commonly used to line drawers and chests. This reddish-brown wood is also known for its moth repelling characteristics.
• Cherry: This wood is aptly named for its deep red-brown color, and is often stained and finished with a shiny lacquer. Cherry is a fairly strong hardwood characterized by small pits and a close grain.
• Mahogany: This strong hardwood is commonly used in all types of furniture. Mahogany is generally reddish-brown in color and possesses durable qualities that resist swelling, shrinking, and warping.
• Maple: Probably the hardest and strongest of the 'hardwoods,' maple is often used for bowling alley lanes and baseball bats. Maple varies in color from pale tans to light reddish-brown.
• Oak: Probably the most widely used hardwood, oak is strong and durable, yet possesses a flexibility that makes it easier to work with. Oak is generally separated into varieties, white or red.
• Pine: A softwood known for its uniform texture and workability, pine also finishes well and resists swelling and shrinking. Pine is normally white to pale yellow in color.
• Rattan: A thin vine that grows in the jungles of the Far East, this softwood is solid and strong and can be bent into many different shapes without splitting or breaking. The inner core of the rattan pole is known as wicker, which is widely used for weaving furniture and accessories.
• Redwood: As the name suggests, this softwood is red in color. Its light weight and resistance to decay and deterioration make it a very popular choice for outdoor furniture.
• Rosewood: A very hard hardwood, usually dark reddish-brown in color. Rosewood is fragrant and close-grained. It is often used in veneers.
• Teak: This hardwood is usually shades of yellow or brown, and is known for its moisture-resistant properties. Often used in outdoor furniture and veneers.
• Walnut: This hardwood can vary in color from light to dark shades of brown. A very versatile wood, walnut is very strong and durable without being too heavy.