If you have no idea what they mean by the word hardwood, stay tuned to learn about them, what they are, their characteristics, and which are the 5 most popular hardwoods.
As usual, we recommend you visit our wood basics blog first if you are a beginner, so you can thoroughly understand all the technical concepts we will use.
What are hardwoods?
Hardwoods or precious woods are types of wood with superior qualities relative to common woods (usually soft and less used).
Characteristics of hardwoods
Hardwoods are characterized by the following characteristics.
| Endurance | They withstand pest attacks better. Hardly deform. No cracking. No splintering. They rarely bend. Harder. |
| Uniformity | They have straight fibers that give them a more regular texture and facilitate their workability since they are easier to saw, plane and glue. |
| Aesthetics and color | The pattern of their fibers (vetoed) has a more diverse design, which makes them visually more beautiful. In addition, these woods are more varied in color. |
| Disponibility | They are usually scarce. |
| Applications | Carving, cabinetmaking, carpentry (construction to a lesser extent). |
Hardwoods are more durable and resistant to pests
To begin with, we shall admit that this is partially true since, in fact, some hardwoods are more durable than others. For example, they are more resistant to humidity and pest attacks.
However, in most cases, woods must be treated with chemicals, resins from other trees, varnishes or pesticides to improve their quality and extend their service life.
That is to say, without proper care, no matter how fine the wood is, it will be just as exposed to inclement weather and pest attack.
Hardwoods are very expensive species
You are probably familiar with Apple’s iPhone, right? Maybe you associate it with luxury, exclusivity and maximum quality, yet it is a product destined for a very limited sector of buyers.
Well, the same thing happens with luxury woods that have always been associated with high social status, because not everyone can afford them and that makes their value increase: you are not buying wood only but prestige as well.
Hardwood comes from slow-growing trees
On the other hand, hardwoods are harvested from trees whose growth takes from several years to centuries to mature. That’s why they tend to be more resistant and in general of better quality than woods that come from fast-growing trees; the plant has more time to develop a more robust trunk, which in turn will produce denser wood.
Let’s look at oak as an example. This tree should not be cut before it reaches 40 years of age under cultivation or 80 years in the wild, because at those ages it is not yet fully developed, depending on the case. However, it is worth the wait as Oak wood is recognized as one of the best.
So, you may realize that these woods are always in high demand, but their supply is low, which increases their commercial value.
Several hardwood species are endangered
Additionally, there are woods such as Mahogany, well known for their excellent quality, properties, ease of workability, and multiple potential applications.
And that’s what makes it so desirable in the market, so much so that it has been harvested indiscriminately for several decades because it makes a very important economic profit.
Unfortunately, this production is unsustainable in the medium and long term, resulting in a species dangerously threatened with extinction. Rosewood, cedar, and sandalwood are other examples of this problem.
Likewise, disproportionate logging only makes wood scarcer, i.e. prices skyrocket.
Therefore, it is not surprising that illegal logging thrives in spite of governmental measures taken by several countries to protect the species.
Also, we must clarify that not all hardwoods are in danger of extinction, in fact, oaks are plentiful. But again, the problem is that you may spend your life waiting for one to mature so you can cut it down.
Lastly, bearing in mind what we have mentioned, it is unlikely to find a piece of furniture made from 100% hardwoods, and if you do find one, you must be willing to pay a lot of money for it.
What are hardwoods used for?
Ok, let us now tell you what you can use these woods for.
The usual is for hardwoods to be employed in luxury applications, whether in carpentry to make crafts or in joinery to make very fine furniture, which, when properly preserved, increase in value over time and become true antiques highly sought after in antique shops.
Remember that hardwoods are not commonly used for heavy construction purposes; that is, despite being very resistant, they are also very expensive because they are scarce. Likewise, there are other woods that are not of the same quality but do the job well, i.e. there are cheaper alternatives.
Put it this way, some woods can be used to make furniture and chairs for the garden, such as Teak wood that is excellent at resisting humidity.
On the other hand, cherry wood should not be used for this purpose because it would be very expensive, especially if you do not live in Europe and you would run the risk of damaging it outdoors.
This doesn’t mean that hardwoods can’t be used in construction; in fact, in some parts, it is customary to build houses with cedar wood because it is abundant there. But, keep in mind that this is the exception and not the rule with these woods.
Which are the most popular hardwoods?
Here are then, 5 of the most popular hardwoods. If you want to see the technical specifications of each one, we recommend you to read the linked blogs, where we explain each one of them in detail.
Walnut
This wood is native to Central and Southern Europe, although it can be found as far as North Africa and Asia.
It is highly valued for its chocolate color and grain pattern.
Keep in mind that the European species is the most important in terms of timber, as its wood is denser and more resistant. Also, it is considered one of the best woods in the world, especially in Europe, because it is easy to work with and can be used for various applications such as:
- Furniture manufacturing.
- Manufacture of veneers and coatings.
- Luxury cabinetmaking.
- Lathing.
Mahogany
It is perhaps the most popular of all. Its reddish tonality is very particular and makes it very popular among wood lovers. Besides, mahogany has a high resistance to shocks and humidity and is simply very beautiful. This wood is very desirable for:
- Carpentry and especially in joinery.
- Luxury furniture.
- Elaboration of musical instruments.
- Shipbuilding (formerly used)
In addition, it is a versatile and high-quality wood, so it guarantees exclusivity in the work it is used for.
Oak
There are several species of oak of which three stand out for their uses as timber: the American White Oak, the American Red Oak, and the European Oak.
The truth is that all oak species are more abundant than other hardwoods, which makes them a little more economical. This wood is widely known and appreciated in carpentry for its resistance, reliability to work and in general for its excellent quality, for that reason, it is used in:
- Carpentry and joinery.
- Shipbuilding.
- Elaboration of railroads.
- Barrels or casks for different types of liquors.
- Luxury cabinetmaking
- Structural construction (Manufacture of beams)
- Artistic carving.
Teak
This wood is native to Southeast Asia but there are plantations in the Americas in countries such as Trinidad, Panama, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Belize.
It is a symbol of endurance among woods; of great quality thanks to its high resistance to humidity. In addition, due to its resin and oil, it stands up well against pest attacks.
Teak wood is oily to the touch due to its natural oil, which helps the wood to preserve much better. In fact, the color of teak improves as it ages thanks to its oils.
However, you’ll notice the difference between cultivated teak (i.e. grown on a plantation for commercial use) and the one grown in nature, because the quality of the latter is superior.
Its main applications are:
- Quality joinery.
- Exterior carpentry (doors, window frames).
- Naval constructions such as structures for docks and ports.
- Boat building.
Sandalwood
Originating in India, it is a dense wood with a fine texture; it darkens as time goes by.
Keep in mind that the Sandalwood tree is a sacred species in India, so it is protected by the government and, whoever wants to extract the wood from the tree must wait at least 30 years to cut it, so you can imagine that its wood is not at all abundant and therefore it is very expensive.
The most common applications of this wood are:
- Luxury joinery.
- Carving.
- Lathing.
- Marquetry.
To finish this brief guide, we would like to leave you with an infographic so you can remember everything you need to know about hardwoods.
| Endurance | They withstand pest attacks better. Hardly deform. No cracking. No splintering. They rarely bend. Harder. |
| Uniformity | They have straight fibers that give them a more regular texture. |
| Aesthetics and color | The pattern of their fibers (vetoed) has a more diverse design, which makes them visually more beautiful. In addition, these woods are more varied in color. |
| Disponibility | They are usually scarce or hard to obtain. |
| Applications | They are used in carpentry to make crafts or in joinery for fine furniture. By the way, if you have a piece of furniture made from hardwoods, preserve it very well because its value will increase over time and it can become into very valuable antique. Here are the 5 most popular hardwoods. Walnut wood Oak wood mahogany wood Teak wood Sandal wood |
That’s it, that’s what you should know about hardwoods, now you just have to save a lot to buy the one you like the most.
See you next time.