Top 5 Lightest Woods in the World
5. Western white-cedar wood (Thuja occidentalis)
Distribution
This tree is a conifer native to North America, more precisely to the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Density
Between 450 and 500 kg/m3 approximately.
Hardness
Janka scale: 320 lbf (pounds of force) or 1420 N (newtons).
Color
Often quite small knots are found on the surface.
Sapwood (young wood usually unusable)
Very light almost white, often very well demarcated from the heartwood.
Heartwood (mature and usable wood)
Light reddish brown.
Durability
It is a termite-resistant wood and generally stands up well to weathering.
Workability
In general, it is an easy wood to work on. However, it is quite soft and doesn’t resist well to drilling by nails and screws (it tends to crack).
Conservation Status
According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), this species is of the least concern; however, some wild populations are threatened as they serve as food for deer during the winter.
Uses
- Construction of fences (wooden fences).
- Manufacture of electric poles.
- Manufacture of canoes.
- Exterior carpentry.
- Railway sleepers.
- Manufacture of paper pulp.
4. European silver fir or spruce (Albies alba)
Distribution
The common fir is native to the mountainous regions of Europe, therefore it is abundant in:
- The Alps.
- The Dinaric Alps.
- The Carpathian Mountains.
- In the Iberian Peninsula where it is not native but has been used to repopulate territories.
In general, there are more than 50 species of fir, of which the white fir is one of the best-known and most used.
In addition, spruce wood is very similar to pine, which is why it is easy to confuse them, and in fact, both kinds of wood are widely used in structural construction. However, Spruce is lighter in weight.
Density
Spruce has a density of 490 kg/m3.
Hardness
Janka scale: 320 lbf (pounds of force) or 1420 N (newtons).
Color
Sapwood
Pale yellow; difficult to distinguish from heartwood.
Heartwood
Ranges in color from white to reddish brown.
Durability
This wood is susceptible to moisture, insects and fungi. It must therefore be treated with varnishes and waterproofing agents.
Workability
It is an easy wood to work on.
Conservation Status
According to the IUCN, the white fir presents a minor concern.
Uses
- Structural construction (beams).
- Manufacture of paper pulp.
- Plywood.
- Stringed musical instruments.
- Cabinetmaking.
3. Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
Distribution
This tree is native to North America and is found in almost all of Alaska in the United States and also covers a very extensive territory in Canada.
Despite being a fairly light and softwood, botanically it is a hardwood (see why the eternal confusion with the classification of woods?).
Density
Populus balsamifera wood has a density of 450 kg/m3.
Hardness
Janka scale: 300 lbf or 1330 N.
Color
Sapwood
Very pale yellowish white, difficult to distinguish from heartwood.
Heartwood
Very light brownish yellow with dark brown almost black lines.
Durability
It is not very resistant to humidity, insects, and fungi.
Workability
It is an easy wood to work, however, you must always use a drill because it tends to crack and even break with the penetration of nails or screws.
Conservation Status
Species not cited by the IUCN.
Uses
In spite of the availability of this tree, its wood has only begun to be used in recent years, especially as an alternative species to pine or spruce.
Among the most common applications we have:
- Paper pulp production (the most common use).
- Plywood.
- Manufacture of firearm stocks.
- Manufacture of boxes and baskets.
- Structural construction.
2. Paulownia or Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Distribution
This species is native to East Asia but has also been planted intensively in America, especially in the United States.
A curious fact about the Paulownia is that its name was given in honor of Queen Anna Pavlovna of Russia, hence some people know it as the princess tree.
Note: Paulownia is considered the most profitable tree in the world because of its rapid growth (approximately 2 meters per year). However, it is considered an invasive species in countries such as the United States, endangering native species.
Density
Paulownia has a density between 265 to 280 kg/m3, which makes it a very light wood.
Hardness
Janka scale: 300 lbf or 1330 N.
Color
Sapwood
Pale white, indistinguishable from heartwood.
Heartwood
The heartwood of Paulownia is distinguishable by its pale grayish-brown coloration. However, it can sometimes have reddish or purplish hues.
Durability
Paulownia wood is resistant to moisture and rot, but less resistant to insect attack.
Workability
It is a very easy wood to work, although due to its high concentration of resins it can make sawing difficult and it also wears out the sharpness of tools.
Conservation status
It is not listed by the IUCN.
Uses
Paulownia is used in applications where light but at the same time (relatively) strong wood is needed, such as in the manufacture of musical instrument frames.
In addition, Paulownia wood is used in:
- Plywood.
- Dental veneer.
- Cabinetmaking.
- Elaboration of musical instruments (bodies of electric guitars).
- Carving.
1. Balsa wood (Ochroma pyramidale)
Distribution
Balsa is a tropical species of American origin found in dry and humid forest areas from Mexico to Bolivia.
Balso wood is known to be the lightest and most flexible wood in the world.
Likewise, balsawood is highly sought after, which is why more and more plantations are being established to exploit it.
In fact, Ecuador is the number one producer of Balsa wood, and this tree is profitable because at 4 years of age it is ready to be harvested.
Density
Balsa wood has a density of between 100 and 150 kg/m3, which is why it is the lightest of the commercial woods (some woods with lower density are not commercial and therefore are not described here).
Likewise, the density of balsa depends a lot on the conditions in which the tree grows.
Hardness
Janka scale: 67 lbf or 300 N.
Color
Sapwood
Yellow almost white.
Heartwood
Pale reddish brown, but in commercially used wood the heartwood is rather a pale yellow.
Durability
Not a hardy wood, it is susceptible to moisture, insect and fungal attack. It needs to be treated at all times.
Workability
It is very easy to work, however, it is best to use only glues for gluing, as it is not strong enough to be penetrated by screws and nails.
Conservation status
It is not on the IUCN list.
Uses
Note that balsawood is curiously extracted from sapwood and not heartwood, which is quite unusual.
Also, this wood is known for its excellent function as a thermal, auditory, and vibrational insulator.
The most common uses of Balso wood are:
- Construction of buoys, which are floating signals that are arranged in rivers and in the sea to serve as a guide for boats.
- Construction of boats (rafts).
- Manufacture of surfboards.
- Manufacture of model airplane parts.
- Cases for musical instruments.
- Manufacture of hooks.
Note: Although Balso wood is the lightest wood in the world, it is in fact classified as a hardwood, since it is not a conifer.
That is, although balsa wood is light or soft because of its consistency, due to the growth pattern of the tree and its foliage, it is classified as a hardwood.
Why are some woods light?
When we say that wood is light, what we mean is that this species has a low density.
The density or specific mass of wood is understood as the ratio between the mass and the volume that the wood occupies or, in simpler terms, how compact it is.
This wood property is expressed in kg/m3, that is, how many kilograms of wood are contained in a cubic meter of the same.
The latter is especially important when it comes to shipbuilding since density is what determines which woods float and which sink.
In other words, all light woods float as long as their density is less than that of water (998 kg/m3).
Note: Remember that all woods with densities between 400 and 499kg/m3 are light.
Wood with a density of less than 400 kg/m3 is considered very light.
Factors influencing density
However, keep in mind that density is not a static property and depends on factors such as:
Hygroscopicity is understood as the capacity of wood to absorb or release moisture depending on the environment in which it is found.
Thus, in humid environments, wood retains more liquid and becomes heavier since water displaces the air particles (lighter) contained in the wood walls.
On the contrary, in drier environments, the wood expels water and becomes lighter.
Note: when we say that wood is dry, we mean that it has a maximum of 12% humidity.
Other considerations
Keep in mind that many times light woods are also classified according to the results of the Janka scale, i.e. for many, the concepts “light woods” and “softwoods” are the same.
However, the Janka test only measures the hardness of woods, not their density, although this mixing of concepts (hardness and density) may make sense since hardwoods are usually very strong and dense.
Remember also that the term “hardwoods” does not necessarily mean that these woods are the hardest (resistance to impact and penetration), but rather it is a general classification.
Likewise, “softwoods” are not always weak or less resistant.
The point we are trying to make is that there is no guarantee that a hardwood is actually very hard or that a softwood can be very strong.In addition, lumberjacks used to classify woods as hard or soft according to how easily they could cut down a tree with their axes; later came the botanical classification that often goes against logic and that is why there is often confusion.