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European woods consist of wood species originating from European countries, such as England, France and Germany. European woods are famously used as an alternative to American woods in many parts of the world, depending on accessibility and availability. They possess many excellent properties, especially hardwoods such as Maple which are known for durability and strength.

If you are here, you are probably looking to know more about European wood species, types and properties. Well, in this article, we talk about some of the top European wood types, including oak, beech and other European species. Let’s get started.

CameroomTimberExportSARL is a top supplier and exporter of wood timber in many countries across Europe, Asia, America, and the Middle East. We have more than three decades of woodworking experience and specialise in sustainable, great-quality hardwood at wholesale rates. Contact us to know more.

European Wood Species & Types

Some of the most popular European wood/timber species include oak, maple, chestnut, cherry, beech, white ash, larch, Italian walnut, poplar, European lime, Elm, Scots pine, birch, and yew, among others.

European Oak

Oak is one of the most popular European woods. European oak, also known as English Oak, has a light-medium brown heartwood with an olive cast. The sapwood can be almost white but not always easily distinguished from the heartwood. Oak wood is rated as durable and resistant to decay, which makes it suitable for marine applications such as boatbuilding. The grain can be straight or interwoven depending on the growing conditions. The texture is coarse and uneven. It is generally easy to work with.

Common uses of English Oak include furniture, flooring, cabinetry, boatbuilding, interior trim, window frames, and fixtures.

European Maple

Maple is another very popular European hardwood. Also called Field maple, it is commonly found across Europe. The wood is considered hard with a 1,150 lbf (5,110 N) janka rating. Maple is particularly harvested for its sapwood, as the heartwood is not very strong or durable. The maple sapwood can be nearly white to off-white or cream-coloured with a golden hue. Curly grain patterns are also common. Maple grain is straight with a fine texture. Maple wood can be slightly durable to moderately durable depending on the growth cycle. It is generally very easy to work with.

Field maple is used for flooring, furniture, veneering, musical instruments, and turned objects.

European Chestnut

European Chestnut, commonly known as Sweet Chestnut or Castanea sativa, is a chestnut species found mainly in Europe and some parts of Asia. It is a moderately strong wood with a 680 lbf (3,010 N) janka rating. The heartwood is light-medium brown that becomes darker with age. The grain is straight but can also be interlocked or spiral and the texture is uneven and coarse. Despite being only moderately hard, chestnut is remarkably durable, though it is prone to insect attack. It is easy to work with both machine and hand tools.

Uses of chestnut wood include furniture, decorative veneer, carvings, barrels, masts, beams, containers, casks, fixtures, and furnishing.

European Birch

European white birch or Downy birch is found in Northern Europe and also in some regions of Asia, Greenland, and Iceland. It is a strong hardwood with a 930 lbf (4,140 N) janka rating, though durability is low and the wood is almost perishable in terms of resistance to decay, rot and insect attack. European birch has a light reddish brown heartwood and almost white sapwood. The grain is generally straight but sometimes wavy and the texture is fine and even. The wood is generally easy to work with. Priced in the same lines of oak and maple.

Popular uses of European birch include plywood, interior trim, boxes, crates, small wood items, and turned objects.

European Cherry

European Cherry or Sweet Cherry is a wood species based in Europe and Asia. It is a strong hardwood with a 1,150 lbf (5,120 N) janka rating, though it is only moderately durable. The heartwood colour varies from light pinkish brown in freshly sawn wood to deep golden brown in aged wood. Sapwood is pale yellowish. The texture is fine or medium and the grain is generally straight but sometimes wavy. Sweet Cherry can be prone to decay and insect attack. It is easy to work with both hand and machine tools.

European Cherry hardwood is commonly used for furniture, veneering, carvings, cabinetry, musical instruments, and turned objects.

European Beech

European Beech is very strong and has a 1,450 lbf (6,460 N) janka rating, though it is non-durable and has poor resistance to insects. The heartwood is pale straw-coloured with a pink hue and the grain is straight. Beech is used for flooring, boatbuilding, veneering, cabinetry, lumber, furniture, plywood, and musical instruments.

European White ash

White Ash or European Ash is a light to medium brown timber with a straight and regular grain and a medium/coarse texture. Though it has a high hardness rating, it is almost non-durable and prone to insect attack. It is used for flooring, baseball bats and other sports equipment, millwork, boxes, crates, and turned objects.

European Larch

European Larch is sourced from Central Europe. It has yellow to medium reddish brown heartwood and almost white sapwood. The grain is straight and the texture is fine to medium. The wood is moderately durable and is used for veneering, boatbuilding, flooring, and lumber.

Italian walnut, Poplar and European lime are other popular European wood species. If you want to purchase European wood timber at wholesale price, feel free to contact us to enquire about the availability, price and specifications of our wood.

The two common types of maple are soft maple and hard maple. Besides being soft and hard respectively, as their name suggests, there are some other differences between the two types of maple, which we are going to discuss in detail here.

Maple is a versatile hardwood that is used in many applications, ranging from flooring to furniture, sports equipment, and cabinetry. Found almost exclusively in the Americas, Maple wood is famous for its affordability, durability and great looks. Hard maple, the most commonly used maple species, is very strong and moderately durable. It looks great both in natural colours and after staining. The smooth and straight grain pattern of maple makes it fairly easy to work with.

Types of Maple Wood

Hard Maple

• Sugar Maple
• Black Maple
• Florida Maple

Soft Maple

• Red Maple
• Silver Maple
• Striped Maple
• Bigleaf Maple
• Box Elder

What is Hard Maple?

Hard Maple (Acer saccharum), also known as rock maple or sugar maple, is the primary species in the grouping of maple species considered to be hard. The other two maple species that are often considered to be a type of hard maple are black maple and Florida maple.

Hard maple species are generally harder, stronger and denser compared to soft maple species. Another thing you should know about maple is that its sapwood is more usable than heartwood. It is the sapwood of maple that is strong and durable, while the heartwood is nearly perishable. This is why maple sapwood is commonly used for commercial purposes.
What is Soft Maple?

Soft Maple isn’t exactly a species of maple, but it’s a group of a number of maple species that are classified as “soft.” Red Maple, Silver Maple, Striped Maple, Bigleaf Maple, and Box Elder are the most common soft maple species.

Soft maple species are less strong and dense and also cost much less than hard maple.

Soft Maple vs Hard Maple

Let’s find out the various differences between hard maple and soft maple in terms of hardness, appearance, durability, properties and uses.

Hardness

Now, the most basic difference between hard maple and soft maple species is hardness. Hard maple is hard while soft maple is not so much. Soft maple can be hard and strong but not as much as hard maple. It is sometimes used in place of hard maple where the strength of the wood is not a major concern.

If we consider the janka hardness test, hard maple beats all other maple species by a big difference. While the janka rating of the hard maple is around 1,450 lbf or 6,450 N, most other maple species fall between 700 lbf to 950 lbf in terms of hardness rating. Black maple with a janka rating of 1,180 lbf is the second hardest maple species. As for soft maple species, Red maple with a janka rating of 950 lbf is the hardest soft maple.

Hard maple can be twice as hard as some soft maple species. This is because hard maple trees grow slower than other maple species.

Hardness is the best way to tell one maple apart from another.

Appearance

The thing about hard maple and soft maple is that they all look practically the same and it is not easy to tell one species from another, especially in finished pieces. All maple species, including hard maple, have almost white sapwood, which sometimes might have a reddish or yellowish hue. The heartwood of maple is reddish brown. Figured grain patterns such as curly, quilted and birdseye are common in hard maple.

It is not easy to distinguish hard maple from soft maple based on appearance. Though, experts use the wood colour and endgrain to identify it.

If you observe closely, you can see there are minor differences between the colours and grain patterns of hard maple and soft maple. Hard maple, for instance, is slightly lighter and has a more uniform colour as opposed to the darker colour with greyish streaks of soft maple. Since hard maple has a slower growth rate compared to soft maple, the growth rings are generally tighter. When seen with a magnifier, there can be observed a clear difference between the end grains of hard maple and soft maple.

Workability

Hard maple can be pretty hard, though it’s generally easy to work with because of its straight grain. However, soft maple species are even easier to work with because of their lower density. While hard maple can sometimes dull cutting edges or burn quickly, which is not an issue with soft maple.

Both hard maple and soft maple are easy to turn, glue, and finish. To avoid blotching when staining, the use of toner or gel stain is recommended.

Availability & Cost

Both hard maple and soft maple species are easily available and can be imported in all parts of the world (from a top timber exporter like CameroonTimberExportSARL). Maple is a moderately priced hardwood, though hard maple can be somewhat more expensive than soft maple species. Figured pieces of maple timber are particularly difficult and expensive to get.

Soft Maple vs Hard Maple: Uses

Hard maple is particularly preferred for applications where strength and hardness are crucial, e.g. flooring, butcher blocks, cutting boards, and sports equipment such as baseball bats. It is also commonly used for building musical instruments, veneering, pulpwood for paper, workbenches, turned objects, and specialty items.

Soft maple is occasionally used as a replacement for hard maple in applications where strength and hardness are not a major concern. Common uses of soft maple species include musical instruments, veneering, paper, crates, boxes, pallets, turned objects, and small speciality items.

If you want to learn in more depth about maple hardwood, its types and their differences, feel free to contact CameroonTimberExportSARL to talk to an expert. We export timber and wood at wholesale prices to our customers all over the world.

Ash is a popular American hardwood found and used in all parts of the US and around the world. It’s a strong hardwood timber that is prized for its ease of work, shock resistance, wide availability, and inexpensive rates. Ash has many varieties, with white ash and black ash being the most popular two types. Here’s everything you need to know about Ash wood , its properties, uses and types.

About Us: For more than 30 years now, CameroonTimberExportSARL has been supplying and exporting the best quality timber products and hardwoods to our clients all over the world. We have immense experience in the wood industry and expert woodworkers in our team to help you find the perfect wood for your next project. Feel free to call us or Whatsapp.

About Ash Wood

Ash or American White Ash is a hardwood primarily sourced from Eastern North America. Ash trees are about 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall and have a 2-5 ft (.6-1.5 m) trunk diameter. The average dried weight of the wood is 675 kg/m3 and it has a 1,320 lbf (5,870 N) Janka rating. Ash is a hard, strong, heavy and dense wood.

Besides being one of the strongest and very dense hardwoods, Ash is also almost completely shock-resistant, which makes it suitable for heavy

Ash Wood Properties

Appearance: The heartwood of ash is light to medium brown, and the sapwood is light brown and generally very wide. The texture is medium to coarse and the grain is usually straight, though curly or figured lumber is not uncommon.
The colour of ash is lighter than oak but the texture is similar. Ash can look strikingly similar to oak when stained.

Durability: It’s a strong and dense wood that is smooth to the touch. However, ash is almost perishable in terms of durability and is not resistant to insect attack, though some durability against decay can be seen.

Workability: Ash is generally easy to work with both machine and hand tools. It glues, polishes, and stains well. Steam bending also has good results.

Ash is often used as a cheaper alternative to oak and a more attractive alternative to beechwood, all of which share similar properties. Despite being very dense, ash is lighter in weight compared to oak.

White Ash Vs Black Ash:
White ash has a lighter hardwood and the growth rings are wider spaced compared to black ash, which has slightly darker heartwood and closely placed growth rings. Both species are non-durable.
Ash Wood Price & Availability

Ash is one of the lowest-priced utility timbers available in the US. It is widely available and can be easily sourced all around the world at a low or moderate price, moreover ash is less expensive than oak but equally valuable.

Uses

Ash is prized for its notable strength and shock resistance. Historically, it was used for making shafts for spears. In modern times, ash is being used for everything from flooring and furniture to boxes, crates, baseball bats, tool handles, millwork, turned objects, and specialty items.

Because of its excellent shock resistance capabilities, ash is the most common hardwood used for making handles for shovels, hammers and other tools. The wood absorbs most of the shock caused by the impact when using these tools.

Ashwood is also widely used for making sporting equipment, particular bats for cricket, bows, and baseball bats. Kitchen utensils, such as knives and ladles are also found made with ash. Ash timber is used for furniture making and is equally good as oak. It is also commonly used in the construction of staircases, timber frames, treads, and moulding. Because of its bending properties, ash is also suitable for making bowls and other turned objects.

Ash, though, is poorly resistant to decay and insects and is not commonly used for outdoor applications. Ideally, it should not be in constant contact with the ground or it will start decaying.

Types/Species

Ash has many types and species and also some look-alikes, the most common of which are as follows:

1. White Ash(Fraxinus Americana)
2. Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) – darker than the white ash, it is soft with an 850 lbf Janka rating and is used for making tool handles, boxes, flooring, baskets, and electric guitars.
3. Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulate) – Grows in the midwestern region of the United States. The inner bark turns blue when exposed to air, hence the name. It is hard and strong and is used for baseball bats, flooring, and tool handles.
4. Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) – It is moderately hard and easy to work with, found in eastern and central North America.
5. Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda) – The trunk swells to take the shape of a pumpkin, hence the name.
6. European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) – grows in Europe and some parts of North America. High-demand, durable and Commercially valuable. The heartwood is dark, olive-brown.
7. Tamo Ash (Fraxinus Lanuginosa) – Also called Japanese Ash, it is particularly known for a unique figuring pattern resembling peanut shells.
8. Oregon Ash
9. Pink Ash
10. Red Ash
11. Swamp Ash
12. Mountain Ash

* Not all of the above are necessarily species of ash wood.

How to Buy the Best Quality Ash Wood Online?

Now that you know everything about ash wood properties, you must be looking for the best reliable supplier for top-quality ash timber at wholesale price. Your search ends here. We are a wholesale seller and exporter of ash hardwood and supply to our clients in 20+ countries across Asia, Europe, America, the Middle East, and Australia. Contact us to enquire about the availability and best price for premium ash wood and timber.

Maple wood comes in many varieties, all of which fall into either of two categories – hard maple and soft maple. Hard maple, as obvious, is harder and heavier than the alternative. It is generally more expensive than soft maple species because of its high demand and uses. Here you can read all about the properties, types and various uses of maple wood in detail.

What is Maple Wood?

It is a popular hardwood species used in many applications such as furniture making. The beautiful look and straight grain of maple makes it a preferred choice for a variety of woodworking projects. The maple furniture looks great naturally as well as after finishing or staining.

Hard Maple, also known as sugar maple or rock maple, is the most commonly found and used type of maple wood. It’s also the one with the best properties.

Types of Maple

Hard Maple Species:

• Sugar Maple
• Black Maple
• Florida Maple

Soft Maple Species:

• Red Maple
• Silver Maple
• Striped Maple
• Bigleaf Maple
• Box Elder

Maple Wood Properties

Hard maple trees are commonly found in Northeastern North America but also grow in some parts of Canada. The scientific name for the wood is Acer saccharum. The trees are about 80-115 ft (25-35 m) tall and have a 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter. The janka rating of 1,450 lbf (6,450 N) means the wood is pretty hard. The average dried weight is 705 kg/m3, which means it is also heavy. Despite all that, maple is considered easy to work with, owing to its usually straight grain.

As for the appearance, hard maple has a nearly white or off-white coloured sapwood, which is the most commonly used part of the tree. There are mineral streaks present all over the body, adding some brownish hue to the wood. The heartwood is darker red or brown and particularly unusable. It is known for its distinct birdseye figured grain that is high in demand and cost. Other grain patterns such as curly, rippled, flame, and quilted are also not uncommon. The colour of light maple wood might darken with age and constant exposure to sunlight and oxygen. Maple looks great both in its natural state and as a stained timber.

Hard maple has a generally straight, but sometimes figured or wavy, grain with a fine, smooth texture. The wood is durable in terms of resistance to insects, decay and rot. It’s also water and shock resistant, which makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor projects. Maple is easy to work with. The straight grain goes easy on both machine and hand tools. Though the higher density of hard maple can sometimes be a problem in cutting operations. Also, maple will sometimes burn when cut with high-speed cutters. It finishes, turners, and glues well. It can be stained but blotches can occur when staining without a pre-conditioner.

Uses

Maple is extensively used in both indoor and outdoor applications. It has good durability, which makes it suitable for outdoor uses such as flooring. It is also very commonly used in furniture making. Flooring for residential premises, bowling alleys, basketball courts, dance floors and all kinds of commercial facilities are made of hard maple. Other common uses of maple wood include veneers, kitchen accessories, cutting boards, cabinets, sports equipment such as baseball bats, paper wood, musical instruments, workbenches, turned objects, butcher blocks, and specialty wood items.

Hard maple or sugar maple trees are the primary source for maple syrup.

Availability & Cost

It is easily available and moderately priced. Hard maple grows slowly but has plenty of availability. Figured pieces can be more valuable and highly priced. Soft maple is less expensive than hard maple but shares similar characteristics, except for hardness. Imported maple wood can be slightly costlier.

Hard Vs Soft maple

The primary difference between hard and soft maple is hardness. Hard maple is harder and denser and weighs more than soft maple species. Hard maple trees grow slower, which is why their grain is tight and dense. The colour of hard maple species is lighter as compared to the colour of soft maple, which grows faster and is easily available at a less expensive price. Hard maple can be slightly more expensive, especially figure pieces such as quilt or birdseye.

How to Buy Maple Wood at the Best price online

Maple has so many species that one can easily get confused when looking to buy the best quality hard maple online. When buying maple wood, make sure to ask these questions: is it real maple? Is it solid wood? Is it good quality? Was it sustainably-sourced?

Here at CameroonTimberExportSARL, we sell top quality, all-natural hard maple wood and timber. All our wood is FSC-certified and sustainably-sourced and we guarantee the best price for our wood. We export our wood to all major countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, America and other continents. Contact us to buy the best maple wood at wholesale rates.

Oak is a very popular hardwood that is used in all parts of the world. It looks beautiful and is easily available at a decent price, but what makes oak truly precious is the fact that you can use this wood for practically any purpose. From furniture making to construction, firewood and arts and crafts, it is popular and used everywhere. In this article, we will talk about the different types and species of oak wood.

If you are looking to buy oak wood for a project, it might help to know about the different types or species of oak. Because different oak species share similar but slightly different properties, this guide to the types of oak wood can help you select the best variety for your project.

About Oak Wood, Properties & Uses

Oak is a hardwood, particularly known for its unmatched beauty, ease of work and a reasonable price with worldwide availability. The colour of oak will range from light brown to dark red in different species and gets darker with age and exposure to sunlight. It is a durable wood and some species are resistant to decay and moisture.

As a versatile wood, oak is adaptable and usable for any purpose. The wood is very easy to work with and is used for everything from making furniture to building frames, tables, barrels, flooring, decking, veneers, plywood, panelling, joinery, and more.

Types of Oak Wood

All types of oak can be divided into two major categories: White Oak and Red Oak. The major difference between the two is that white oak has a closed pore structure, while red oak has open pores.

There are almost 20 types of oak trees, of which only about 10 or 11 are used for wood.

1. Red Oak

• Scientific Name: Quercus rubra
• Distribution: Northeastern U.S. and Southeastern Canada
• Janka Hardness: 1,220 lbf (5,430 N)
• Colour: light to medium brown with a reddish cast, pale sapwood
• Tree height: 80-115 ft (25-35 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-6 ft (1-2 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 43.8 lbs/ft3 (700 kg/m3)
• Grain: straight with uneven, coarse texture
• Pores: large and open
• Durability: low
• Rot Resistance: poor
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced, less expensive than white oak
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

2. White Oak

• Scientific Name: Quercus alba
• Distribution: Eastern U.S.
• Janka Hardness: 1,350 lbf (5,990 N)
• Colour: light to medium brown heartwood with an olive cast, Paler sapwood
• Tree height: 65-85 ft (20-25 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 47.0 lbs/ft3 (755 kg/m3)
• Grain: straight with coarse, uneven texture
• Durability: very high
• Rot Resistance: very good
• Workability: Easy to use with both hand & machine tools. Glues, stains, bends and finishes well
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced (more expensive than red oak)
• Uses: Cabinetry, boatbuilding, barrels, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

3. Black Oak

• Type: Red oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus velutina
• Distribution: Eastern North America
• Janka Hardness: 1,210 lbf (5,380 N)
• Colour: light to medium reddish-brown
• Tree height: 65-80 ft (20-25 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 45 lbs/ft3 (715 kg/m3)
• Grain: coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large
• Durability: Slightly to non-durable
• Rot Resistance: average
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

4. European Oak (English oak)

• Type: White oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus robur
• Distribution: Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa
• Janka Hardness: 1,120 lbf (4,980 N)
• Colour: light to medium brown
• Tree height: 80-115 ft (24-35 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 42 lbs/ft3 (675 kg/m3)
• Grain: straight with uneven, coarse texture, sometimes irregular or interlocked grain
• Pores: ring-porous
• Durability: Good
• Rot Resistance: very good
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: widely available in Europe, moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, barrels, boatbuilding, interior trim, decoration, flooring, furniture, and veneer

5. Cherry Bark Oak

• Type: Red oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus pagoda
• Distribution: Eastern U.S.
• Janka Hardness: 1,480 lbf (6,580 N)
• Colour: light to medium reddish-brown
• Tree height: 80-100 ft (25-30 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 49 lbs/ft3 (785 kg/m3)
• Grain: coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large
• Durability: Minimal
• Rot Resistance: average
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

6. Pin Oak

• Type: Red oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus palustris
• Distribution: Eastern U.S.
• Janka Hardness: 1,500 lbf (6,650 N)
• Colour: light to medium reddish-brown
• Tree height: 50-75 ft (15-23 m)
• Trunk diameter: 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 44 lbs/ft3 (705 kg/m3)
• Grain: fairly coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large ring-porous
• Durability: Minimal
• Rot Resistance: average
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

7. California Black Oak (Kellogg Oak)

• Type: Red oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus kelloggii
• Distribution: Western U.S.
• Janka Hardness: 1,090 lbf (4,840 N)
• Colour: light to medium reddish-brown
• Tree height: 65-80 ft (20-25 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 39 lbs/ft3 (620 kg/m3)
• Grain: coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large
• Durability: slightly durable to non-durable
• Rot Resistance: average
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

8. Willow Oak

• Type: Red oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus phellos
• Distribution: Eastern U.S.
• Janka Hardness: 1,460 lbf (6,490 N)
• Colour: light to medium reddish-brown
• Tree height: 65-100 ft (20-30 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 48 lbs/ft3 (770 kg/m3)
• Grain: coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large
• Durability: Minimal
• Rot Resistance: average
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

9. Bur Oak

Type: White oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus macrocarpa
• Distribution: Eastern and Midwestern U.S. and south-central Canada
• Janka Hardness: 1,360 lbf (6,030 N)
• Colour: light to medium brown
• Tree height: 80-100 ft (24-30 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 45 lbs/ft3 (725 kg/m3)
• Grain: coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large, ring-porous
• Durability: Average
• Rot Resistance: very good
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, barrels, boatbuilding, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

10. North Red Oak

• Type: Red oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus rubra
• Distribution: northeastern North America
• Janka Hardness: 1,220 lbf (5,430 N)
• Colour: light to medium brown with a reddish cast, pale sapwood
• Tree height: 80-115 ft (25-35 m)
• Trunk diameter: 3-6 ft (1-2 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 43.8 lbs/ft3 (700 kg/m3)
• Grain: straight with uneven, coarse texture
• Pores: large and open
• Durability: low durability but high strength and sturdiness
• Rot Resistance: poor
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced, less expensive than white oak
• Uses: Cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

11. Chestnut Oak

• Type: White oak
• Scientific Name: Quercus prinus
• Distribution: Eastern U.S.
• Janka Hardness: 1,130 lbf (5,030 N)
• Colour: light to medium brown
• Tree height: 60-70 ft (18-22 m)
• Trunk diameter: 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m)
• Average Dried Weight: 47 lbs/ft3 (750 kg/m3)
• Grain: fairly coarse
• Pores: medium-to-large
• Durability: Good
• Rot Resistance: Very good
• Workability: Easy to use, glue, stain and finish
• Pricing & Availability: moderately priced
• Uses: Cabinetry, boatbuilding, barrels, interior trim, flooring, furniture, and veneer

Other less famous types of oak and similar species include hairy oak, southern silky oak, northern silky oak, bog oak, sessile oak, turkey oak, Japanese oak, Oregon white oak, brown oak, Shumard oak, holm oak, live oak, scarlet oak, southern red oak, post oak, Laurel oak, overcup oak, and water oak.

Spruce is a popular softwood that is known for its use in producing paper pulp and also in the construction industry for making doors, furniture, panelling, and interior trim. Spruce is also commonly used for making the soundboards of some musical instruments. It’s lightweight and stable wood that is not very durable or hard but is available widely and comes at a cheap price.

Here’s everything you need to know about Spruce wood properties, types and uses.

About Spruce

Spruce is a softwood that is often used as an alternative to pine because they both share similar density and strength characteristics. Because it is softwood with low hardness and density, spruce is often prone to dents and scratches, which is why it is not very suitable for outdoor uses and flooring.

Spruce hails from the Pinaceae family of coniferous trees. It has many species, all of which bear the scientific name Picea. Spruce trees are about 20 to 60 m tall. Some species such as Sitka spruce can have mature trees as tall as 250-300 feet.

All Spruce species are basically the same in terms of appearance, durability and workability. The wood colour ranges from creamy white to yellowish-brown or red. It has a fine, even texture and a straight grain. Spruce is almost non-durable in terms of resistance to rot and decay. It is generally easy to work with, though the presence of knots can sometimes cause problems. It glues and finishes well, but staining can result in blotchy or inconsistent results.

Types (Species) & Spruce Wood Properties

There are a total of 35 species of Spruce, of which White spruce, Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, and Black spruce are the most famous. Here’s a brief overview of the spruce species and their respective properties.

1. White Spruce Wood

Colour: White spruce is white or yellowish coloured and has creamy white sapwood. Black knots may be present.

Grain: It has a straight grain and a uniform texture.

Durability: Low to moderate, it is stable and has basic resistance to rot.

Trees:Trees are about 34 metres tall and have a 6–1.0 m trunk diameter. The white spruce trees are primarily found in Northern North America.

Strength and hardness: Janka rating is 480 lbf and the average dried weight is 425 kg/m3, which means the wood is neither hard nor heavy.

Workability and uses: It is generally easy to work with and glues and finishes well. Common uses include paper pulp, construction lumber, crates, and millwork.

2. Sitka Spruce Wood

Colour: Sitka spruce heartwood is cream/white to yellow, sometimes with a fine pinkish-red hue. The sapwood is creamy white and not clearly distinguishable. Sitka timber is also known to sometimes have a distinct grain pattern called bearclaw.

Grain: It has a straight grain and a uniform, fine texture.

Durability: Low durability and slight to no resistance to decay.

Trees: Trees are about 40-50 metres tall and have a 1.2-1.8 m trunk diameter. The Sitka spruce trees are native to Northwestern North America.

Strength and hardness: Janka rating is 510 lbf and the average dried weight is 425 kg/m3, which means the wood is neither hard nor heavy.

Workability and uses: It is generally easy to work with and glues and finishes well. Sitka spruce is easily available and cheap, however, the wood produced from old trees or quarter sawn lumber free of knots can be quite expensive.
Sitka spruce is used for construction lumber, crates, boxes, millwork, furniture, soundboards of musical instruments, masts and spars for boats, aircraft components, wind turbine blades, etc.

3. Norway Spruce Wood

Scientific name: Picea abies; other names: European Spruce, German Spruce

Colour: Norway spruce is creamy white with a yellowish-red hue and has creamy white sapwood.

Grain: It has a straight grain and a fine, even texture.

Durability: Poor resistance to decay

Trees: Trees are about 35-55 metres tall and have a 1-1.5 m trunk diameter. The Norway spruce trees are primarily found in Northern and Central Europe.

Strength and hardness: Janka rating is 380 lbf and the average dried weight is 405 kg/m3, which means the wood is neither hard nor heavy.

Workability and Uses: It is generally easy to work with and glues and finishes well. Staining can be inconsistent. Norway Spruce is easily and widely available at cheap prices. Common uses include paper pulp, construction lumber, Christmas trees, crates, musical instruments, and millwork.

4. Black Spruce Wood

Scientific name: Picea mariana

Colour: Black spruce is creamy white or yellowish coloured and has almost white sapwood.

Grain: It has a straight grain and a fine, uniform texture.

Durability: The heartwood is poorly or slightly resistant to decay but it is non durable.

Trees: Trees are about 10-15 metres tall and have a .3-.5 m trunk diameter. The Black spruce trees are primarily found in Northern North America.

Strength and hardness: Janka rating is 520 lbf and the average dried weight is 450 kg/m3, which means the wood is neither hard nor heavy.

Workability and uses: It is generally easy to work with and glues and finishes well. Spruce is easy and cheap to buy, but old tree woods are expensive. Common uses include paper pulp, construction lumber, crates, and millwork.

5. Red Spruce Wood

Scientific name: Picea rubens

Colour: Red spruce is creamy white with a yellow or red hue and has creamy white sapwood.

Grain: It has a straight grain and a fine, even texture.

Durability: the heartwood is slightly or non-resistance to rot.

Trees: Trees are about 24-34 metres tall and have a 6–1.4 m trunk diameter. The Red spruce trees are primarily found in Eastern North America.

Strength and hardness: Janka rating is 490 lbf and the average dried weight is 435 kg/m3, which means the wood is neither hard nor heavy.

Workability and uses: It is generally easy to work with if there are no knots present and glues and finishes well. Locally-sourced spruce is cheap but imported wood and ones procured from old trees can be expensive. Common uses include paper pulp, construction lumber, crates, Christmas trees, musical instruments, and millwork.

Availability, Price & Uses of Spruce Wood

Construction-grade spruce is easily available and inexpensively priced, especially the locally-sourced wood. Imported wood can be moderately priced. Different species of spruce come from different regions around the world. Norway Spruce, for instance, is found in Europe, while Sitka spruce and White spruce are limited to North American countries.

Instrument-grade Norway Spruce is the most expensive of all species of spruce wood.

Common uses of spruce include paper pulp, furniture, construction, lumber, crates and boxes, millwork, and soundboards for musical instruments.

Why use Spruce Wood (and Why Not)

Spruce is one of the popular softwood species, which is both inexpensive and widely available.

The top advantages of Spruce include low cost, uniform texture, great workability, and basic resistance to rot. Spruce is often treated to make it more durable and resistant, but it can be expensive.

Spruce also has some disadvantages. For one, it is not very durable and cannot be used for outdoor applications. It also needs constant care and high maintenance. Spruce is prone to insect attacks and cannot be in contact with the earth, which is why it is not preferred for flooring.

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