NATURAL WOODS

HARDWOODS:

Hardwoods come from broad-leaved, deciduous trees. The main hardwood timbers are ash, beech, birch, cherry, elm, iroko, mahogany, meranti, oak, obeche, sapele and teak. Hardwoods are more expensive than softwoods due to the fact that they grow slower and therefore demand is always backed up.

General properties of hardwoods:
• Hardwoods are usually have broad leaves.
• Hardwoods come from deciduous or broad-leafed trees.
• Hardwoods are special as they are deciduous this means
  they lose their leaves.
• You can distinguish hardwoods by the structure of the wood grain.
• Hardwoods grow slower than softwoods so they are more expensive.• Hardwoods include Ash, Beech, Oak, Balsa, Teak and Mahogany.

B - Balsa
A - Ash
D - Deciduous
H - Hardwood
O - Oak
T - Teak
E - Expensive
L - Loses leaves

SOFTWOODS:

Softwoods come from coniferous trees which have needles instead of leaves. Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods and so are cheaper they are also easier to work with as they are softer than hardwoods. These are supplied in standard sections sawn and planned smooth. Softwood sizes are confusing because they are smaller once they are planned.
General properties of softwoods:
• Softwoods come from coniferous trees.
• Softwoods are special because they don’t lose their needles.
• Softwoods have needles instead of leaves.
• Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods so are cheaper.
• Often used as building material.
• Trees grow tall and straight which makes it easier for the manufacturer
   to cut long straight planks of wood.

P - Pine
I - Indicates
N - Needles
C - Cedar
E- Evergreen
R -Redwood
S- Softwood

Rough Sawn:  When wood is cut to a basic size on a circular saw, it is called 'rough sawn'. The edges and sides are not smooth. This is usually the first stage of preparing wood for further, more accurate work. Wood can be purchased rough sawn or planed. Rough sawn timber is cheaper.
P.S.E:  (PLANED SQUARE EDGE) Planed wood is a little smaller than rough, usually by about ¼" or 5-7mm each way. 2x4 PSE is simply 2x4 rough sawn that has been planed to make it smooth. When timber is sold in metric, the stated size is the size you get. When wood is PSE only one edge is planed.
P.A.R: (PLANED ALL ROUND) same as above however all edges are planed.