Wood is a natural material and is sourced from many different tree species. Each species produces timber which varies in colour, density and performance, all of which will influence its suitability for a particular job. Botanists divide timber into two main categories; softwoods and hardwoods.
These terms can cause confusion, but simply softwoods come from coniferous (needle leaved) trees and hardwoods come from deciduous trees and evergreen broadleaved trees. The terms softwood and hardwood are botanical and don't necessarily indicate their end use.
Softwood
We regularly use the following species of softwood:
European Redwood (known also as Pine and Scot's Pine)
Sourced by our suppliers from Scandinavia and Russia, this is one of the most popular softwoods available and used to create interior joinery and furniture. It is a pale yellowish-brown to a reddish-brown in colour.
Douglas Fir (also known as British Columbian Pine and Oregon Pine)
This is a very popular softwood species due to its strength and versatility. It is quite variable in colour from reddish brown to light brown and is commonly used for interior and exterior joinery.
Hemlock
from North America and Canada is softwood suitable for use in stairs when a painted finish is required.
Southern Yellow Pine
comes from the southern states of the USA and is yellowish-brown to reddish-brown in colour. It has almost identical strength properties to Douglas Fir and is used for stairs and window boards.
Hardwoods
For external applications the appropriate Hardwoods are much more durable. The following are examples of hardwoods that we regularly use;
European Beech
Can range in colour from pale brown to light reddish brown. It is wear resistant and is used in furniture and kitchen production. It is unsuitable for external joinery.
Birch
A beautiful and durable material ideal for elegant interior decoration and furniture.
North American Cherry
This wood has a highly decorative golden yellow to pinkish red colour and is used for more specialised crafted furniture and kitchens. It is not suitable for external joinery.
Sweet Chestnut (European)
This is a hardwearing timber with a yellowish brown sapwood and darker brown heartwood. It is used for cabinet work, furniture manufacture and both internal and external joinery.
European Oak
This is light tan to biscuit coloured and is a very popular timber for designers and shop fitters. It is durable and versatile and can be used for windows, doors, kitchens, stairs, furniture and paneling.
North Amerian 'white' Ash varies from a pale cream through to greyish brown in colour. It is used in light coloured internal furniture, sports equipment, shopfitting panelling and flooring.
Poplar (also known as Tulip Wood) comes from various Eastern States of America. It has a soft texture and is predominantly pale cream to light green in colour, and often within each board there is a vivid purple and black colouring. It is often used for kitchen furniture carcasses, internal doors and mouldings.
Black Walnut (North American)
The colour varies from light grey-brown to a chocolate brown to purplish brown and finishes beautifully with an excellent decorative appearance due to its outstanding grain, colour and pattern. It is widely used for high quality kitchens, furniture and doors.
Maple (North American) is coloured cream to pale reddish brown, renowned for its strength and is straight grained with a fine texture. It is suitable for internal joinery and furniture. It is not suitable for exterior use.
Iroko (African)
The colour varies from light yellow to golden brown and has a coarse texture, often with an interlocked grain. This is a hardwearing timber and has many of the desirable features of teak. It is widely used for interior and exterior joinery.
Sapele
West African Sapele is a reddish brown hardwood. Generally it has a random grain appearance and is used for numerous mahogany-looking products, for example conservatories, door frames and solid wood doors, furniture and counter tops.
Utile
West African Utile is a 'sister' species to Sapele but usually has a more interesting grain and gives a better 'finish' albeit at a higher price. It is reddish brown in colour and used for high quality interior and exterior joinery, furniture and cabinet work.
Idigbo
West African Idigbo is a yellow to light brown in colour and has a straight to slightly irregular grain with a medium to fairly coarse texture. It is used for high class joinery both internal and external and is mainly used where a paint finished is required.
Meranti
Malaysian dark red Meranti varies from a medium to dark reddish brown and has a fairly coarse texture with interlocked grain. It is often used as a false 'mahogany' for products like windows, furniture and doors.
Engineered (Laminated) Oak
We can also use engineered (laminated) hard wood and softwood for windows, internal and external doors and staircases. The benefits of this are reduced cost, dimensional stability and the colour can be matched as required.
