Wood Varieties
No two wood types are the same and modern joinery can be made from any of dozens of different species of tree. Each type has a distinctive cut, grain and colour, giving each its individual character. Here at Heritage Joinery we use a variety of soft and hard woods to suit our designs and our customers’ needs and preferences. On average, hardwood is of a higher density and hardness, resisting wear, dents and scratches better than softwood, however there is some overlap between the two.
Listed below, in sections, are they types of wood that we have to offer, to help give you a more comprehensive understanding of our products.
Soft Wood
V’s Redwood
The timber is normally straight grained with a reasonable fine and even texture. The timber has a reddish colour when freshly cut but over time weathers down to a creamy white-yellow colour. The timber is strong and moderately hard and is used for interior joinery such as stairs, and if it is treated it can be used for external joinery for doors and windows.
Unsorted Redwood
The timber is creamy white in colour with a straight grain and even texture. Similar to the V’s Redwood in all aspects except it is of a higher quality, making it stronger and more durable, but of course resulting in it being more expensive.
Douglas Fir
The timber varies between reddish brown and light brown with a straight-grain. It is up to forty percent harder than Redwood and therefore makes it more suitable for exterior joinery such as doors and windows but can still be used for interior as well. It is also used more commercially, because of its beautiful colour and grain, it is an excellent wood for beams.
Hemlock
Hemlock is light brown in colour which naturally becomes richer over time. It has a long grain and is very strong. It is resistant to rotting and is much less expensive than Douglas fir for timber frame homes.
Hardwood
European Oak
European Oak is light tan to biscuit in colour with a coarse, straight grain, often slightly silvery in colour. It is very strong and tough, finishes well, works well and has very little shrinkage. It is often used for structural purposes and exterior joinery but is also an extremely popular choice for flooring.
American White Oak
Although generally resembling European oak, American white oak has more variations in its colour, ranging from pale yellow-brown to pale reddish-brown, often with a pinkish tint. It has a straight, silvery grain of medium coarseness. The higher density of this wood compared to the European Oak makes it more suitable for exterior joinery and structural use.
American White Ash
The timber is often light brown to almost white, with a pronounced straight grain and a coarse texture. It hasn’t the durability of some of the other hardwoods and so is more often used for interior joinery such as staircases.
American Cherry
American Cherry can vary between rich red to reddish brown. It has a smooth texture and a fine, straight, close grain with narrow brown pith flecks and small gum pockets. The red colour darkens when exposed to sunlight. This type of hardwood resists warping and shrinking and is perfect for high class joinery and interior work.
American Walnut
American Walnut is a light brown to dark chocolate brown timber, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. It has a fine texture and the grain is frequently curly with mottled and burled figures. Walnut is viewed as a strong, hard wood, ideal for floors and is often used to contrast with lighter woods used within the home.
Idigbo
Indigbo is a pale yellow to light brown coloured timber. The grain is often straight but in some cuts can be slightly irregular, and the texture is somewhat coarse and uneven. It is similar in strength and hardness to Oak and so again is more suitable for structural and exterior work.
Sapele
Pinkish when first cut the Sapele timber darkens to a reddish brown and is marked and regular stripe. It has a close texture with an interlocked grain, sometimes appearing slightly mottled. Sapele is a strong and hard wood with resistance to indentation and to shock, it is ideal for flooring and stairs.
Utile
The timber is similar to the Sapele, being reddish-brown in colour with an interlocked grain that produces a broad ribbon-stripe, often more irregular and wider than that of the Sapele timber. It is a dense wood which is strong and shock resistant. Utiles fine finish means it has many uses, some of which include, interior and exterior joinery, countertops and furniture.
Dark Red Merenti
Dark Red Merenti is red-brown in colour which developd to a dark red, grey coloured flecks or streaks are often visible. Its grain is interlocked and wavy, with a coarse but even texture. There is a wide variety of strength between the Merenti types, Dark red being the strongest. It is comparable to Oak in its strength but is not as hard. It can be used for exterior and interior joinery.
Things to remember
- Dark woods can make rooms feel smaller yet will give an elegant, warm and cosy feel.
- Lighter woods will result in a feeling of space, working in a similar way to white walls.
- The key is to match tone rather than colour as the colour of the wood will enhance as it matures.
- When choosing a wood for flooring or stairs, chose a resistant, strong wood to withstand the every day wear and tear.
- Grain adds character to the wood, for a more modern look try to chose a grain that is straight, with very little colour variation, a dramatic grain as seen in the Utile however will produce a more rustic finish to your product.
- There may defects in the wood, such as knots, as it is a natural material; we feel this only adds character and style to your product.
