WHAT IS SOFTWOOD?

Softwood refers to timber that has been cut from a

coniferous or an evergreen tree. Softwoods are frequently
used as building materials.
Softwoods come from evergreen and conifer trees, such as
pine, cedar or spruce. Softwood timber is used for many
woodworking projects because it is usually strong and
easy to work with. Softwood is used by many
woodworking professionals, including carpenters,
cabinetmakers, furniture makers and woodcarvers. The
classification of the wood is misleading because softwood
is not necessarily soft. While there are hardwoods that are
denser than softwood, many types of softwood are much
harder. Softwoods do not have the same structure as
hardwoods because they do not require vessels to transport
water. The use of softwoods is considered to be
environmentally friendly because the trees grow more
quickly than hardwood trees.
WHAT IS HARDWOOD?
Hardwood is a descriptive term applied to woods that are
the most dense and hard when compared with the vast
collection of wood options. It is wood from deciduous
trees and broad-leaf evergreen trees.
It is used in the construction of many everyday items such
as furniture, doors, the framework of some buildings,
musical instruments, flooring, tool handles and even the
dashboard in some (usually expensive!) cars. Generally, the
long fibers of hardwoods are densely packed, making the
wood harder and so suitable for applications which call
for fairly tough surfaces.
While hardwood is usually more expensive than softwood
and often has a more complex and aesthetic grain
structure, softwood scores for some applications because
of its comparative lightness, lower cost, and the fact that
it’s generally easier to cut and shape.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
SOFTWOOD:
ADVANTAGES:
 It is cheap
 A good insulator
 There is more softwood available as softwood
trees grown faster
 It's lighter
 Easy to work with
 They grow quicker than hardwood trees and are
cheaper they also have a low density so they are light
but still fairly strong.

DISADVANTAGES:
 Not strong
 Easily damaged
 Sometimes too easy to work with as if you make a
mistake whilst cutting the wood it's ruined
 Needs preserving
 They catch fire easily
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
HARDWOOD:

ADVANTAGES:
 Hardness and strength
 Endurance
 Attractiveness – colour and grain
 Better fire resistance (although burns longer and
provides more heat than softwood when used as fuel
 Ecofriendly

DISADVANTAGES:
 Higher cost
 Greater weight
 Generally more difficult to cut and shape
 Regular maintenance
 Non-resistant to strains
SOME EXAMPLES OF SOFTWOOD:
Pine, Redwood, Larch, Cedar, Deal, Hemlock,
Spruce, Whitewood, Yew, Fin.

SOME EXAMPLES OF HARDWOOD:

Alder, Balsa, Beech, Hickory, Mahogany, Maple,
Oak, Teak, Walnut.