Wood Species for Construction
A wide variety of wood species are available for use in construction projects.
Friends and clients often ask us about wood species and the best ones for their projects. We recommend using wood for flooring, trim, furnishings and building structures. We like the look of wood for its warmth and natural appearance – don’t you agree? Wood is also a green building material in that it is natural, renewable and energy efficient. It is readily available in most areas of the country, so shipping costs are low.
Wood species that we recommend for construction projects fall into two types: hardwood and softwood. Contrary to what one might think, softwoods are generally valued for their strength in building structures and framing, while hardwoods are valued for their beauty and are used for trim, flooring and furnishings.
According to the American Hardwood Information Center, “hardwoods are the botanical group of trees that have broad leaves, produce a fruit or nut, and generally go dormant in the winter.” Hundreds of species are produced in America’s forests, including cherry, maple and oak. 40% of US trees are hardwood species. Hardwoods are generally slower growing than softwoods and are more costly to produce. We use hardwoods for exposed decorative trim and furnishings on our projects.
Softwoods by comparison, are typically used as structural lumber in our projects. Softwoods or “conifers” are fast growing and widely available throughout the US, so they are less expensive to produce than hardwoods. The term “conifers” comes from the Latin word meaning “cone-bearing”, and they are generally recognized by their needles. Common softwood species in the US include cedar, fir, pine, and spruce.
We are working on an artist’s studio in Wisconsin in which we are utilizing entire trees as the structural members of the building. The effect of the trees in the tall space is amazing! Surrounded by natural Wisconsin field-stone walls, the black locust and alder trees support white ash beams and roof decking covered by black walnut shingles. The beauty of these natural building materials provides a suitable backdrop for the work of our artist-client.
On your next construction project, consider using several of America’s wide variety of wood species for their natural strength and intrinsic beauty.
