Types Of Wood

So, the tag on the armoire says it's made of birch....is that good, bad, or somewhere in-between? Use our furniture glossary to determine which woods you should look for in your furniture, and which types of wood you should avoid. Some of the woods listed below are normally used only for the exposed parts of furniture - table tops, table legs, carved chair arms and legs, surfaces of dressers and cabinets, etc. - because they stain evenly and are easy to work with but are not the most durable. Other woods are normally used only for the interior framework of furniture because they are very durable but difficult to stain or work with.

Alder --

Hardwood that stains evenly and has good resistance to shrinking, scrapes, and dents, but is not as strong as many other hardwoods. It is usually used in medium-priced furniture.

Ash --

Strong hardwood with good resistance to warping, scrapes, and dents. It is very durable but difficult to work with. It is usually used in furniture frames.

Beech --

Strong hardwood with poor resistance to warping, shrinking, swelling, and dry rot. It is usually used in medium-quality furniture, particularly curved parts.

Birch --

Strong hardwood that stains evenly and has good resistance to shrinking, swelling, and warping. It is usually used in furniture frames and some Scandinavian style furniture. Birch is a cut below cherry, walnut, oak, mahogany, and teak because it cannot be worked with as easily. If you want delicate curved lines and carvings on your furniture, you will want to pay more for a better wood. However, if you want simple furniture with straight lines and no intricate carvings anyway, birch is a fine choice and can save you some money. Sometimes, birch is stained and sold as "imitation mahogany", "imitation cherry", or "imitation walnut". It is a decent substitute for mahogany or walnut in some simple styles of furniture, although it will not look quite as nice or last as long.

Cedar --

Weak softwood. It is most often used for closet linings, decorative paneling, trellises, garden cedar chips, and shingles. Please note that only red cedar repels moths - other types of cedar do not.

Cherry --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, wears well, stains evenly, and has good resistance to shrinking, swelling, and warping. It carves well, which makes it very well suited to furniture styles that have carved embellishments or curved lines. This is a very high-quality wood. It is also relatively expensive, but it is an excellent investment. If you want very high-quality elegant furniture, but don't want to go to the extra expense of purchasing mahogany, teak, or English walnut, cherry is a very good choice. It is available in a wide variety of furniture styles. If you love the look of cherry furniture, but you can't afford it, imitation cherry that is made of stained birch is a good substitute. It's only major drawback is that it is more difficult to work with and cannot be shaped or carved as well as cherry.

Ebony --

Strong hardwood that wears well and is easy to work with. It is extremely expensive due to its relative scarcity and the fact that it must be imported from a few tropical areas in Asia and Africa. It is normally used in decorative furniture inlays and small carved decorative accessories.

English walnut --

See "Walnut-English"

Fir --

Weak softwood with poor resistance to swelling and wear. It is difficult to work with and is usually used only in cheap furniture.

Gum --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work but has poor resistance to shrinking, swelling, warping, and dry rot. It is usually used in furniture frames. Sometimes, gum is stained and sold as "imitation mahogany", "imitation cherry", or "imitation walnut". Gum is inferior to real mahogany, cherry, and walnut in durability. If you want to save money by purchasing imitation walnut, cherry, or mahogany - buy the kind that is made from birch. It is a better investment.

Mahogany --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, stains evenly, wears well, looks gorgeous, and is basically perfect. It's also basically expensive, but it's worth every penny. The main reason why mahogany is so much more expensive than cherry, oak, and walnut is that it must be imported from Central America, South America, or Africa. American mahogany is marginally higher-quality than African mahogany. Mahogany does have its own unique beauty, but it really does not wear any better than cherry, oak, and American walnut (which are grown in North America). So, if you want high-quality gorgeous furniture that will last a lifetime - cherry, oak, and American walnut are fine. The only reason to pay a higher price for mahogany is for its unique look. You might also consider purchasing imitation mahogany that has been made from birch, if you can't afford the real thing. Birch is a high-quality wood that will wear well for many years. It won't be quite as gorgeous or long-lasting as the real thing, but it makes a good substitute. Avoid imitation mahogany that has been made from lower-quality woods, such as gum or so-called "Philippine mahogany", which is actually a scam and not real mahogany at all.

Maple --

Strong hardwood that is hard to work with but stains evenly and has good resistance to wear, shrinking, and swelling. You may have heard it called "hard rock maple", "sugar maple", or "black maple" - these names all refer to the same type of wood. "Bird's eye maple" refers to maple with a particular naturally occurring decorative pattern in the wood grain. Maple is usually used in medium to high-quality furniture that has simple straight lines and no curved portions or decorative carvings. If you are looking for simple furniture styles anyway, maple is a good choice that will wear well, look good, and save you some money. Cherry, oak, walnut, mahogany, and teak are all a cut above maple because they carve well and can be worked into gently curving shapes. If you don't want curved lines and carved embellishments on your furniture anyway, why pay extra for wood that has that capability?

Oak --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, wears well, stains evenly, and has good resistance to swelling, shrinking, and warping. It carves well, which makes it very well suited to furniture styles that used carved embellishments or curved lines. This is a very high-quality wood. It is also a bit expensive, but it's well worth the money. If you want very high-quality furniture, but don't want to go to the extra expense of purchasing mahogany, teak, or English walnut, oak is a very good choice. It is available in all types and styles of furniture.

Particle board --

This isn't technically a wood, but it is the main component of most cheap furniture. Particle board is actually pressure-treated, glued-together, sawdust. Particle board furniture is a poor investment. It isn't very durable. It soaks up water (from the air) like a sponge and will eventually separate from the pretty veneers that often cover it. Don't worry about properly identifying particle board - you'll know it when you see it. It looks just like what it is - sawdust. It is sometimes referred to as "wood product".

Pine --

Weak softwood that is easy to work with but has poor resistance to swelling, shrinking, and warping. It's normally used in medium-priced furniture.

Poplar --

Weak softwood that is easy to work with and stains evenly but has poor resistance to swelling, shrinking, and warping. It's normally used in relatively cheap furniture.

Rattan --

The lower, thick, segmented portion of the stem of the rattan palm. It is relatively cheap, although it is also quite durable and attractive. You can get some great deals on rattan furniture.

Rosewood --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, stains evenly, and has good resistance to wear. Rosewood is durable and beautiful, but it's also expensive because it must be imported from India or Brazil.

Satinwood --

Strong hardwood that has a high luster and is easy to work with. It is very expensive and is normally used only in fine cabinetry and furniture inlays.

Teak --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, stains evenly, and has good resistance to wear, swelling, warping, and shrinking. It carves well, which makes it very well suited to furniture styles that used carved embellishments or curved lines. This is a very high-quality wood, available in all types and styles of furniture. Teak is quite expensive because it must be imported from Asia. Like mahogany and English walnut, the only reason to buy it is because it has a unique and beautiful look. Cherry, American walnut, and oak are just as durable and attractive and are less expensive because they are grown domestically.

Walnut-American --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, wears well, stains evenly, and has good resistance to shrinking, swelling, and warping. It carves well, which makes it very well suited to furniture styles that used carved embellishments or curved lines. This is a very high-quality wood. It is also relatively expensive, but it is well worth the price. It is also known as "black walnut". If you want very high-quality elegant furniture, but don't want to go to the extra expense of purchasing mahogany, teak, or English walnut, American walnut is a good choice. It is available in all types and styles of furniture.

Walnut-English --

Strong hardwood that is easy to work with, wears well, stains evenly, and has good resistance to shrinking, swelling, and warping. It carves well, which makes it very well suited to furniture styles that used carved embellishments or curved lines. This is a very high-quality wood. It is also relatively expensive, partly because it must be imported from Europe, Asia Minor, or Asia, but it is worth every penny. English walnut is a different, but very closely related, species of walnut than American walnut. Its other common names include: European walnut, Russian walnut, Persian walnut, Circassian walnut, etc. - depending upon where the trees are harvested. All of these names refer to the same type of tree. English walnut is marginally higher-quality than American walnut. It is even easier to carve, and, therefore, it can have more intricately carved embellishments. It also looks slightly different in color and grain than American walnut. The only real reason to spend the extra money for imported English walnut is if you prefer the unique look of it. Otherwise, American walnut looks very similar, is essentially the same wood, and is less expensive.

Wicker --

The upper, thin, unsegmented portion of the stem of the rattan palm. Wicker furniture that is tightly woven looks great, will wear well with moderate care, and can last a lifetime. There is, of course, an abundance of very cheap shoddy wicker out there, too, so you must look everything over carefully before you buy. The durability and attractiveness of wicker furniture depends largely on the intricacy and skill of the weaving. Look for wicker that is tightly woven and has an inner frame of wood or metal to provide extra support.

Wood product --

See "Particle board".