Want to know what wood would work for your DIY needs or even for your home project? Read on because we found some tips that can help guide you in the right direction!
Picking what wood would work is no simple task. In case you're having some trouble finding the best wood for your DIY needs or even for your home projects, stop stressing and put your mind at ease by picking the right wood.
What Wood Would Work? [Infographic]
The classic preference to use wood when crafting a home has stood the test of time. Luckily wood has many attractive qualities including it's fairly low cost, it looks incredible, it's solid, it's warm and comfortable and it can last forever. It can be utilized for almost everything from building furniture to warming the home to making fire for your fire pit.
When doing DIY projects, it's always best to know what types of wood are most applicable for the project at hand.
Every variety has its own particular properties which will make a huge impact on the look and feel of your finished project. Some woods age beautifully, while others still need some paint or polish. Some are easily scratched and dented while others resist shrinking and swelling.
With the large number of wood varieties to choose from, knowing which wood would work best for various projects is essential to creating a cohesive and finalized product. The wood's scent, color, and texture are components that draw you towards different styles. Similarly, these components, while adding to the feel of a home, are the challenging aspects when choosing your wood.
Kudos to the guys of Heiton Buckley who've come up with the amazing infographic below that will help you when picking the right wood for your project.
There is some great wood wisdom here, so have fun and enjoy!
What Wood Would Work?
Indoors
Best Woods for Furniture
Oak
- Heavy, strong hardwood
- Great for cabinets and dining furniture
Cherry
- Hardwood with fine straight grain
- Easily shaped
- Great for carved chairs and shaker-style furniture
Live Edge Cherry
- Raw edged wood, left unfinished
- Rustic feel
- Great for counter tops, bars, tables
Walnut
- Rich, durable hardwood with straight grain
- High price point
- Great for headboards, ornate dining tables, and mantels
Reclaimed or Salvaged
- Any wood that’s been used before
- Varying costs, depending on piece
- Great for statement furniture and floorboards
Maple
- One of the hardest woods available
- Affordable
- Great for heavy use items such as kitchen cabinets
Fir
- Works well with many stains
- Burn with a hand torch for deep, dark colour
- Great for frames
Best Woods For Flooring
Solid timber hardwoods
- Popular: Oak, walnut, cherry, ash, and maple
What to expect:
- Solid planks all the through
- May require sub-floor underneath
- Can be noisy, especially upstairs
- Extremely hard—wearing
- Ages gracefully
Engineered Wood
- Plywood or veneered base, with layers of criss-crossed hard or softwood boards and then a layer of timber
Flooring Is Graded By Appearance
- Premium or select grades are smooth, knot-free and uniform (high-end)
- Low-grade timbers are less uniform and more ‘rustic’ (low-cost)
Best Woods For Fireplace Mantel
- Not all woods are suitable
- Softwoods can crack or dent easily over time, even after varnishing
- Hardwoods are the best choice
Mahogany
Hickory
Maple
Oak
Best Woods For Your DIY Workbench
Qualities of good workbench wood
- Heavy
- Inexpensive
- Light in colour
Woods that fit the bill
- Yellow pine
- White oak
- Ash
- Red maple
Outdoors
Best Woods For Decking
Softwoods
Cedar
Pine
Larch
Redwood
- Must be treated with wood preservative to avoid rotting
- More economical
Hardwoods
Ipe
Yellow Balau
Oak
Iroko
Teak
- Very durable and stable
- Low maintenance
Wooded Decking Tips
- Lay a deck fabric over the ground below decking to avoid weed growth
- Pressure wash a couple of times a year to remove slippery algae
Best Woods For Raised Flower Beds
Wood Used For A Raised Flower Bed Should Be
- Durable
- Safe
- Attractive
- Sustainable
Woods that fit the bill
Cedar
- Smooth and elegant
- Easily takes stain/paint
- 20+ years lifespan
- Chemical free
Redwood
- Beautiful colour
- Elegant
- 20+ years lifespan
- Chemical-free
Juniper
- Very long-life (50+ years)
- Great for a modern look
- Chemical-free
- Inexpensive
Pressure-treated Wood
- Easy to find
- 20+ years lifespan
- Inexpensive
Best Woods For Burning In Your Garden Fire Pit
‘Seasoned’ Firewood
- Left to dry for extended period of time
- Easy to burn
- Creates more heat that wet wood
- Always choose ‘seasoned’ firewood if possible
Softwoods
- Ignite fast
- Good as starter wood
- Best choices: yellow pine, spruce, fire, red cedar
Hardwoods
- Better heat energy per volume of wood
- Good for heat and cooking
- Best choices: ash, red oak, beech, white oak, birch, hickory, hard maple, pecan, almond, apple, dogwood
Best Firewood For Cooking
Alder
- Burns quickly, good for making charcoal
- Delicate flavor with some sweetness
- Good for smoking fish, pork, poultry and game birds
Apple
- One of the best cooking woods available
- Burns hot with little flame
- Mildly smoky with a fruity sweetness
- Great for poultry and pork
Almond
- Long-lasting high heat
- Sweet smoke flavor
- Complements all meats
Grapevines
- A rich and fruity aroma
- Suitable for poultry, red meats, game and lamb
- Gives off lots of smoke
- Fast fires for quickly cooking small cuts of meat
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