Timbers

• Oak is a hard wood from European forests. It is hard, tough, strong, durable, attractive, expensive and has natural weather protection. It is commonly used in furniture and flooring.
• Mahogany is a hard wood from Amazonian rainforests. It is strong, durable, with very few knots, is fairly weather resistant, and is used in veneering, furniture, window and door frames.
• Pine is a softwood from North American forests. It is soft, lightweight, easy to work, cheap, readily available, but not as strong or durable as oak. It needs to be protected from weathering. Used in furniture, flooring and roof trusses.
• Beech is a hard wood from European forests. It is strong, hard, has a close grain with very few knots, it is prone to warping and splitting, and needs to be protected from weathering. It is used in furniture, children's toys, tool handles and bench tops.
• Balsa is a hard wood from South American forests. It is very lightweight, soft, weak, not very durable, easily worked, with very few knots. It has very poor resistance to weathering. Used in model making, floats and rafts.
• Jelutong is a hard wood from Asian forests. It close-grained, has very few knots, medium hardness and toughness, easily worked. But very poor resistance to weathering. Used in pattern making.
• Birch is a hard wood from European forest. It has medium strength, easy to work with, attractive. Has poor resistance to weathering. used in veneers, plywood, and furniture.
• Ash is a hard wood from European forests. It is strong, tough, durable and flexible, with few knots and attractive grain. It has some resistance to weathering and finishes well. Used in tool handles, sporting equipment, furniture and ladders.
• Cedar is a soft wood from Alpine forests. It is very resistant to weathering and decay, very easily worked, with few knots. Used in fencing, fence posts and exterior cladding.
• Larch is a soft wood from Alpine forests. It is tough, durable, with some knots. It has good weather resistance. Used in exterior cladding, fencing, fence posts and sheds.
• Plywood is made from wood veneers glued together with alternating grain. It is very strong, flat, smooth and resistant to twisting and warping, but prone to splintering. Most plywood need protecting from weathering. Used in construction, furniture and boat building.
• MDF is made from compressed wood fibres with resin. It is inexpensive, flat and smooth, easy to work but abrasive on tools, dust is a health hazard. It has very little resistance to weathering. Used in flat-pack furniture, floor coverings, and wall panelling.
• Chipboard is made from wood chips bonded together with resin. It is inexpensive, with limited strength, easy to work but abrasive on tools. It has very little resistance to weathering. Used in kitchen worktops, floor coverings, and flat-pack furniture.