Different woods
The Difference In Woods We Offer
WE KNOW IT CAN BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, SO WE WILL EXPLAIN
Pine wood
- First thing you need to know about pine is that it is a soft wood. Soft woods can easily dent and scratch when not looked after correctly. Pine wood is indeed a solid wood but solid doesn’t necessarily mean tough…
- We do not sell our Pine wood furniture to be used outdoors as soft woods don’t do well outside. They are super prone to temperature changes and will start to lose shape and crack when exposed to natural elements as well as big fluctuations in temperatures.
- Pine is not naturally water resistant.
- Pine shows many signs of grains and knots. Some pieces have way more knots than others. This is completely natural and we can never guarantee what the wood will look like as each piece tells a story of the tree’s history. Just keep in mind when choosing this wood, that there will many signs of grain lines and knots.
- Pine wood is typically a creamy white color, though it can sometimes have a yellowish hue with the dark knots offering a pleasing contrast.
american white oak wood
- Oak is a hard and heavy wood. This distinction doesn’t refer to a wood’s ability to resist damage, though.
- When Oak trees are felled, they tend to be old making them a tough choice of wood. After all, Oak trees can live for up to several hundred years.
- Oak is indeed highly durable.
- White oak tends to be a light beige to dark brown.
- White oak’s water resistance lies in its pores. They’re totally sealed off by tyloses.
- White oak wood is one of the most toughest options available for fine furniture.
- White oak has a medium to coarse texture.
- Oak wood has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most people find it appealing.
- There are 2 main grades in American white oak: Prime grade (most expensive option) & Comsels
- We make use of Comsels grade on all our American white oak furniture.
- Prime grade: More straight-lined grains, little colour variation, little to no knots, smaller knots, comes only from the core of the tree so very few pieces are available, hence the higher price.
- Comsels grade: Used by the majority of companies for furniture, more knots than prime grade, more colour variation of light beige to dark brown, grain lines not straight all over.
- NOTE: Both grades are the same quality wood, just the characteristics that differ. Comsel is not a lower quality than prime.
Ash wood
- Ash wood is a smooth-grained wood known for being moderately hard, heavy and strong. With this in mind, ash wood won’t dent and scratch as easily as Pine wood.
- Ash wood is one of the most durable options available for fine furniture, right below white oak.
- With its typical straight grain and beige-to-light-brown hue, ash wood is a very attractive option for fine furniture.
- Overall, the wood is quite light and tends to be various shades of beige/yellow-ish which will darken slightly over time.
- Ash wood almost always has a straight grain, though the conditions the tree grows in will occasionally create unique patterns.
- Fun fact: Fraxinus, the scientific name for ash, is a member of the olive tree family.
french oak wood
- French oak is very similar to other Oak species, but generally imported in a rustic form and hence with a bit more character (knots).
- Oak is generally a hard and heavy wood. This distinction doesn’t refer to a wood’s ability to resist damage, though.
- French oak is a tad bit softer than American white oak wood.
- Oak is indeed highly durable.
- French and American Oak is normally light to dark brown in colour, with French that can sometimes be a little darker.
- Oak wood is one of the most toughest options available for fine furniture.
- Oak wood has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most people find it appealing.
- Both American and French Oak have their own look. The choice you make will be based on personal preference.
Iroko wood
- Iroko wood is a low maintenance hardwood. The wood is tough, dense, and very durable, perfect for outdoor hence us only recommending this wood for any outdoor use.
- This particular material benefits from natural-forming properties, so not only does this wood fight against insect attacks, but it is also relatively resistant to both rot and decay (when maintained correctly).
- Iroko is somewhat variable in colour, from pale-yellow to medium-brown with color tending to darken over time. On exposure to the weather, it bleaches like teak.
- The timber is somewhat coarse-textured, with an interlocked and sometimes rather irregular grain, and of medium density, seasoned, which is about the same as teak. Iroko has a superficial resemblance to teak but is readily distinguished by its coarser texture, and lacks the characteristic greasy feel and leather-like smell of teak.
- Fun fact: Iroko is harder than teak.
A few extra facts about woods:
- All woods tend to change hues a bit as the years go by. Generally speaking, lighter varieties will become richer (darker), while darker woods will lighten some. This is a natural process caused by exposure to UV light and oxygen.
- While most people think “hardwood” is a reference to the durability or density of wood, it actually only refers to the type of tree the wood came from. If it’s a hardwood, that means it came from a dicot tree– typically a broad-leafed variety of tree. If it’s a softwood, it came from a gymnosperm tree– typically a conifer.
- No stain on any type of wood (pine, ash, oak) will ever be the same as each wood type is completely different.
