A beginner’s guide to different types of wood, and their uses

DIY projects come in all kinds of shapes and sizes – but lots of them involve wood in some capacity.

Whether it’s putting up your own shelves, making your own coffee table or panelling your bedroom wall, there are so many different ways we give wood guide at woodyman in our DIY escapades.

And the world of wood can feel overwhelming at times, with softwoods, hardwoods, wooden veneer and more – each with their own properties.

So, where do you begin if you’re new to the world of DIY, or hoping to get better at it?Woodwork expert Matthew Hensby is on hand to help.

Matthew is a teacher at learning platform Domestika and co-founder of Bibbings and Hensby, and he offers a course on mastering all things wood.

So let’s start at the very beginning.

What are the different types of woods? When it comes to different types, the key ones to know about are hardwoods and softwoods. It’s worth pointing out that these are characterised by their reproduction – rather than their end appearance.

Hardwood comes from deciduous trees, which lose their leaves annually – whereas softwood comes from conifer trees, which usually remain evergreen.

Matthe ‘Hardwoods are our first choice, and we work almost exclusively with them.

‘We love oak, and it is very popular due to its durability. It’s also very traditional, and British heritage is linked in so tightly with oak.

‘Ash is another great hardwood and is very underappreciated. It’s readily available and cheap with similar properties to oak, but it’s just not quite as durable.

‘We also use a range of other hardwoods like elm, sycamore, English cherry and walnut.’

**When and why might you use different woods?

Different woods have their own characteristics and properties, and are good for different things. You can also use a combination of timbers in one project, each fit for a different function and purpose,’ explains Matthew.