Pine wood is probably the cheapest wood that you can get on a consumer level, but it is also one of the best wood options when high strength and low cost are needed. Pine wood is sourced from the dozens of different pine species that grow natively around the world.
Pine is a super cheap wood that is actually quite strong for its price. Pine is very common for furniture building, and most of our early builds were made from pine. We still use pine sometimes, especially if we plan to paint the project.
Particle board and or compressed woods are examples of “cheap” woods and many times used in the making of inexpensive products, or sometimes installed in hidden places of wood products, such as a tile table top may have particle board underneath the surface of the tile.
Redwood – It's one of the lightest and most durable woods used for building. It's one of the many reasons why Redwood is such a popular building material. Heartwood redwood grades are the most durable. Cedar – At just 19.7 to 23 pounds per square foot (dry) Cedar is one of the lightest woods.
White oak and teak are also long lasting woods that are resistant to decay, twisting, cracking, or warping. These low maintenance dense woods have a natural ability to repel moisture, insects, and rotting, which make them an excellent choice when building outdoor wood furniture.
Ironwood may be slow growing but it has the densest, hardest wood of any native tree species.
Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF
Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.
This scale measures and ranks the relative hardness of wood. Hickory is the hardest, commercially available common wood. Next in line are pecan, hard maple and white oak. Hardwood includes wood like hickory, oak, mahogany, maple and walnut.
When it comes to strength, fiberglass has the upper hand over the wood. This is because fiberglass is made from extremely fine glass fibers that are woven together to create a strong and durable material. Wood, on the other hand, is a natural material that is made up of cellulose fibers.
Most experts are of the opinion that the Australian Buloke, which is an ironwood tree, provides the hardest wood in the world, with a Janka hardness rating of 5,060 lbf. Others argue that Quebracho (which translates to 'ax-breaker' in Spanish) is the tree with the hardest wood in the world.
Softwoods are more readily available and are the cheapest woods for furniture due to their short maturing time. Although it is in the name, softwood isn't actually soft. It gets its name from the fact the density of the wood is lighter than hardwood. Types of softwoods include pine, fir, and cedar.
Much of the IKEA furniture is made from particle board with a smooth, white finish. This densely compressed wood provides a lighter weight piece of furniture than solid wood. There are two types of particle boards: one is extruded, and the other is platen pressed.
MDF is generally cheaper than plywood. The surface of MDF is very smooth which makes it a great surface for painting. MDF is very consistent throughout, so cut edges appear smooth and won't have voids or splinters. Because of the smooth edges, you can use a router to create decorative edges.
The least dense woods are: Balsa: With cells full of water, balsa lumber is very soft and light, with a density of only 0.11 gm g/cm3 (around 7 lbs. per cubic foot) Bamboo: An evergreen perennial, technically a grass: .
The Really Strong
Among the common species of structural lumber, North American elm, oak and maple are prized for their strength in construction. Elm is so strong and water-resistant that it is the preferred timber for wooden bridge abutments and dock pilings.
Poplar wood is cheaper than domestic hardwoods like cherry or walnut. That, and its availability, make it an excellent choice for beginner to intermediate woodworkers. Expect to pay from $3.50 to $10 per board foot, depending on board width and whether it's pre-surfaced or in the rough.
Liangbing Hu holds pieces of super wood made by removing lignin from and compressing basswood. The super wood is as strong as steel yet lightweight, making it ideal for structural uses. Regular old wood becomes a wonder material in Liangbing Hu's laboratory.
Superdense wood is lightweight, but strong as steel.
There are several reasons plywood can rival regular wood in various arenas. Again, remember that not all plywood is stronger than all solid wood. However, if you take pine plywood and put it against a solid pine board, the pine plywood will withstand a higher bending force before breaking.
It's common knowledge, but Balsa is indeed the softest and lightest of all commercial woods. Nothing else even comes close.
What is the highest quality wood? One of the types of high-quality wood used for making furniture is teak wood as it is durable and highly fire-resistant. Other types of wood include rosewood, deodar, oak and mahogany.
Common woods like Black Walnut (1,010 rating) or White Oak (1,360 rating) are naturally prime candidates as sturdy, high quality materials, while softer woods like white pine (420 rating) or Poplar (540 rating) are susceptible to nicks and scratches as soon as the wood is put to the test.
Cedar is among the densest wood species, which helps prevent cracking due to changes in moisture.
Because pine lumber has a low moisture content, its spaces fill with air as the wood dries out during seasoning. This makes the wood less dense and easier to split. It's why pine and other cone-bearing trees are considered softwood.
Bamboo is an incredibly versatile and sustainable material that has a wide range of uses. It's also incredibly strong! Thanks to its high tensile strength and low density, bamboo can be used in a variety of construction projects.