Cherry, in addition to walnut, is photoreactive lumber, which makes the aging process much more dramatic than oak, maple, or other woods. Over the course of 6 to 8 months, deep amber colors will start to come out. The aging process is what makes cherry such a beautiful and rich hardwood option.
Naturally resistant woods that are commercially available include black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), teak (Tectona grandis), ipe (Tabebuia spp.), California redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). These have the highest resistance to rot over time.
Mahogany. Mahogany is an expensive, imported hardwood and varies in color from a medium brown to a deep red brown, depending on its age. It is a very traditional, versatile and popular type of wood.
Like cherry, maple will darken over time, though far less dramatically. Maple starts off very light and bright, with a few pink and grey tones. Over time, it will age to a warm golden honey color. Other light brown woods, like ash and white oak will slightly darken to a beige or amber color.
In short, the aging of wood, unlike that of cheese, does not make it better. Nor does it improve its strength. It is still possible that old wood joists may in fact be significantly stronger than they were on the day they were installed, because wood does gain strength as it dries.
This creates a different structure in the wood, which gives it its different properties. While softwood is still very strong, hardwood is more durable. This means that oak furniture has a longer lifespan than pine, which is one of the most popular reasons people might choose oak over pine.
Aged lumber, unlike fine wine or whiskey, generally does not get better with age. As a rule, the mechanical (strength) properties of wood show little change over time.
Unlike cherry, maple, and oak (which all darken in color as they age), walnut wood will actually lighten slightly over time.
Also pine will darken with age. You can see below the first 2 images of new pine with wide grain, the 3rd image of the top of a very old pine table. Notice the very close grain.
It can take 3-12 months or longer to season firewood. On average, it usually takes around 6-months to dry out the cut-firewood that you purchased from a store or supplier. Depending on the original timber's moisture content, it can take more or less time to season.
As the pine wood ages, with the help of UV from the sunlight it tends to turn more of an orange colour. In a similar way, as Oak oxidises with time, it tends to darken to a very dark brown and in some cases, black.
African Blackwood
It is considered as the most expensive wood in the world because not only it is challenging to work with hand or machine tools, its trees are already near-threatened. But as expensive as it may seem, African Blackwood is worth the price.
White oak experiences very little color change over time—its golden tones only grow slightly richer.
Which Wood Lasts the Longest? Teak wood easily lasts the longest when used for outdoor furniture or decking. When properly maintained, it can last for the entirety of your life and years after.
Some species of wood are naturally rot resistant due to complex chemical compounds that they evolved to protect themselves against decay. Well-known domestic examples include cedar, redwood, old-growth cypress, mulberry, yew, osage orange, and black locust.
The best water resistant wood types & species. Iroko, Oak, Western Red Cedar, Cherry, Maple and heat-treated woods are just a few examples of timber that boast excellent dimensional stability and high resistance to shrinking and warping in the face of moisture.
Non-durable, susceptible to insect attack. The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment, but the sapwood is permeable.
Pour enough white vinegar into the container that it will submerge the steel wool. Put the top on and shake it up good then let it sit for 24 hrs. You can get different levels of aging if you let is sit longer or shorter periods, but for most of my purposes 24 hrs is perfect.
Oak flooring is naturally light in colour with golden, honey tones. Although oak will mellow and darken a little over time, it takes hundreds of years to develop the rich dark patina of aged oak.
While hickory is typically a light-colored wood, it can change color with age, depending on the conditions it is exposed to. Over time, hickory that is exposed to sunlight will darken in color, while hickory that is kept in darker conditions will lighten.
Oak has a light to middle brown colour with some reddish hues, complimented by a straight and tight grain pattern. Walnut can range anywhere from a light brown to a deep, dark chocolate hue. Though its grain is very open and more coarse than maple, walnut still has a beautiful, uniform surface.
Wood Furniture
Hardwoods like teak tend to last years (50+) longer than softwoods (20+) like cedar or pressure-treated pine.
Teakwood is one of the hardest and most durable of all natural woods. It is resistant to rotting, sunlight, rain, frost, and snow, making it suitable for outdoor construction and furniture. However, it is expensive and sometimes hard to find.
What is the hardest wood in North America? Of locally available woods, Black Ironwood is typically the strongest type of wood you can find in America. It's found in Florida and has a 3,660 lbf (16,280 N) Janka rating. Other strong North American woods include species of hickory, maples, oaks, walnuts, and beeches.