7.2 Wood and manufactured board © Nelson Thornes 2011 1

Wood and manufactured board Wood is one of the oldest materials used by man. It has been used to build houses and sheds, toys, tables, chairs and furniture. It is available as solid timber and manufactured board. © Nelson Thornes 2011

Solid timber There are two types of solid timber: Softwood Hardwood These names do not refer to how hard the wood is. For example, redwood is a softwood but it is hard, and balsa is a hardwood, but it is soft. © Nelson Thornes 2011

Solid timber Hardwoods come from trees that lose their leaves in autumn and winter. These are called deciduous trees. Hardwoods include oak, beech, elm, ash, mahogany, teak and balsa wood. Oak © Nelson Thornes 2011

Solid timber Softwoods come from trees that keep their leaves all year. These are called coniferous trees. Softwoods include pine trees, which are also used as Christmas trees. They grow much faster than hardwood trees. Scots pine © Nelson Thornes 2011

Conversion Conversion means cutting the trunk of the tree into planks. It takes a lot of time to cut a tree into planks of wood. The planks are narrow and can never be wider than the size of the tree. The properties of a plank can vary in different directions, depending upon its grain. The grain is the direction of the fibres that make up the wood. © Nelson Thornes 2011

Manufactured boards Manufactured boards are made from wood, often from the waste or off-cuts from cutting solid timber. Manufactured boards are usually cheaper than solid wood, and they are available in larger widths. As they have no grain, their properties can be uniform in different directions. © Nelson Thornes 2011

Manufactured boards They are often covered with a thin layer of timber, called a veneer, to improve their appearance. This means that they can be used where someone wants them to look like more expensive solid wood. There are five main types of manufactured board. © Nelson Thornes 2011

Hardboard Hardboard is a bit like thick card, which is shiny on one side and rough on the other. It is made by squashing a ‘pulp’ of wood fibres mixed with glue. Hardboard is very cheap and used for cupboard backs and drawer bases. Hardboard © Nelson Thornes 2011

Chipboard Chipboard is made from thousands of chips of timber which are mixed with glue and squashed together. Compared to timber it is not as strong, but it is very cheap. It is often used with a veneer, to protect it from moisture, for kitchen worktops and table tops. Chipboard © Nelson Thornes 2011

Blockboard Blockboard is made by gluing together strips of softwood and then covering them with a veneer on both sides. It is a strong and stable board which is often used in furniture. Blockboard © Nelson Thornes 2011

Plywood Plywood is made by gluing veneers at right angles to each other, to build up the thickness needed. Plywood has constant strength and thickness. Plywood for indoor use is used to make furniture. Plywood for outdoor use is used to make signs. Plywood © Nelson Thornes 2011

MDF Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) is made by squashing tiny particles of timber together with glue. It is a cheap, flat board with equal strength in all directions. It is often used in furniture. You have probably also seen it being used to make design features on many television makeover programmes. MDF © Nelson Thornes 2011

Summary Wood products are available as solid timber or manufactured board. Softwoods include pine and redwood. Hardwoods include oak, beech, mahogany and balsa wood. Manufactured boards include plywood, blockboard and MDF. © Nelson Thornes 2011