Construction Materials The type of material you use on a project will depend on the type, size and nature of your project. As far as small woodworking projects go here are some common materials for their construction.

Selecting Wood There are two main types of wood we use for wood projects; hardwood and softwood. The actual hardness or softness of the wood has more to do with the type of tree it comes from than the actual strength of the wood.

Hardwoods Hardwood come from deciduous trees. These are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. They come in a wider variety of colours and textures than softwoods. These woods are typically the choice of woodworkers for furniture, cabinetery and flooring projects.

Softwoods These woods come from coniferous or evergreen trees. These woods are primarily used for construction purposes (homes, sheds, barns etc.). These types of wood are abundant in North America.

Softwoods cont’d Softwoods use for general construction are usually Spruce (s) , Pine (p) or Fir (f) trees. Construction lumber is labelled as SPF and can be any of these three types of lumber. Softwoods are also used in the manufacture of fiberboard and paper.