Wood, Softwoods and Hardwoods

Timber - Wood is cut down and processed.
Lumber - Tree has just been felled.
2 Types - Soft wood and hard wood.

Hardwoods: Deciduous, lose leaves in winter and are slow growing.
Softwoods: Evergreen, Pine needles/ cones, grow faster.

Examples:
Hardwood: Oak, Ash, Beech, Teak, Walnut

Softwood: Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Larch, Spruce.
Wood
Wood is fiberous with fibres running along the length of the trunk. 55% of the tree is cellulose, 28% is lignum resin, this holds the structure of the tree together.Timber is a natural fibre re-inforced polymer.Knots on a piece of wood, are dead branches.
Process of cutting a tree down and turning it into a slab of wood.
1. Harvest/cut down the tree.
2. Convert tree, cut into boards (slab or quarter sawn).
3. Season it, reduce moisture in timber (kiln or natural seasoning)
4. Board preperation, sawing to size and planing( P.A.R. = Planed All Round)

The wood shrinks along the annual lines, the dark annual lines symbolise the winter months and are full of resin to protect them, and the slighter annual lines symbolise the summer months are have less resin in them.
Physical Strength: Timber is much stronger along the grain than across it.
Aesthetic Properties: Colour, complex, simple grain structure.
Moisture Content: Shrinkage/ Timber movement.
Protection: Dry and Wet Rot, Insect Attack
Operating Conditions: Where will it be used? Outside? Central Heated House?
Costs: Of different Timbers E.G. Hardwoods are more expensive than Softwoods, Rare timbers are more expensive too.
Sustainability: using timber from a sustainable source, FSC - Forestry Stewardship Council.