What Are Hardwoods?

There are two main categories of timber: hardwoods and softwood. Hardwood refers to timber from broad-leaved, deciduous trees, which means that they shed their leaves every year. They also have protected seeds, such as those growing in fruit or within a shell, rather than exposed seeds, e.g. pine cones. These hardwood species include Ekki, Oak, Opepe, Massaranduba, and Pituca, though the full list is much longer!

Some of the hardwood species we supply at EcoChoice include:

Softwoods are coniferous, evergreen trees which have needle-shaped leaves. We also source a wide variety of softwoods for projects, and will be happy to match you to the right category for your project if you are unsure.

Benefits of Hardwood Timber

Hardwood does not automatically mean that the timber you receive will be harder than softwoods. Balsa, for example, is very lightweight and weak but is still a hardwood, whilst the softwood Yew is dense and hard.

However, in general, hardwood does tend to be denser and tougher than softwood, making it harder to damage. It also takes longer for these trees to grow, which can make hardwood pricier than softwood.

Should You Choose Hardwood or Softwood?

When looking at the benefits of timber, we tend not to categorise based on whether it is a softwood or a hardwood. Instead, we look at the individual species to learn more about its characteristics. So, the question is not which of the two you should choose, but which species.

There are hundreds of timber species out there, making this a tough question to answer. If you are unsure, we will get to know your project before recommending the best options to you, using our expertise to ensure the success of your build.

High-Quality Hardwood From EcoChoice

We source and deliver naturally durable hardwoods for our clients, most of which are stocked as rough-sawn. This means that we can re-saw, cut or plane the wood to your specifications. We will also pre-drill your hardwood if required, making for easy installation as soon as it is on-site.

All our hardwoods are sustainably sourced. Each plank of timber we deliver comes from forest land which is protected by strict rules, allowing for the natural replenishment of the woodland. Even when trees are felled for timber, they are done so in a way which allows the forest and its habitats to continue to thrive. Animals, plant species and local communities are respected, making our timber the Eco-Choice.

Source Hardwoods With Our Team

If you are looking for hardwoods, EcoChoice can help. We are timber experts and will be happy to match your project to the right hardwood species, or simply fulfil your order if you already know what you need. Get your project underway by speaking to one of our team today.