| You may have a couple of woodworking projects in | | | | than you would need for furniture. |
| mind, such a building a hutch, perhaps laying flooring in | | | | Depending upon the temperature and moisture |
| your home. The first question that comes to mind is | | | | content of its surroundings, hardwood expands and |
| what is the right kind of wood for the particular job? | | | | contracts as an adaptation to its environment. To |
| This question becomes easier to answer once you | | | | keep this change in texture to a minimum, |
| understand a bit about the unique characteristics and | | | | hardwoods are dried in a kiln oven to remove a great |
| qualities of each hardwood. | | | | deal of its moisture content. This will stabilize the |
| Hardwood is lumber that comes from hardwood | | | | amount of expansion and contraction so that it |
| trees, which are those that have a broad leaf, or | | | | retains its original shape as closely as possible. |
| produce nuts. In North American, the most popular | | | | The manufacturers of good hardwood take the |
| hardwoods are cherry, maple, walnut, oak and | | | | character of the wood into account when they |
| hickory. The climate in North America is conducive for | | | | specify what the wood should be used for. An |
| the production of these strong wood trees. The | | | | example of this concept is that Windsor-brand |
| entire group of these trees, taken as a whole, are | | | | plywood is used as an under flooring and for outside |
| called "hardwood" trees. | | | | wall bases. Siegal, Lowes, Carter and Dunn, Carter, |
| Even though all hardwood is not the same, the | | | | Lowes and Siegel lumber all carry lumber suited for |
| lumber industry has taken steps to standardize wood | | | | whatever job you want to do. If you shop on line, |
| by designating different strengths and grades so that | | | | you will see that seller such as Lumber Liquidators |
| the consumer can know which is the best hardwood | | | | carry a large stock of hardwood lumber to be used |
| for the woodworking project he is contemplating. | | | | primarily for flooring applications. |
| The hardest of all hardwoods are pecan and hickory. | | | | You have to decide carefully about the kind of |
| The strength of hardwood is determined by PSI, | | | | lumber you are going to use for each project, and |
| which is how much pressure it takes to dent the | | | | especially about how you want the finished product |
| wood, measured in pounds. For hickory and pecan, it | | | | to look. Even though the variation in how strong or |
| takes 1,820 pounds. The "softest" of the hardwoods | | | | durable different hardwoods are, the finished |
| is aspen, which takes as little as 350 pounds to mar | | | | appearance can differ greatly and so you have to |
| the wood. The commonly used woods are in the | | | | decide whether you prefer the rough look of white |
| middle, in terms of pounds of pressure, such as | | | | oak or the softer finish of maple. Since hardwoods |
| maple (1,450), white oak (1,360) and cherry (950 | | | | are usually stained to any color you may like, it is the |
| pounds). These measurements are important since | | | | grain that will decide what the end product will look |
| they will indicate which hardwoods are best for which | | | | like. |
| project. For flooring, you would want a harder wood | | | | |