Softwood

For the plant propagation technique known as softwood cutting, see Cutting (plant).

Scots Pine, a typical and well-known softwood

Softwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as conifers. The term is opposed to hardwood, which is the wood from angiosperm trees. The main differences between hardwoods and softwoods is that the structure of hardwoods lack resin canals, whereas softwoods lack pores (though not all softwoods have resin canals).

Characteristics

Softwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as pines and spruces. Softwoods are not necessarily softer than hardwoods. In both groups there is an enormous variation in actual wood hardness, the range of density in hardwoods completely including that of softwoods. Some hardwoods (e.g. balsa) are softer than most softwoods, while the hardest hardwoods are much harder than any softwood. The woods of longleaf pine, Douglas fir, and yew are much harder in the mechanical sense than several hardwoods.

Softwoods are generally most used by the construction industry and are also used to produce paper pulp, and card products. In many of these applications, there is a constant need for density and thickness monitoring and gamma-ray sensors have shown good performance in this case.

Certain species of softwood are more resistant to insect attack from woodworm, as certain insects prefer damp hardwood.

Examples of softwood trees and uses

• Douglas fir - joinery, doors and heavy construction
• Eastern white pine - furniture
• European spruce - used throughout construction, panelling and cladding
• Larch - used for cladding and boats
• Lodgepole pine - roofing, flooring and in making chipboard and particle board
• Monterey pine
• Parana pine - stair treads and joinery
• Scots pine - construction industry, mostly for interior work
• Sitka spruce -
• Southern yellow pine - joinery, flooring and decking
• Western hemlock - doors, joinery and furniture
• Western red cedar (or red cedar) - furniture, decking, cladding, and roof shingles
• Yew - interior and exterior furniture e.g. chairs, gate posts and wood turning

Applications

Softwood is the source of about 80% of the world's production of timber, with traditional centres of production being the Baltic region (including Scandinavia and Russia), North America and China. Softwood is typically used in construction as structural carcassing timber, as well as finishing timber.Since pine absorbs finishes such as paint, varnish, oil and urethane, it is perfect for home woodworking projects. Pine can be used for cladding, decking, flooring, panelling, structural framing, beams, poles, benchtops, furniture and cabinets. Pine is often the timber of choice for DIY projects because it is economical and easy to work with.

See also

• List of woods
• United States – Canada softwood lumber dispute
• Hardwood
• Janka hardness test
• Brinell scale