Hard woods are used in just about every industrial and residential building job. When choosing wood for any project, it's important to select high quality products to get the best results. Here are some facts about where the wood comes from and which kind you should use. The forests of America produce some of the highest quality lumber in the world: it is a renewable resource which is an influential factor in the health of the country's economy. Wood comes in hard and soft varieties: hard wood trees are recognizable by their large flat leaves, and are deciduous. Soft woods are needled and evergreen, and are less desirable as sources of lumber. Once the trees are harvested, they are transported to log yards where they are sorted according to species, length, and quality. They are debarked and then sawed into standard widths and varying lengths. The all important step of "grading," or rating of the quality of the wood occurs after drying. Experts inspect the product, looking for defects such as rot or splits or an excess of knots. The grading determines the value and quality, and therefore, the ultimate cost of the wood. From there the process of turning the material into useable lumber continues drying by air and then by kiln. It is then ready for shipping all over the world. The most popular hard woods are white and red oak, cherry, and maple. No bit of wood ever goes unused: waste products along with hunks of wood that are unfit for lumber may be turned into paper, garden mulch, and sawdust. Which type of wood you choose to use depends greatly on the project you are working on as well as individual taste and how much you want to spend. For instance, red and white oaks are most commonly used for wood flooring because they offer exceptional hardness and durability at relatively low cost. Cherry wood is not as hard and is therefore not as good a choice for flooring. It is better suited for furniture making. However, if you want the color of cherry for your new wood floor you may stain white oak planks in that hue! The light colored simplicity of maple has become a popular choice for kitchen cabinetry in contemporary styled homes. The many uses of different types of hard woods are infinite. The internet is a great resource for researching which wood might be best for your project, and it's always a good idea to consult professionals as well.
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