When starting your stain project from scratch one of the first choices concerns wood. Do you choose the wood you find most aesthetically pleasing or go with the wood that requires the least maintenance?
Hardwoods vs. Softwoods Considerations
Here are a few basic parameters to help you frame your decision.
- Appearance
- Durability
- Stability
Appearance
First decide on the look you want. You're going to be living with your project for year so make sure you choose a wood you love for its looks.
Durability
Woods all wear differently. Hardwoods can really take a beating, but that added density makes them harder to work with, so choose hardwoods for smaller projects like decks, window frames, and doors. Good choices include mahagony and teak for furniture and ipe for decks.
Stability
When selecting wood for a timber-frame home, go with softwoods like Western red cedar, Eastern white cedar, West Coast redwood, fir, and pine. These woods combine stability with a natural resistance to insects and rot.
