As any DIY woodworker or carpenter may have discovered, there are seemingly endless wood options to choose from. Whether you're building a row of kitchen cabinets, a DIY shed, a birdhouse, or a backyard patio, choosing the best type of wood can make or break your project.

With so many different types of wood available, it can be challenging to find the right species for your needs. Read on to learn about the most common types of wood that DIYers might want to use, the common characteristics of each type, and the projects for which each type is best suited.

1.Cedar

Cedar is an aromatic and naturally rot- and insect-resistant softwood known for its beauty and durability. It comes from a variety of coniferous trees, the most common of which are white cedar and red cedar. As the name suggests, white cedar is lighter in color and weathers to a pleasant silvery gray color. Red cedar is amber in appearance and weathers to a rich, dark brown-red color.

Regardless of the variation, cedar is durable, lightweight, and can be used in a variety of outdoor and indoor projects. Red cedar has a straighter grain, but white cedar is more susceptible to stains and paint.

Best for: Due to its rot-resistant and insect-repellent properties, cedar wood is ideal for making fences, decks, closet liners, dressers or cabinets. But keep in mind that most cedars don't grow particularly well in the ground, although some older cedars and heartwood can be kept for several years.

2. fir

Fir or Douglas fir is a very hard and durable softwood that comes from the tree species of the same name. Douglas fir trees grow very tall, reaching heights of 200 to 300 feet if left to their own devices in the forest. The wood is resistant to rot and insects, but not quite to the extent of cedar.

The grain of Douglas fir is very pronounced and usually straight. The wood has a brownish-red color and is less prone to staining evenly. Because of its grain pattern and density (it is a heavy wood), nails driven into Douglas fir tend to stay in place. It's also relatively cheap. All of these properties make fir an excellent choice as a construction wood, although DIY enthusiasts also use it for decorating and some woodworking projects .

Best for: Douglas fir wood fills the walls, ceilings and floors of most homes in North America. It's durable, long in length, and cuts well with a construction saw blade.

3. pine tree

Pine is a very soft wood and very easy to work. It comes from a variety of pine trees grown throughout the United States . Common types include sugar pine, white pine, yellow pine, and southern yellow pine. It's less dense than others and easier to work with, but tends not to offer much bug or rot resistance .

Pine trees have a buff or yellow appearance, depending on the specific tree species. It may also have quite a few knots, with the truly knotty parts being called "knotty pine" and the knotless parts being called "knotty pine". It looks sturdy and is easily painted or stained.

Lower-grade pine from home stores may be prone to cupping or warping. All pine wood generally has a naturally high moisture content, and less expensive pine wood can bend and twist as it dries.

Best for: Depending on the variant, pine is an excellent choice for rustic furniture, woodworking, wall panels, decking (in pressure-treated form), shelving, and other similar projects.

4. Redwood

If you're unfamiliar with redwood, you might know it better by its more romantic nickname: sequoia. Redwood trees are known as the tallest trees in the world and can grow to over 350 feet tall. These softwoods grow in a relatively small area of ​​the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Redwood is very soft and easy to work with, as well as being lightweight. Its color ranges from pale white or yellow to dark red to reddish brown. Growing tall and fast like these giants, the grain is usually straight and the grain of old redwoods is very tight. The wood has a rough texture, is rot-resistant, and is very insect-resistant, making it an excellent choice for decks and other outdoor projects .

Best for: In some areas of the United States, redwood is a popular choice for framing lumber, decking, fences, exterior furniture, girders, and veneer. It can be suitable for ground contact if pressure treated.

5.grey

Ash is a hardwood timber that comes from a variety of trees, including black ash, green ash, white ash and blue ash. Given enough space, an ash tree can grow up to 60 feet tall and spread up to 80 feet wide.

The light color of ash is between white and golden, often with some gray streaks. The tone is similar to maple, but the texture is rougher and more like oak. Ash is a lightweight hardwood, which is surprising considering its strength and stiffness. It is even more resistant to earthquakes than other hardwood species. It stained and painted very well.

Best for: Its weight-to-strength ratio places ash second only to hickory in the production of tool handles. It's also a popular choice for wooden baseball bats, furniture, cabinets, flooring , and pool cues .

6. Birch

Birch is a popular and fairly economical hardwood. Birch trees are common in the eastern United States, especially in the Northeast. These trees grow up to 70 feet tall, but tend to have very slender trunks. The most common varieties of white birch are white birch, yellow birch and black birch.

The grain of birch tends to be smooth and tight, with a relatively uniform appearance. Its color varies from white to yellow, and black birch usually has some black stripes. The wood is heavy, hard, and strong, but responds very well to woodworking with sharp tools. It usually shrinks a lot as it dries.

Best for: Birch’s properties make it one of the most ideal wood types for furniture and wood products. It is also frequently used in flooring, cabinetry and toy making.

7.Cherry

The benefits of cherry trees extend beyond their fruit: they also produce one of the most popular types of wood. Black cherry trees, also known as wild black cherries or American cherries, are common in the Midwest and Eastern United States, with commercial production coming primarily from Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Cherry wood ranges in color from cream to red to reddish-brown, and darkens as it ages and dries. It mills very well, with a straight, tight grain that makes the wood look very even. When stained and sealed, cherry wood produces one of the smoothest finishes, with a very high-end appearance.

Best for: Due to its luxurious finish qualities, cherry wood is popular in high-end furniture and cabinetry, as well as musical instruments, paneling, flooring and carvings.

8.Mahogany

Mahogany is a high-grade hardwood that grows in Central and South America, West Africa, and the West Indies. A redwood tree can grow very tall, reaching over 150 feet.

When it comes to hardwoods for luxury finishes and projects, mahogany is in a class of its own, even when compared to gorgeous cherry. The wood tends to be a rich red or brownish-red color. It has a very smooth, tight texture and is very strong and elastic. It's also very, very dense, making it both rot and insect resistant.

One of the best properties of mahogany is that it is very stable: it does not shrink, swell, or warp.

Best for: It’s no surprise that mahogany’s most popular uses are in fine furniture, custom cabinets and built-ins, and high-end flooring, but it’s also been used in shipbuilding for centuries.

9. Maple

Red maple is one of the most common hardwood species in the United States, but most maples come from the less popular rock maple or sugar maple. The trees reach a height of 115 feet, and the canopy is equally huge.

Rock maple produces hardwood that is very dense and tough, with a wonderful light-colored appearance that varies between white, yellow, and rich gold. The grain is relatively tight and straight, and tends to appear as light brown bands. There’s also curly maple, which has an interesting wavy pattern. Both grain types produce a smooth, creamy texture that's beautiful.

Best for: Maple is a popular choice for flooring, veneer, paper, musical instruments, cutting boards , workbenches, and baseball bats (as well as other turned items).

10. Oak

Oak trees, both red and white varieties, are common trees in the United States and produce two of the most popular hardwoods. Oak trees can grow up to 85 feet tall and drop massive amounts of acorns each fall.

Oak comes in two common varieties: white and red. Both are very dense and tough, with a straight-grained, rough texture. Red oak has a redder hue, while white oak has a lighter color, ranging from white to pale yellow. White oak is known for its "spots," a wavy contrasting pattern that is revealed during the sawing process. Oak is resistant to rot and insects, and although it is very durable, it tends to bend very well. It also absorbs stains well but will show texture through several coats of paint.

Best for: Oak's durability and flexibility make it an excellent choice for boat building and wine or whiskey barrels. Oak is also commonly used for flooring, furniture, millwork, and cabinets. In fact, it is one of the most common cabinet woods. If you can't bear to part with it, it's also great to use it as a fireplace.

11. Poplar tree

Poplar comes from a variety of poplar trees, some of which can reach 160 feet in height. These trees are widely distributed in the eastern United States and the hardwood they produce is popular among DIY enthusiasts and amateur woodworkers for its practicality.

Poplar is a light-colored hardwood that ranges in color from cream to yellow-brown. It also has gray or green streaks that darken over time. Poplar has a straight, even grain and, as a softer hardwood, is ideal for working with hand or power tools. However, it does leave a blurry edge, so very fine-grit sandpaper may be needed to achieve a smooth surface. It's not a particularly pretty wood, but it's great for painting.

Best for: Aspen's practicality makes it a popular choice for many painted projects, such as painting cabinet front frames, doors, and shelves, but it's often used for plywood layers, upholstered furniture frames, and other concealed applications.

12. Teak

Teak is one of the top choices in the hardwood market when it comes to both durability and beauty. The wood comes from the teak tree, which is native to South Asia but also grows on farms in Latin America, Africa and other tropical regions.

Teak is typically a straight-grained wood with a rough and uneven texture. The natural oils in teak make it very resistant to rot and insects. Despite these oils, teak is easy to work with and bonds and finishes well. In many ways, teak and mahogany are very similar, but teak is distinctly brown, while mahogany is typically red.

Best for: Teak is most commonly used in shipbuilding, but it is also used for furniture, carvings, and other small wood projects.

13. Walnuts

Another popular hardwood, walnut, comes from the black walnut tree common in the eastern United States. These trees grow up to 120 feet tall and produce a very rich chocolate wood that is highly sought after by woodworking enthusiasts.

Walnut hardwood tends to be straight-grained, but may have some wavy and irregular features. To the touch, it has a medium smooth texture. The wood ranges from light brown to dark chocolate. Walnuts are extremely resistant to rot, but not insects. It is dimensionally stable and has minimal shrinkage and warping when drying.

Best for: Common uses for walnut include mid- to high-end furniture, gun stocks, turned products, and cabinets.

14. Acacia

There are more than a thousand species of acacia, a tree native to Australia and Africa but also found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Depending on the species, this fast-growing hardwood can reach heights of up to 40 feet. Acacia wood ranges in color from light brown to dark mahogany, but its heartwood tends to be reddish brown.

Acacias are prized for their color and durability, as well as their irregular, unpredictable, and often wavy grain patterns. Close-bonded acacia is a rot-resistant wood that is also insect- and water-resistant. However, if used outdoors, they must be properly sealed, protected, and maintained. Because it is hard and heavy, acacia is difficult to work with and can crack or swell when temperatures fluctuate widely.

Best for: Acacia wood’s strength and beauty make it ideal for furniture and household items such as bowls and cutting boards. Its durability and unique texture make it an interesting choice for flooring.

15. Beech wood

Beech trees are found throughout temperate climates in Asia, Europe, and North America, although the American beech is the only native North American plant. On average, beech trees grow about 60 or 70 feet tall, but they can grow almost twice that height.

Beech wood is fairly hard and straight grained. In color, it ranges from almost white to straw, darkening slightly over time. While sturdy, it's not particularly durable: it's susceptible to insect damage and absorbs moisture easily, so it's not suitable for use outdoors or in areas with high humidity. It's fairly easy to use and bend, and it holds paint and stains well.

Best for: Beech is commonly used in veneer and plywood. Furniture, flooring, cabinets and musical instruments are other common applications.

16. Pressure treatment

As you may have guessed, pressure-treated wood does not come from the tree of the same name. It typically comes from Southern yellow pine and Douglas fir, both of which are good choices given their natural rot and insect resistance.

To make pressure-treated lumber, boards are soaked in water-based chemicals through pressure while a mill cuts the wood to specific dimensions . These chemicals or treatments are designed to help the wood last longer and resist rot and insects for as long as possible. The high quality pressure treated wood used in the project will last up to 40 years when maintained with sealant every few years. Generally speaking, pressure-treated wood is very heavy because it often remains soaked on home store shelves after being treated.

Best for: Pressure-treated lumber is ideal for ground-contact projects, sill boards between concrete and standard framing lumber, fences, decks and other outdoor projects where moisture is an issue.

17.FSC certification

Like pressure-treated wood, FSC-certified wood does not come from the tree of the same name. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, a nonprofit organization that sets high standards for the forestry industry. The council's standards help ensure companies harvest timber safely and responsibly.

FSC certifies wood production from a variety of tree species, including softwood and hardwood. FSC certified wood may cost slightly more than standard wood, but for those looking for responsibly produced wood, FSC certification may be a must.

Most suitable: The best uses for FSC certified wood depend on the wood type, not the FSC certification. FSC-certified hardwoods and softwoods can be used for flooring, cabinetry, framing and nearly every other purpose, depending on the specific species of wood.