41 Wood Facts: Learn About This Extensively Used Plant Product

Are you aware that just two to three mature trees are enough to sustain a small family?

Can you imagine the Blue Planet without its lush green forests? It's known to all that without trees, sustenance is impossible.

Wood has played a pivotal role since its discovery in ancient times. Historically, it served as the primary source of fuel also used for carving weapons. However, the modern world has been facing environmental issues like climate change and global warming due, in part, to timber overuse. 

Forests destroyed by wildfires and human activities lead to carbon dioxide emissions that cause air, soil, and water pollution. Wood is an extensively used tree product for manufacturing household goods or industrial ones. Wood extracted from a single tree or bark cannot serve all purposes and requirements. So, read along to know more about wood.

Different Types Of Wood

Wood has been grouped into three categories of hardwood, softwood, and engineered wood. The list of various types of wood under these three categories is quite endless, so here are some of the most significant types of wood that people commonly utilize.

Ashwood

Akasa wood

Bamboo wood

Cedarwood

Brazilian mahogany wood

Conifer wood

Balsa wood

Danta wood

Cherry wood

Elmwood

Maple wood

Oakwood

Uses Of Wood

Wood acquired from different trees comes with different functionality. To know more about the multiple uses of wood, continue exploring!

Wood is widely utilized in construction projects. The use of timber for domestic construction dates back to the early stages.

Even in the 21st century, timber is a standard construction material used in carving frames of doors and windows, flooring, and several other parts of the house.

Walnut wood, deodar, teak, burflower tree wood, and others are used in constructing buildings.

Cedar and redwood can be commonly found in gardens. They're used for fencing and decorative purposes.

Pieces of wooden equipment can be spotted in kitchens. Wood has replaced steel and plastic utensils in many homes.

In western countries, kitchen utensils are popularly made of black walnut wood.

Apart from kitchen tools, wood is widely used in hand tools because it is heat resistant and a poor conductor of electricity.

Wood is one of the safest options while operating near ovens, fire, or electrical appliances.

The art industry is incomplete without wooden statues and sculptures.

Wood has an important use in the décor industry as photo frames, light holders, showpieces, artboards, and many other variations.

Maple, pine, and cherry wood are generally used for carving beautiful frames.

Did you know that wood is a significant component in the music industry? Musical instruments such as drums, guitar, piano, flute, cello, violin, and others depend on good quality wood to create the perfect tune.

Maple, ashwood, and mahogany constitute the vital component of a guitar.

In the modern world, people have become more aware of environmental issues. As a result, a gradual shift towards ecologically sustainable resources has been witnessed. Innumerable households have discarded plastic and substituted it with wood.

Since timber is eco-friendly, it is extensively used in manufacturing sports equipment and toys for children. Wooden toys are non-toxic for children when pitted against plastic toys.

Willow wood is extensively used for the production of tennis and cricket bats.

Hockey sticks are made out of mulberry wood.

One of the most common usages of timber is furniture production.

Weight And Chemical Properties Of Wood

Let's take a quick look into wood's physical and chemical properties and learn some amusing facts about trees!

Wood refers to the fibrous and porous tissue that covers the roots and stems of trees and woody plants.

Wood exhibits varying grain patterns, texture, and color.

Scientists believe that the structure in plants currently known as wood dates 395-400 million years back.

Wood is derived from over 23,000 botanical species.

The straight, elongated pieces of wood that are cut from felled trees are called lumber.

Wet wood is considered a good conductor of electricity as opposed to non-conductive dry wood.

With a height of a few inches, the dwarf willow qualifies as the shortest tree in the whole world.

The tallest trees reach over 320 ft (98 m) in height. These are the Australian mountain ash, Sitka spruce, coast redwood, and giant sequoia.

The giant sequoia reaches approximately 316 ft (96.3m) in height.

Do you know that trees don't perish from aging? Humans, insect pests, and diseases are the major contributors to their untimely death.

Trees like willows produce tannin, a chemical signal to the nearby trees to defend themselves from pest invasions.

Trees in the city have a shorter life span than countryside trees. On average, city trees survive around 13 years lesser.

The yew tree can be found near ancient churches, and it is believed to be one of the oldest trees to exist on the earth. Some are over 2,000 years old, while the oldest is believed to be 9,000 years old!

Some ironwoods sink in water because of their high density. Examples are African ebony, African blackwood, and black ironwood.

African blackwood also ranks as the world's most expensive wood.

Difference And Examples Of Hardwood And Softwood

How to distinguish between hardwood and softwood? Just check out these differences!

Hardwoods like willow, walnut, and maple come from angiosperms or flowering plants.

Softwoods come from gymnosperms such as spruces and pines.

Over 70% of the timber is extracted from softwoods.

The presence of lignin is responsible for hardness in wood. Unlike softwoods, hardwoods contain more lignin.

Hardwoods possess a darker shade than softwoods.

A well-seasoned hardwood is usually denser and more expensive.

Hardwood also burns for a greater span and emits more heat than softwoods.

Softwoods make up for 75% of the heat generated by hardwoods.

FAQs

Q: What can wood be used for?

A: Wood is primarily used as a fuel. It also finds use in producing paper, furniture, and other construction materials.

Q: Where is the wood found?

A: Wood is a renewable natural resource that can be found all over the globe. However, China and the United States of America are among the largest producers and consumers of timber worldwide.

Q: How much wood do we use in a year?

A: Each individual residing in the United States consumes around 640 lb (290 kg) of wood annually.

Q: What three things is the wood used for?

A: Wood is used for fencing, making paper, and constructing statues and sculptures.

Q: How many types of wood are there?

A: Wood has been broadly classified into three main types, namely hardwood, softwood, and engineered wood.

Q: What is the hardest wood?

A: The Australian buloke is considered the world's hardest wood. The other hardest woods include the Schinopsis brasiliensis, Schinopsis balansae, and Lignum vitae.

Q: What wood is the softest?

A: Balsa is known to be the world's softest and the lightest wood. It is mainly used for insulation, producing flotation devices, and musical instruments.

Q: What is the heaviest wood?

A: The heaviest wood in the world is black ironwood, which weighs 84.5 lb/cubic ft (1,353 kg/cubic m).