The word ‘wood’ refers to the main weight- bearing and water carrying tissues in trees, shrubs and vines. There are several types of wood in a living tree, each of which has its own functions.
On the outside is the bark. It is a two-part structure with corky dead cells on the surface and a thin living part. The latter carries food materials from the leaves to the outer sections of a tree. The bulk of the tree is made of ‘sapwood’ which consists of living cells that carry food-bearing sap and also store food and heart-wood which bears dead sap-wood cells.
Wood is sometimes divided into soft and hard groups. Soft woods are obtained from cone-bearing trees such as pines, spruces, hemlocks and firs. Hard woods come from leaf-bearing trees such as Oaks, Ashes, Maples and Poplars. The words are partially misleading, since the softwood pine is actually harder than the hardwood poplar.
Softwoods are widely used in building construction. Hardwoods are used to make furniture and for products needing especially strong structures.
The word ‘timber’ is usually applied to standing trees in forests or to large beams or other tree products.
Lumber, on the other hand means forest products that have been cut and processed, such as boards and planks.
On the outside is the bark. It is a two-part structure with corky dead cells on the surface and a thin living part. The latter carries food materials from the leaves to the outer sections of a tree. The bulk of the tree is made of ‘sapwood’ which consists of living cells that carry food-bearing sap and also store food and heart-wood which bears dead sap-wood cells.
Wood is sometimes divided into soft and hard groups. Soft woods are obtained from cone-bearing trees such as pines, spruces, hemlocks and firs. Hard woods come from leaf-bearing trees such as Oaks, Ashes, Maples and Poplars. The words are partially misleading, since the softwood pine is actually harder than the hardwood poplar.
Softwoods are widely used in building construction. Hardwoods are used to make furniture and for products needing especially strong structures.
The word ‘timber’ is usually applied to standing trees in forests or to large beams or other tree products.
Lumber, on the other hand means forest products that have been cut and processed, such as boards and planks.
