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The Wood Guide

Planed Douglas fir boards with clearly visible growth rings

The Wood Guide · Wood species

The Wood Guide · section

Wood species

From teak to spruce and from MDF to bamboo: every species described on its own, with the figures, the uses and the honest downside. Plus the comparisons that help you choose.

  • 99 guides
  • 11 topics
  • Written in our workshop in Lebbeke
Start here

The core guides of this section

Teak woodAnyone who has seen a teak table after ten years outdoors understands why this wood has been the benchmark for centuries. No…Read the guide → What is Douglas wood?Read the guide → What is fir wood?Read the guide → What is acacia wood?The acacia in our garden furniture comes from plantations in South-East Asia. Warm in colour, lively in figure and affordable…Read the guide →

Tropical hardwoods 28 guides

AfrormosiaSometimes called assamela, and almost always compared with teak. Golden brown, strong and naturally very durable — with a… AfzeliaIn the trade it is usually called doussié. From the rainforests and savannahs of Africa, from trees that live for more than… What is Afrikulu? What is Ave Wood? What is Ayous/Wawa? AzobéBongossi, ekki, aba: one timber with four names, and the same reputation everywhere. If a structure has to stand in water for… Balsa woodBotanically a hardwood, in practice lighter than cork. The Spanish word balsa means raft — and that says it all. BangkiraiAlso called bangkirai or yellow balau. Heavy, golden brown and naturally so durable that it lasts more than 25 years — even in… What is Bilinga wood? CumaruAlso called Brazilian teak, although it has nothing to do with teak. Warm chocolate brown, extremely hard, and the most… GarapaOne of the few tropical hardwoods that is light in colour. Garapa gives decking the warmth of hardwood without the heaviness… What is Ipé wood? What is Iroko Hardwood? Jarrah woodDeep reddish brown, extremely hard and naturally resistant to weather, wind and insects. A eucalyptus species that grows only… What is Jatoba Wood? What is Kapur? What is kempas? MahoganyRich reddish brown, exceptionally stable and with a lustre that deepens with age. For centuries the wood of fine cabinetmaking. MassarandubaAlso called balatá or Brazilian cherry. Exceptionally hard, deep reddish brown and so heavy you can build a deck with it that… What is Meranti (Dark Red)? MerbauWarm reddish brown with yellow mineral deposits, very stable and very durable. With one property that can ruin any deck if you… What is Okan? What is Padouk? RubberwoodThe tree that first yields latex for years and then furniture wood. A by-product that changed the furniture industry — with… What is Sapelli? What is Sipo? What is Tamarind? What is Wenge?
All species, one place

The complete wood register

Sixty-seven wood species and materials, each with its own guide. The samples alongside are drawn, not photographed — so the colour is right on every screen and the page loads instantly.

SectionTips & maintenanceKeeping wood beautiful: care by species and by season, repairing and refreshing. SectionDo it yourselfBuilding, making furniture, sawing and joining, finishing and repairing. SectionThe forestsWhere the wood comes from: forest types, forest management and the forests of our region.

67 of 67 species

Spruce Picea abies The light workhorse of the Low Countries: blond, straight-grained, and pressure-treated the basis of our tables. 450 kg/m³class 4 Pine Pinus sylvestris Warmer and more resinous than spruce, with the dark knots that make it so recognisable. 520 kg/m³class 4 Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Reddish-brown softwood that lasts for years outdoors without impregnation. 510 kg/m³class 3 Larch Larix decidua The conifer that sheds its needles; resinous wood for cladding and garden timber. 590 kg/m³class 3 Cedar Cedrus Fragrant, light and naturally insect-repellent — the classic wardrobe lining. 480 kg/m³class 2 Cypress Cupressus spp. Aromatic and naturally rot-resistant; for millennia the wood of immortality. 500 kg/m³good for a softwood Larch Larix decidua A conifer that goes into winter bare; resinous and the most durable common softwood. 590 kg/m³class 3 Western red cedar Thuja plicata The lightest durable softwood: cladding you can forget about. 370 kg/m³class 2 Californian redwood Sequoia sempervirens From the tallest trees in the world: durable and exceptionally light. 420 kg/m³class 2 Pine Pinus spp. The loose trade name that covers both pine and spruce — first find out which tree it is. 500 kg/m³class 4 Oregon pine Pseudotsuga menziesii The same species as Douglas fir, but slow-grown on the American west coast. 530 kg/m³class 3 SLS and CLS Picea · Pinus · Abies Standardised North American softwood: the skeleton of timber-frame construction. 450 kg/m³class 4 Western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla A 70-metre giant that yields pale, low-resin and very even interior wood. 470 kg/m³class 4 Oak Quercus robur Rich in tannin, strong and naturally durable; the benchmark for European hardwood. 700 kg/m³class 2 Beech Fagus sylvatica Hard, even and excellent for steam bending — but for indoor use only. 720 kg/m³class 5 Ash Fraxinus excelsior The most resilient broadleaf wood: bends without breaking, absorbs shocks. 690 kg/m³class 5 Walnut Juglans Deep chocolate brown with a lively figure; furniture wood from the top end. 660 kg/m³class 3 European walnut Juglans regia Greyish brown with rich veining; top-end furniture wood for centuries. 640 kg/m³class 3 Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Oak-like but lighter; one of the few European species that can go outdoors. 590 kg/m³class 2 Lime Tilia Soft, pale and even — for centuries the woodcarver’s wood. 530 kg/m³class 5 Magnolia Magnolia spp. Cream-coloured and so even that it cuts cleanly in every direction. 520 kg/m³class 5 Rubberwood Hevea brasiliensis From rubber trees that no longer give latex — circular and affordable interior wood. 600 kg/m³class 5 Paulownia Paulownia tomentosa Lighter than softwood, exceptionally stable and only flammable at around 400 °C. 280 kg/m³class 4 Robinia Robinia pseudoacacia False acacia: the only European species that can go into the ground without impregnation. 770 kg/m³class 1–2 Balsa Ochroma pyramidale The lightest commercial timber in the world — and botanically a hardwood at that. 150 kg/m³class 5 Teak Tectona grandis Oil-rich golden brown that stands outdoors for decades without a single treatment. 650 kg/m³class 1 Acacia Acacia spp. Warm, affordable plantation wood for garden furniture; outdoors with regular maintenance. South-East Asiawith maintenance Iroko Milicia excelsa The African hardwood that comes close to teak; exceptionally stable on façades. 660 kg/m³class 1–2 Bangkirai Shorea laevis Heavy decking wood from Southeast Asia; hard, hard-wearing and notorious for its oil. 900 kg/m³class 1–2 Ipé Handroanthus spp. Heavier than water and three times harder than oak; the standard for decking. 1,100 kg/m³class 1 Cumaru Dipteryx odorata Brazilian teak: almost everything ipé can do, for noticeably less money. 1,070 kg/m³class 1–2 Azobé Lophira alata The wood of sheet piling and lock gates — even in permanent seawater. 1,000 kg/m³class 1 Okan Cylicodiscus gabunensis A sixty-metre giant from West Africa; wood for sheet piling and bridge decks. 950 kg/m³class 1 Bilinga Nauclea diderrichii Golden-yellow West African hardwood for bridges, jetties and park benches. 800 kg/m³class 1–2 Afrikulu Terminalia ivorensis Also framiré or idigbo: yellowish brown, versatile and with a soft lustre. 550 kg/m³class 3 Ayous and wawa Triplochiton scleroxylon Four trade names for one tree: pale, very light and for indoor use only. 390 kg/m³class 5 Afzelia Afzelia spp. Doussié: the most dimensionally stable tropical hardwood, and so the wood for window frames. 800 kg/m³class 1–2 Padauk Pterocarpus soyauxii Vivid orange-red when sawn, deep brown after a year — the biggest colour change of all. 750 kg/m³class 1–2 Jatoba Hymenaea courbaril Sold as Brazilian cherry; the hard-wearing wood for heavily used floors. 900 kg/m³class 2 Kempas Koompassia malaccensis Very hard orange-brown flooring wood — excellent indoors, outdoors with protection. 880 kg/m³class 3 Massaranduba Manilkara bidentata Balatá: extremely hard decking wood that moves a lot and is prone to cracking. 1,050 kg/m³class 1–2 Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata Deep reddish-brown eucalyptus from Western Australia, durable without treatment. 820 kg/m³class 1 Tamarindo Dialium guianense Orange-red ironwood from South America; steel-hard and very durable. 1,000 kg/m³class 1 Merbau Intsia spp. Hard, dimensionally stable and very durable — but it bleeds tannin onto your tiles. 840 kg/m³class 1–2 Meranti Shorea spp. The all-rounder from Southeast Asia: window frames, furniture and our swing benches. 550 kg/m³class 2–4 Kapur Dryobalanops spp. Camphor-scented hardwood for cladding, floors, bridges and jetties. 750 kg/m³class 2 Mahogany Swietenia The classic reddish-brown furniture wood; stable, fine-grained and very workable. 550 kg/m³class 2–3 Sipo Entandrophragma utile African mahogany with a striped figure; not for ground or water contact. 620 kg/m³class 3 Sheesham Dalbergia sissoo Indian rosewood with strong dark flames; hard and full of character. 770 kg/m³class 2–3 Eucalyptus Eucalyptus spp. Fast-growing plantation hardwood; the affordable step towards durable garden furniture. 600 kg/m³class 3 Mango Mangifera indica From fruit trees at the end of their productive life: circular in origin, lively in figure. 600 kg/m³class 3–4 Ave (rosewood) Aniba rosaeodora Pinkish to reddish brown with a rose scent — and protected, because it was stripped for perfume. 800 kg/m³CITES II Afrormosia Pericopsis elata Golden-brown African alternative to teak — strong, durable and protected. 700 kg/m³CITES II Pressure-treated wood pressure-treated Softwood that takes up a preservative under pressure; ten to fifteen years outdoors. 450 kg/m³use class 3–4 Accoya acetylated softwood Softwood that reaches the durability of teak through acetylation. 510 kg/m³class 1 Thermally modified wood Thermowood Made durable with nothing but heat and steam; no chemicals, but somewhat more brittle. 480 kg/m³class 2–3 Recycled wood reused material Beams from demolition, boards from pallets: character no stain can imitate. variesvaries Driftwood washed-up wood Silver grey and sanded smooth by years of sand, salt and sun. variesnot applicable MDF medium density fibreboard Fine fibres, pressed homogeneously: the flattest surface there is for lacquer work. 750 kg/m³indoors HDF high density fibreboard Pressed more densely than MDF; the core of almost every laminate floor. 900 kg/m³indoors Chipboard particle board Coarser chips under melamine or veneer — the backbone of affordable cabinet making. 650 kg/m³indoors Plywood cross-laminated veneer Veneer layers glued crosswise: strong in both directions and very stable in shape. 700 kg/m³indoors · moisture classes OSB oriented strand board Large oriented wood strands; the structural board of timber-frame construction. 620 kg/m³indoors · OSB/3 HKC wood-plastic composite Wood fibre pressed with plastic: deck boards that need no maintenance. 1,200 kg/m³outdoors Composite matrix plus reinforcement Two components that together can do more than either alone — in the garden: WPC. variesvaries Poly rattan polyethylene weave The look of rattan without the sensitivity to moisture — provided the quality is good. plasticoutdoors Bamboo Poaceae — a grass Botanically not wood but grass; glued into boards as hard as oak. 700 kg/m³indoors

Is your wood species not listed? The durability classes and the characteristics of wood help you assess any unfamiliar species yourself.

Buying guide

Which wood suits your garden?

Three questions, one answer — with the guide and the furniture that go with it.

1 · What do you want to place?

2 · How much maintenance do you want to do?

3 · How do you look at the budget?

Side by side

Put two species head to head

Choose two wood species and see which one wins on each property — with the full comparison one click away.

versus

About this section

Wood species

Wood species differ in durability, weight, hardness, colour and price — and above all in how they behave outdoors. Every species here follows the same structure: what it is, what it can do, where it falls short and how to look after it. The register, the wood chooser and the comparison tool help you find the right one quickly.

From knowledge to garden

Ready to choose? Here is what we make from it.

Picnic tables Teak
Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about wood species

Which wood is best for a picnic table?

For intensive use and a friendly price, pressure-treated spruce or pine is the logical choice — which is why we build our picnic tables in thick softwood as standard. Want it even sturdier? Then look at the ROYAL KING range with 45 mm thick boards — the KING range has 40 mm.

Which wood needs the least maintenance in the garden?

Teak and other hardwoods. A teak garden bench can simply be left to weather to grey; if you want to keep the warm colour, rub it with oil once a year. Douglas fir is the lowest-maintenance choice among the softwoods.

What is the difference between softwood and hardwood?

Softwood (spruce, pine, Douglas fir) grows faster, is lighter and more affordable; hardwood (teak, oak, tropical species) is denser, heavier and naturally more resistant to weather and insects. Read the full explanation in what is hardwood.

The Wood Guide

The other sections

Understanding wood17 guides → Care & finishing28 guides → Choosing & buying16 guides → Build it yourself51 guides → Trees & forests31 guides →

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Planed Douglas fir boards with clearly visible growth rings — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0 · End grain of an oak trunk showing growth rings, heartwood and sapwood — Friedrich Böhringer, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT · Wooden table and benches on a patio among potted plants — Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hand with hammer and chisel carving letters into a wooden plank — Frédérique Voisin-Demery, CC BY 2.0 · Beech (Fagus sylvatica) in full leaf — Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0