If you are looking for a unique timber that reflects our environment and fits in with the natural beauty of the landscape, then you don’t have to go further afield than Australian timbers

Of course there are a number of traditional – i.e. old world – timbers still being used today such as English oak, mahogany and cedar. But it pays to know all your options. Timber supplies are available in such a wide variety that it can be difficult to know where to start!

How do I find wood varieties online?

There are a number of excellent resources online that you can go to for finding wood no matter what application you want it for. One of the best of these is the Australian Timber Database. Here you get a snapshot not only of the different categories of lumber available, local as well as imported, but what sorts of uses they are good for: from Caribbean Pine to Philippine Mahogany, American White Oak to Indian Teak, plus Australian timber species. Each species of wood is assessed on ease of working, how durable it is and its appearance. Of course, finding out the type of timber that’s suitable for your table or floor is one thing. Knowing its availability, price and the best way to work it is specialist knowledge that your local timber merchant will be able to help you with.

The Basic Two Timber Types

There are two broad categories of timber available: softwood and hardwood. Softwood comes from trees that have cones, like cedar, fir and pine. These are quick growing, and the wood is lighter, has a coarse grain and is not as strong as most hardwoods. You will have seen softwoods in house frames, and it’s used a lot in temporary structures. While in general softwoods are considered inferior to hardwoods for many purposes they do have their place in the woodworking world for specific jobs and because they are economical. In building they are commonly used for the framework of houses and areas such as lining boards and cladding. Hardwoods by comparison are heavy, strong and stable. They are used predominantly for piers, flooring, decking and in most timber furniture. Teak, Red Gum and Oak are examples of hard wood. Most family heirlooms will be heavy pieces of furniture made from hardwood.

Some common types of timber

• Cedar is a relatively soft but straight grained wood mostly used for outdoor furniture
• Radiata Pine is a very common house framing timber, but it has a low resistance to decay and termites will attack unless it’s chemically treated
• Oak is still one of the most sought-after woods for furniture, white oak is preferred to red because it has a more attractive figure
• Mahogany is one of the great furniture woods, a reddish-brown or deep red in colour, but it is not generally sustainably grown

In Australia we are blessed with some of the most beautiful hardwood lumber available, notably Red Gum, River Red Gum and Ironbark. It’s been calculated that over 90 per cent of the timber trees of Australia consists of hardwoods, mainly from the eucalyptus genus. Furniture made from these – tables, benches and cabinets – can take the breath away with the solid warmth and smooth beauty of the timber. But if you want to go a more traditional route, it is still possible to get a piece of noble English Oak or finely figured American Maple to enhance the beauty of your living room. All of these timbers can be machined to a required size, or laminated, moulded, or made into kits, and delivered to your door.