Timber - Softwoods

Question 1

Names 3 softwoods.

Answer 1

Redwood, Cedar and Larch

Question 2

What are the advantages of Cedar?

Answer 2

Hard (for a softwood)

Durable

Resistant to rot

Low density

High quality finish possible

Straight grain/even texture

Can grow up to 40m and has several trunks - long planks

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of Cedar?

Answer 3

Susceptible to insect attack

Requires maintenance

Easily damaged, scratched or dented as still a softwood.

Fading colour

Question 4

What are the uses of Cedar?

Answer 4

Clothes storage, cladding, ceiling, shingles, musical instrument, cedar wood oil, outdoor instrument

Question 5

What are the uses of Redwood?

Answer 5

Outdoor furniture, decking, building material

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of Redwood?

Answer 6

Rots if not treated

Warps if it gets wet

Coarse texture

It needs a lot of maintenance because it is quite soft.

It is soft, prone to denting

Has knots which can make working quite difficult.

Question 7

What are the advantages of Redwood?

Answer 7

Soft

Lightweight

Good strength to weight ratio

Resistant to shrinking

Easy to cut and shape

Question 8

What are the advantages of Larch?

Answer 8

Appearance (reddish-brown to light appearance), lots of colour options

Easy to stain

Rot resistant

Workable - low density means can be worked by hand and with machines

Small knots

Insect resistant

Stability - shrinking and warping is rare

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of Larch?

Answer 9

Can cause skin irritation

Produces an odour when being worked

Expensive compared to other softwoods

Question 10

What are the uses of Larch

Answer 10

Floors, boats, decking, outdoor appliances