English hardwoods : their properties and uses.

OAK –properties: hard and durable, resistant to rot due to dampness, therefore suitable for outside structures. Widely used in furniture making. It's unique grain pattern which appears in boards that have been ‘quarter sawn’ i.e. radially cut is known as figure or flower, and is caused by the ‘medullary rays’.

Variants of English oak: Pippy oak :an effect which looks like cat’s paw marks over the surface of the board. Burr oak : as above ,but much more dense. Brown oak: a brown stain which grows through the tree, caused by ‘beef steak’ fungus attack while the tree is still growing. Tiger oak: as above but in a more stripy form. Bog oak: oak which has been preserved in a peat bog for centuries…black in colour ..very rare

ASH –Properties: as hard as Oak but not resistant to rot when wet, therefore only suitable for indoor use. Extremely resilient timber often used for the shafts of tools. Suitable for furniture, the heart wood being a warm brown colour often referred to as ‘Olive Ash’. The sap wood is also used but is very pale in colour making it ideal for staining.

ELM -Properties: Hard durable and usually with a very ‘twisty’ grain, elm was used exclusively for the seats of Windsor chairs because of it’s stability and resistance to splitting. Dutch Elm disease has decimated the stocks of Elm in this country although it is still available, imported from northern Europe .

SYCAMORE –Properties: Fine grained, rather featureless white timber mainly used in the frames of sofas and easy chairs. Variant: Ripple Sycamore - Quite rare and an accident of nature this wood is highly prized by furniture makers. When polished, the surface really does appear to ripple.

BEECH - Properties: A very dense, even grained wood favoured by furniture manufacturers. Light orange in colour, it shows very little ‘figure’ in its grain.

SWEET CHESTNUT - Properties: Hard and durable. Resistant to fungal attack in damp conditions. Good furniture making material.