Hard and Soft Wood

Q.5 Explain Hard and Soft Wood.

Hard Wood

Hard wood has less distinct and closer annual rings and medullar rays. ft baa no resinous matter. Hard woods are heavy, strong and have dark colours. The fibers are fine-grained and straight. The wood is strong in both directions long and across the fibers Sal, Teak, Shisham, Oak, Beach and Ash are all hard woods. This wood is used for making doors, paneling, furniture, joinery and carpentry work of high quality, flooring and ply woods.

Soft Wood

Soft wood has distinct annual rings but the medullary rays are indistinct. Its heart wood and sap wood is not very easily distinguished. Soft woods are light and have light colour. The fibers are straight but coarse. The cells of the wood usually contain resinous matter. This wood is good in sustaining only direct axial stresses. Deodar, Kail, Chir, Pine, Walnut and Fir are all soft woods. This wood is used for making floors, roofs, scaffolding, general carpentry and joinery work, furniture, shuttering, doors, paneling and pattern making.