door and wall made with timber

Choosing Hardwood Timber for Your Project

For a long time now, timber has become a common choice for building different structures in homes and commercial spaces. From the aesthetic appearance, cost, insulation properties, to tensile strength that timber offers, it is ideal for multiple applications within a home. Like other building materials on the market, timber comes in various options that buyers can choose from. The ideal choice of timber for an application depends on the project that you want to undertake. Not all the types of timber are ideal for timber applications, making it essential to choose your timber. Here are some pointers to help you with the purchase of your hardwood timber for a project:

Region of Residence

Your area of residence plays a major role in determining some of the things that you can and cannot use. Individuals who live in areas that are at high risk of fire need to be careful with the choice of timber. Failure to consider this will lead to a violation of building codes and disobedience of the state laws. Confirm with a local contractor about the types of timber that you can use for building in your areas. Some of the types of timber that one can use in areas that are at high risk of fire include turpentine, blackbutt, and tallowwood.

Intended Use of the Product

The first question you should ask yourself is where you will be using your finished timber product. Hardwoods are tough and therefore useful when creating projects for outdoor use. Even then, you need to consider the amount of sunlight exposure that the wood will be under and ground contact. Some woods have a high resistance to decay from the elements, while others require special chemical treatment.

Finish

What is the overall look that you want your product to have? Timber requires treatment to protect it against the harsh elements. First, determine the kind of elements that will exist in the environment of your product. This will determine the appropriate finish and any maintenance practices that you should follow. Some hardwoods, such as Malaysian hardwood, does not require any finishing due to its robustness. However, other hardwoods require special treatment to ensure thermal stability, durability, and protection from the harmful UV rays.

Workability

types of timber and carpet samples laid on the floor

Regardless of the final product you want to create, it is essential that you work with the right type of timber. Different types of timber are ideal for various tasks. For example, redwood is easy to cut, sand, and plane, so it is useful in joinery projects. Walnut provides a real look and therefore preferred by many furniture workers. The workability of the timber should not interfere with the overall look of your product.

Once you know what you should be looking for when buying hardwood timber, you can go ahead and look through multiple websites for the ideal wood type. The websites have several stocks from different dealers that you can choose from.  Once you contact the seller and make your order, you can make delivery arrangements to your place of work or residence. That way you can plan on how to start your project.

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