Information on wood theory, how wood rots, types of wood and their uses.

1. Types of Wood

2. There are 3 Types of wood
Softwood
Hardwood
Man made
board

3. Softwood comes from evergreen trees
PINE
Evergreen
trees
Have very
thin
Needle like
Leaves that
stay on the
tree during
winter

4. Some softwood shrubs do have wider
leaves, but the are hard and waxy
Holly
Laurel

5. Hardwood comes from deciduous trees
BEECH
Deciduous trees have broader paper like
leaves that change colour during the
year and fall off in the winter

6. Some other trees whose wood is
widely used
Oak
Maple
Elm

7. Man made wood is made in factories
We use wood leftovers like sawdust
and chippings to make boards

8. How wood grows and rots

9. Softwood trees grow quickly
so their growth rings are wider,
which makes the grain wider
Wider wood grain

10. Hard wood grows slower
so the growth rings are smaller,
which makes the grain closer
Closer wood grain

11. This is a tree stump where you can see
the growth rings.

12. After a few years the tree stump will
rot away, caused by the weather, fungi
and insects.

13. We can prevent wood from rotting
away by protecting it. We could use
such things as varnish and wax

14. Ways that wood is used

15. Because Hardwood grows slower, it is
more expensive. It is resistant to decay and it is
more water resistant because of oils in the wood.
Because of this it is used to build garden
furniture, boats and quality furniture

16. Soft wood is cheaper than hardwood and used to
make cheaper furniture and less quality items
because it grows quickly and can therefore be
processed and produced quickly.

17. Man made woods are the cheapest. They
are made from wood scraps such as
chippings and sawdust. They make kitchen
cupboards and the cheapest furniture