Hardwood and Softwood, these two kinds of wooden flooring present big differences. Both are great flooring choices, but each have their own characteristics. Here’s an explanation of both to help you make an informed choice for your wooden floor. Understanding hardwood vs softwood flooringYou may expect this to be the density of the wood and how it feels, but surprisingly it isn´t. Wood is classified as either soft or hard depending on the tree that produced it and the structure of the seeds of the tree.
Softwood flooringSoftwood comes from evergreen trees (which have leaves all year round) and are known as gymnosperms. The seeds of these trees aren´t covered and tend to be lightweight and distributed by the wind, although they may have fruits that fall to the ground.A good example of this is the pine tree, which drops pines but whose seeds are also scattered by the wind, which means wide distribution of new growth due to germination. Other species of soft wood trees are spruce, fir, cedar, juniper, redwood, and yew.
Program flow mechanism in computer architecture. Some words of adviceThe difference in hardwood and softwood flooring isn´t in the name or the density, it´s the structure and origin of the tree. When it comes to choosing a wooden floor, consider which will suit your home and lifestyle better – hardwood or softwood.Generally speaking, most of the flooring sold in the UK is European Oak, this is because of its natural beauty, durability and colour finishing potential.Pine makes also a great option for domestic floors or cladding in any premise.Share this article.
As it turns out, a hardwood is not necessarily a harder material (more dense) and a softwood is not necessarily a softer material (less dense). For example, balsa wood is one of the lightest, least dense woods there is, and it's considered a hardwood.The distinction between hardwood and softwood actually has to do with plant reproduction.
All trees reproduce by producing seeds, but the seed structure varies. Hardwood trees are angiosperms, plants that produce seeds with some sort of covering.
This might be a fruit, such as an apple, or a hard shell, such as an acorn. Softwoods, on the other hand, are gymnosperms. These plants let seeds fall to the ground as is, with no covering. Pine trees, which grow seeds in hard cones, fall into this category. In conifers like pines, these seeds are released into the wind once they mature. This spreads the plant's seed over a wider area.For the most part, angiosperm trees lose their leaves during cold weather while gymnosperm trees keep their leaves all year round. So, it's also accurate to say evergreens are softwoods and deciduous trees are hardwoods.The hardwood/softwood terminology does make some sense.
Definition Of Hardwood And Softwood
Evergreens do tend to be less dense than deciduous trees, and therefore easier to cut, while most hardwoods tend to be more dense, and therefore sturdier. But, as the classification of balsa wood demonstrates, there is no minimum weight requirement to become a hardwood.Here are some interesting links.