Wood Species Guide: Choosing the Right Wood for Your Project

Softwood Species

Softwoods come from coniferous (cone-bearing) trees and make up the vast majority of structural lumber and outdoor building materials used in Chicago. They grow faster than hardwoods, making them more affordable, and their lighter density makes them easier to work with hand and power tools.

Pine (SPF -- Spruce-Pine-Fir)

SPF is not a single species but a grading group that includes several closely related species: white spruce, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, and alpine fir. These species have similar structural properties and are graded together for efficiency. SPF is the backbone of North American residential framing.

• Janka Hardness: Approximately 490-690 lbf (varies by species within the group)
• Best Uses: Wall framing, floor and ceiling joists, roof rafters, blocking, general-purpose construction
• Pros: Widely available, affordable, consistent grading, light weight for easy handling
• Cons: Not rot-resistant, susceptible to insect damage, not suitable for outdoor exposure without treatment
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for interior framing. Must be pressure-treated for any outdoor or ground-contact use. The majority of residential framing lumber sold in Chicago is kiln-dried #2 SPF.

Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir is one of the strongest softwoods available, with higher bending strength and stiffness than SPF. It is the preferred framing species on the West Coast and is increasingly used in Chicago for applications where extra structural capacity is needed without upsizing the member.

• Janka Hardness: 660 lbf
• Best Uses: Heavy timber framing, long-span beams and headers, post-and-beam construction, exposed structural elements, plywood face veneer
• Pros: High strength-to-weight ratio, attractive grain pattern, good for staining, takes fasteners well
• Cons: More expensive than SPF, not naturally rot-resistant, can be difficult to pressure-treat due to dense grain
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for structural applications. Popular for exposed beam work in loft conversions and open-concept Chicago bungalow renovations.

Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar is the premier outdoor softwood for Chicago projects. Its heartwood contains thujaplicins -- natural fungicides that resist rot and insect damage without chemical treatment. The warm reddish-brown color, straight grain, and aromatic scent make it highly sought after for visible outdoor applications.

• Janka Hardness: 350 lbf
• Best Uses: Decking, fencing, siding, shingles, pergolas, outdoor furniture, closet lining, saunas
• Pros: Naturally rot and insect resistant (heartwood), dimensionally stable, lightweight, beautiful appearance, accepts stain well
• Cons: Soft and dents easily, more expensive than treated pine, heartwood/sapwood color variation, requires maintenance to retain color
• Chicago Suitability: Very good. Cedar's dimensional stability handles Chicago's humidity swings well. Heartwood resists the freeze-thaw cycle better than many alternatives. Apply UV-protective sealer every 2-3 years to maintain color.

Eastern White Cedar

Often confused with Western Red Cedar, Eastern White Cedar is a different species (Thuja occidentalis) native to the Great Lakes region. It is lighter in weight and color, with good rot resistance but lower strength. It is popular for rustic fencing and log-cabin-style construction.

• Janka Hardness: 320 lbf
• Best Uses: Fence posts (round), rustic split-rail fencing, log construction, boat building, shingles
• Pros: Excellent rot resistance, very lightweight, locally available in the Midwest
• Cons: Very soft, limited structural strength, prone to splitting with nails (pre-drill recommended)
• Chicago Suitability: Good for fencing and decorative applications. Not recommended for structural decking or heavy-load situations.

Redwood

Redwood heartwood is among the most naturally durable softwoods, with a distinctive deep reddish color and fine, straight grain. Sourcing has become increasingly limited and expensive as old-growth forests are protected. Most commercially available redwood today is second-growth and has less heartwood percentage.

• Janka Hardness: 420 lbf
• Best Uses: Premium decking, outdoor furniture, siding, garden structures, hot tub surrounds
• Pros: Beautiful appearance, excellent rot resistance (heartwood), dimensionally stable, does not splinter as readily as cedar
• Cons: Expensive, limited availability in Chicago, second-growth has more sapwood (which is not rot-resistant), soft
• Chicago Suitability: Good but rarely cost-effective. Cedar and ipe are more commonly stocked in Chicago yards and offer comparable performance at their respective price points.

Cypress (Bald Cypress)

Bald Cypress is a Southern species with excellent natural durability. Its heartwood contains cypressene, an oil that resists decay and insects. The wood has a distinctive yellowish-brown color and often features dramatic grain patterns.

• Janka Hardness: 510 lbf
• Best Uses: Siding (especially in historic restoration), exterior trim, dock pilings, greenhouse construction, shingles
• Pros: Excellent rot resistance, harder than cedar, good dimensional stability, attractive grain, paints and stains well
• Cons: Limited availability in the Midwest, higher cost, old-growth stock increasingly rare
• Chicago Suitability: Good where available. Sometimes specified for historic restoration projects in Chicago neighborhoods where original cypress siding needs matching.

Hardwood Species

Hardwoods come from deciduous (broadleaf) trees and are prized for flooring, cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, and any application where durability and appearance are paramount. Hardwood lumber is typically sold by the board foot rather than by the linear foot, and is graded differently than softwood (using NHLA rules: FAS, Select, #1 Common, #2 Common).

Red Oak

Red oak is the single most popular hardwood flooring species in America and the standard against which other hardwoods are compared. Its prominent grain pattern, warm pinkish-red hue, and moderate price make it a reliable choice for a wide range of interior applications.

• Janka Hardness: 1,290 lbf
• Best Uses: Flooring, cabinetry, stair treads, interior trim, furniture
• Pros: Widely available, moderate cost, takes stain well (though color can be uneven), strong and durable
• Cons: Open grain requires filler for smooth finish, not rot-resistant (avoid outdoor use), can blotch with certain stains
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for interior use. The majority of hardwood floors in Chicago homes are red oak. Avoid using outdoors -- the open pore structure absorbs moisture readily.

White Oak

White oak has surged in popularity over the past decade, becoming the go-to species for contemporary and European-style flooring. Unlike red oak, white oak has closed (tyloses-filled) pores that make it water-resistant -- which is why it has been used for centuries to build wine barrels and ships.

• Janka Hardness: 1,360 lbf
• Best Uses: Flooring (especially wide plank), cabinetry, outdoor furniture, boat building, whiskey/wine barrels, exterior trim
• Pros: Harder than red oak, water-resistant, beautiful grain (especially quarter-sawn with medullary rays), takes stain and fumed finishes exceptionally well, can be used outdoors
• Cons: More expensive than red oak, reacts with ferrous metals (use stainless steel fasteners), can be difficult to source in wider widths
• Chicago Suitability: Outstanding. White oak is the top choice for high-end Chicago home renovations. Its moisture resistance makes it one of the few hardwoods suitable for outdoor use in the Chicago climate.

Hard Maple (Sugar Maple)

Hard maple is one of the hardest and densest domestic hardwoods. Its pale, creamy-white color and fine, uniform grain make it popular for contemporary kitchens, bowling alleys, basketball courts, and butcher blocks.

• Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf
• Best Uses: Flooring (sport and residential), butcher blocks, cabinetry, workbench tops, turning blanks
• Pros: Extremely hard and durable, fine uniform grain, light color brightens spaces, food-safe
• Cons: Does not take stain evenly (tends to blotch), difficult to work with hand tools, expensive, susceptible to humidity-driven movement
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for interior use. Be cautious with wide-plank maple flooring in Chicago -- the extreme seasonal humidity swings can cause noticeable gapping in winter and expansion in summer. Quarter-sawn or rift-sawn cuts minimize this movement.

Soft Maple (Red Maple / Silver Maple)

Soft maple is approximately 25% softer than hard maple but shares a similar appearance. It is often used as a more affordable alternative in applications where extreme hardness is not required.

• Janka Hardness: 950 lbf
• Best Uses: Paint-grade cabinetry, furniture, interior doors, toys, musical instruments
• Pros: More affordable than hard maple, easier to machine, takes paint well, consistent grain
• Cons: Not durable enough for flooring in high-traffic areas, can have irregular color (grey streaks in heartwood)
• Chicago Suitability: Good for interior cabinetry and painted trim. A budget-friendly substitute when the hard maple look is desired at a lower price point.

Cherry (American Black Cherry)

Cherry is cherished for its warm, reddish-brown color that deepens with age and light exposure. It has a fine, straight grain that finishes to a lustrous sheen. Cherry is the classic choice for high-end traditional cabinetry and furniture.

• Janka Hardness: 950 lbf
• Best Uses: Fine furniture, kitchen cabinetry, architectural millwork, paneling, veneers
• Pros: Beautiful natural color that improves with age, machines easily, sands to a smooth finish, moderate hardness
• Cons: Relatively soft for a hardwood (dents in flooring), expensive, color darkens significantly (design around this), sapwood is very pale (sort carefully)
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for cabinetry and furniture. Not recommended for high-traffic flooring unless you accept the patina of use marks that develop over time.

Black Walnut

American Black Walnut is the premier domestic furniture wood, prized for its rich chocolate-brown heartwood, flowing grain, and warm, natural luster. It is one of the few domestic species that is dark without staining.

• Janka Hardness: 1,010 lbf
• Best Uses: Fine furniture, gun stocks, architectural millwork, accent walls, live-edge tables, musical instruments
• Pros: Stunning natural color, excellent workability, good dimensional stability, does not need stain
• Cons: Expensive (often the most expensive domestic species), limited widths, sapwood is very light (must be steamed or sorted out), moderate hardness
• Chicago Suitability: Outstanding for furniture and accent applications. Walnut flooring is growing in popularity in upscale Chicago condos and brownstone renovations.

Ash

Ash has an open grain similar to oak but with a lighter, more neutral color. It is extremely resilient and was historically the go-to wood for baseball bats, tool handles, and bentwood furniture. Emerald Ash Borer has devastated ash populations across the Midwest, including Chicago, making it both more scarce and more available from salvage operations simultaneously.

• Janka Hardness: 1,320 lbf
• Best Uses: Flooring, tool handles, sports equipment, steam-bent furniture, cabinetry
• Pros: Hard and resilient, excellent shock resistance, takes stain well, good availability from salvage
• Cons: Open grain requires filler, not rot-resistant, supply uncertainty due to EAB, can yellow with UV exposure
• Chicago Suitability: Good for interior flooring and furniture. Chicago's urban ash salvage programs have created a supply of local reclaimed ash lumber that appeals to environmentally conscious builders.

Poplar (Yellow Poplar / Tulipwood)

Poplar is the most affordable domestic hardwood and the default choice for paint-grade trim, cabinet interiors, and any application that will be painted rather than stained.

• Janka Hardness: 540 lbf
• Best Uses: Paint-grade trim and molding, drawer sides, cabinet interiors, craft projects, core stock for veneered panels
• Pros: Very affordable, easy to machine, holds paint and primer excellently, available in wide boards
• Cons: Too soft for flooring, greenish/purplish streaks in heartwood (disappear under paint), dents easily, grain is unremarkable for stained applications
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for interior paint-grade work. The go-to choice for trim packages in Chicago home renovations where the trim will be painted white.

Birch

Birch is a fine-grained hardwood with a pale color similar to maple. It is widely used for plywood face veneers (Baltic birch plywood is a workshop staple) and provides an affordable alternative to maple in cabinetry.

• Janka Hardness: 1,260 lbf (Yellow Birch)
• Best Uses: Plywood, cabinetry, dowels, toothpicks, interior doors, shop furniture
• Pros: Hard and durable, fine grain, takes finish well, widely available as plywood
• Cons: Can blotch with stain, heartwood/sapwood color contrast, limited availability as solid lumber in Chicago
• Chicago Suitability: Primarily used as plywood in the Chicago market. Baltic birch plywood is a staple for custom built-ins and shop projects.

Hickory / Pecan

Hickory is the hardest and strongest commercially available domestic hardwood. Its dramatic color variation -- from creamy white sapwood to dark brown heartwood -- and bold grain pattern create a distinctively rustic appearance.

• Janka Hardness: 1,820 lbf
• Best Uses: Flooring (especially rustic/character grade), tool handles, smoking wood, ladder rungs, cabinetry accents
• Pros: Extremely hard and wear-resistant, dramatic appearance, excellent shock resistance, competitive pricing for its hardness
• Cons: Difficult to machine (dulls tools quickly), dramatic color variation may not suit all design styles, hard to stain evenly
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for high-traffic flooring. Increasingly popular in Chicago farmhouse-style and industrial-chic renovations where the bold grain adds character.

Exotic & Specialty Species

Exotic hardwoods offer extreme durability and distinctive appearances unavailable in domestic species. They come at a premium price and often require specialized tools and techniques for installation. All exotic species should be sourced from FSC-certified or documented legal supply chains.

Ipe (Brazilian Walnut)

Ipe is the gold standard for high-performance outdoor decking. Its extreme density makes it virtually impervious to rot, insects, and fire (Class A fire rating without treatment). It is the species used for the Coney Island boardwalk and many commercial waterfront installations.

• Janka Hardness: 3,680 lbf
• Best Uses: Premium decking, boardwalks, outdoor furniture, siding, dock surfaces
• Pros: 25-50+ year lifespan without treatment, Class A fire resistance, unmatched hardness and durability, stunning dark brown color
• Cons: Extremely expensive, very heavy (nearly 70 lbs per cubic foot), requires pre-drilling for every fastener, dulls saw blades and drill bits quickly, can cause skin irritation during cutting
• Chicago Suitability: Outstanding for decks where long-term performance justifies the premium. Handles Chicago's freeze-thaw cycles better than almost any other material. Weathers to silver-gray if left unsealed.

Cumaru (Brazilian Teak)

Cumaru offers performance similar to ipe at a somewhat lower price point. It has a warm, golden-brown to reddish-brown color and is slightly lighter in weight than ipe, though still very dense.

• Janka Hardness: 3,540 lbf
• Best Uses: Decking, outdoor furniture, flooring, heavy-duty industrial applications
• Pros: Nearly as durable as ipe, 15-25% less expensive, attractive color, excellent weather resistance
• Cons: Still very expensive compared to domestic species, requires pre-drilling, heavy, limited color consistency between boards
• Chicago Suitability: Very good. A solid alternative to ipe for Chicago decks when the budget allows for exotic hardwood but ipe pricing is out of reach.

Genuine Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)

Genuine mahogany (not to be confused with the many species marketed as "mahogany") is the classic fine furniture and boat-building wood. It offers excellent dimensional stability, moderate hardness, and a rich reddish-brown color that deepens beautifully with age.

• Janka Hardness: 800 lbf
• Best Uses: Fine furniture, boat building, exterior doors, window frames, architectural millwork, musical instruments
• Pros: Excellent dimensional stability, works easily despite moderate hardness, outstanding finish quality, naturally rot-resistant
• Cons: Expensive, regulated (CITES Appendix II -- verify sourcing), softer than domestic hardwoods like oak, availability varies
• Chicago Suitability: Excellent for entry doors and fine interior millwork. Its dimensional stability makes it superior to domestic species for exterior door construction in Chicago's variable climate.

Teak (Tectona grandis)

Teak is the legendary boat-building and outdoor furniture wood, containing natural oils that repel water and resist decay, insects, and UV degradation. Plantation-grown teak has made this once-scarce species more accessible, though old-growth Burmese teak remains extremely expensive and increasingly rare.

• Janka Hardness: 1,070 lbf
• Best Uses: Marine applications, outdoor furniture, decking, cutting boards, shower benches
• Pros: Exceptional weather and moisture resistance, natural oil content means minimal finishing required, beautiful golden color, excellent longevity
• Cons: Very expensive, natural oils can interfere with glue adhesion, plantation teak has lower oil content than old-growth
• Chicago Suitability: Outstanding for outdoor furniture and small deck areas. The natural oil content provides excellent protection against Chicago winters. Cost typically limits its use to furniture and accents rather than full deck surfaces.

Species Comparison Table

Use this quick-reference table to compare the most commonly requested species side by side.

Janka Hardness Scale: Visual Ranking

The Janka hardness test measures the force (in pounds-force, lbf) required to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball halfway into a wood sample. Higher numbers mean greater resistance to denting, scratching, and wear. In practical terms: a species rated at 1,300 lbf will resist furniture dents and foot traffic about twice as well as one rated at 650 lbf.

Red Oak (1,290 lbf) is the industry benchmark -- most flooring comparisons reference red oak as the baseline. Species rated higher than red oak are considered hard enough for high-traffic residential flooring. Species below 900 lbf are generally too soft for flooring in active households but may be suitable for low-traffic areas, furniture, trim, and cabinetry.

Best Wood Species by Project Type

Choosing the right species starts with understanding the demands of your specific project. Here are our recommendations organized by common project type, listed in order of preference for each application.

Wood Movement and Seasonal Changes

Wood is a hygroscopic material -- it absorbs and releases moisture in response to the surrounding humidity. As moisture content changes, wood expands and contracts. This movement is not a defect; it is a fundamental property of the material that must be accounted for in design and installation. Ignoring wood movement leads to gaps, buckling, cracked joints, and failed finishes.

Tangential vs. Radial Movement

Wood moves differently depending on the orientation of the growth rings. Tangential movement (parallel to the growth rings) is approximately twice as much as radial movement (perpendicular to the growth rings). This is why flat-sawn (plain-sawn) boards -- where the growth rings run roughly parallel to the face -- cup, warp, and move more than quarter-sawn boards, where the growth rings run roughly perpendicular to the face.

Quarter-Sawn vs. Flat-Sawn Stability

Quarter-sawn lumber (growth rings at 60-90 degrees to the face) moves approximately half as much across its width as flat-sawn lumber of the same species. It also exhibits less cupping. For applications where dimensional stability is critical -- wide-plank flooring, tabletops, cabinet doors, exterior doors -- quarter-sawn or rift-sawn lumber is the superior choice. The trade-off is higher cost (more waste during milling) and more limited width availability.

Rift-sawn lumber (growth rings at 30-60 degrees) offers intermediate stability between quarter-sawn and flat-sawn. It produces a straight, linear grain pattern that is especially attractive in white oak and red oak flooring.

Why Wood Movement Matters More in Chicago

Chicago experiences one of the most extreme indoor humidity swings of any major U.S. city. In summer, outdoor humidity regularly exceeds 70-80%, and interior humidity in air-conditioned homes settles around 50-60%. In winter, forced-air heating drives indoor humidity down to 20-30% -- and in many older Chicago homes without humidifiers, it can drop below 15%.

This swing of 30-45 percentage points in relative humidity causes significant dimensional changes in wood. A 5-inch-wide flat-sawn red oak floorboard can change width by approximately 1/8 inch between its winter minimum and summer maximum. Over a 15-foot-wide room, the cumulative seasonal movement of a hardwood floor can be 3/8 to 1/2 inch. If the floor was installed tight in summer, it will develop gaps in winter. If installed tight in winter, it may buckle in summer.

How to Account for Movement in Joinery

• Leave expansion gaps: Hardwood flooring requires a 1/2 to 3/4 inch expansion gap at all walls, covered by baseboard and shoe molding. Wide-plank floors (5 inches and wider) need the maximum gap.
• Use floating or slot-screw connections for solid-wood tabletops and panels attached to a rigid base. Slotted screw holes allow the top to expand and contract without cracking.
• Orient boards for minimal movement: In wide tabletops and cabinet doors, alternate the growth ring direction of adjacent boards (cup-up, cup-down) to distribute movement evenly across the panel.
• Install at moderate humidity: The best practice in Chicago is to install interior wood projects when indoor humidity is at its seasonal midpoint (around 35-45%), typically in spring or fall. This minimizes the magnitude of movement in both directions.
• Control the indoor environment: A whole-house humidifier in winter (target 35-40% RH) and dehumidification or air conditioning in summer dramatically reduce the humidity swing that drives wood movement. This is the single most effective way to protect hardwood floors and trim in a Chicago home.

Frequently Asked Questions