Carpentry advice for Crawley homes
Hardwood or softwood: which should you choose?
Sooner or later a carpenter will ask what you want it made from. Oak or pine? Solid or MDF? The choice changes the price, the look and how long the work lasts.
You do not need to become a timber expert. A few plain facts are enough to make a good choice.
What the two words really mean
The names are a little misleading. Hardwood comes from broad-leaved trees such as oak, ash, beech and walnut. Softwood comes from conifers, the trees with needles and cones, such as pine, spruce, larch and cedar.
Most hardwoods are harder and heavier than most softwoods, but not all. Balsa, the featherlight wood used for model planes, is a hardwood by this definition.
What matters in practice is this. Hardwood trees grow slowly, so the timber is dense, tough and costly. Conifers grow fast, so softwood is lighter, easier to work and cheaper.
Softwood: the workhorse
Nearly all the hidden timber in a British house is softwood. Joists, rafters, stud walls and door frames are softwood because it is strong for its weight and good value.
It is also used where it shows. Pine skirting, architrave, doors and stairs are everywhere. Softwood takes paint well, and most of it is meant to be painted.
Its weak points are dents and damp. A dropped toy will mark a pine floor. Outdoors, softwood must be pressure treated or kept painted, or it will rot.
Hardwood: where it earns its price
Hardwood is chosen where the timber will be seen, touched or walked on. Oak is the favourite in British homes for floors, doors, worktops and handrails. It resists knocks, feels good in the hand and ages well under oil or varnish.
It costs a good deal more to buy and takes longer to cut and fix, so labour is higher too. Used in the right places, it lasts for generations.
And then there is MDF
MDF is not really either. It is wood fibre and resin pressed into smooth, flat sheets. It has no grain, no knots and does not warp, which makes it ideal for painted work such as wardrobe doors, shelving, panelling and skirting.
Ordinary MDF swells badly if it gets wet. A moisture-resistant grade, usually green inside, is made for kitchens and bathrooms. MDF is no use outdoors.
Which to choose, job by job
- Internal doors. Softwood or a hollow or solid engineered door for painting. Oak or oak-faced where you want to see the wood.
- Front doors. A durable hardwood, or a softwood made for outdoor use and kept well painted.
- Skirting and architrave. MDF or pine for paint. Oak to match oak doors.
- Fitted wardrobes and shelves. MDF for a painted finish. Wood-faced board for a timber look.
- Floors. Engineered oak for a real wood floor that stays stable. Laminate for a hard-wearing budget choice.
- Stairs. Pine for the structure and for painted or carpeted flights. Oak for handrails, newel caps and treads left on show.
- Kitchen worktops. Oak, beech or walnut if you want timber, and are willing to oil it.
- Decking and fencing. Pressure-treated softwood for value. Hardwood or composite for longer life with less upkeep.
There is more on each of these on our pages for door hanging, staircases and banisters, wood flooring and decking.
A sensible way to mix them
You do not have to pick one for the whole house. The usual approach is softwood or MDF for anything painted and hardwood for the few parts you see and touch most.
A painted staircase with an oak handrail is a good example. So is a painted wardrobe with oak shelves inside, or white skirting beside oak doors. You get the look and feel of hardwood where it counts without paying for it everywhere.
Houses from Crawley's new town years were mostly finished in painted softwood throughout. Adding oak in a few places, such as doors and a handrail, is a popular way to update them.
Questions to ask about any timber
- Is it solid, or a thin face of real wood on a board?
- Will it be painted, oiled or varnished, and who is doing that?
- If it is going outside, how has it been treated?
- Does it come from a certified, well-managed forest? Look for the FSC or PEFC mark.
- How much upkeep will it need, and how often?
Want advice on timber for your own job?
The right wood in the right place lasts decades. The wrong one, such as plain MDF in a steamy bathroom or untreated softwood outdoors, fails within a few years and has to be done again.
Describe what you want made or fitted and name your part of Crawley. Asking is free.