Wood28 entries
Wood Database
Wood species with reference density at air-dried moisture content, grouped by botanical type, plus the applications each is normally specified for.
Overviewwhat this group covers and how to read the numbers
Wood is the material in this database whose weight varies most. Metal and plastic entries are stable to within a few percent, but a timber's density moves with moisture content, growth rate and where the tree grew — the same species from two suppliers can differ by ten percent either way.
Every density here is quoted for air-dried stock at about 12% moisture content, the usual engineering reference condition. Green timber straight off the saw can weigh half again as much, which matters as soon as you are estimating freight or sizing a support.
The hardwood / softwood split is botanical, not a statement about hardness. Hardwoods come from broad-leaved trees, softwoods from conifers — balsa is a hardwood, and it is far softer than pine. Read it as a family label and check the density for anything load bearing.
Hardwood15 entries
0.75 g/cm³ · Quercus spp.OakRing-porous hardwood, dense and hard wearing. White oak is the traditional choice for barrels, boatbuilding and heavy furniture; red oak is more common in cabinetry and flooring.0.705 g/cm³ · Acer saccharumMaple (Hard Maple)Dense, fine-grained hardwood with good wear resistance. Hard maple is the usual choice for flooring, butcher blocks and work surfaces where the surface has to take abuse.0.69 g/cm³ · Betula alleghaniensisBirch (Yellow Birch)Dense hardwood, widely used in plywood and cabinetry. Yellow birch is harder and heavier than paper birch, and is often substituted for maple where the surface is not the point.0.66 g/cm³ · Juglans nigraWalnut (Black)Dark, straight-grained hardwood that machines and finishes exceptionally well. The traditional choice for gunstocks and high-end furniture, and stable enough to hold fine detail.0.56 g/cm³ · Prunus serotinaCherry (Black)Fine, straight-grained hardwood that darkens with age and light. Works easily by hand, which makes it a common choice for cabinetwork and musical instrument parts.0.67 g/cm³ · Fraxinus americanaAsh (White)Strong hardwood with excellent shock resistance — the reason it is used for tool handles, sports equipment and anything that has to absorb a repeated impact rather than resist a steady load.0.82 g/cm³ · Carya spp.HickoryAmong the hardest and toughest of the common North American hardwoods. Dense, shock resistant and used wherever a handle has to survive repeated abuse.0.72 g/cm³ · Fagus grandifoliaBeech (American)Dense, fine-grained hardwood that wears evenly without splintering. The traditional material for workbench tops and butcher blocks, and widely used for flooring and bent furniture parts.0.42 g/cm³ · Liriodendron tulipiferaPoplar (Yellow)Light, uniform hardwood that is easy to work and takes paint well. The usual choice for painted cabinetry, interior trim and anything that will not be seen in its natural state.0.42 g/cm³ · Tilia americanaBasswoodSoft, even-textured hardwood with almost no grain figure. Carves and shapes predictably, which makes it the standard stock for carving, pattern making and scale models.0.16 g/cm³ · Ochroma pyramidaleBalsaThe lightest commercial timber. A hardwood by botany but softer than any softwood here, used for model building, buoyancy and as a core material inside composite sandwich panels.0.63 g/cm³ · Tectona grandisTeakNaturally oily hardwood with outstanding resistance to water, rot and insects. The reference material for outdoor furniture and boat decking, and priced accordingly.0.55 g/cm³ · Swietenia macrophyllaMahogany (Honduran)Stable, easily worked hardwood with a warm reddish tone. Long the standard for fine furniture, boat trim and instrument bodies because it moves little once dry.1 g/cm³ · Handroanthus spp.IpeExceptionally dense tropical hardwood that sinks in water. Used for decking and boardwalk where a long service life outdoors justifies both the cost and the difficulty of working it.0.85 g/cm³ · Dalbergia latifoliaRosewood (East Indian)Dense tropical hardwood with a strong figure and high value. Used for instrument backs and sides, inlay work and premium furniture. Trade is restricted under CITES.
Softwood9 entries
0.55 g/cm³ · Pinus spp.Pine (Southern Yellow)Softwood used for structural framing, decking and general building work. Southern yellow pine is a commercial group rather than one species, and its high resin content makes it markedly denser and stronger than eastern white pine.0.37 g/cm³ · Thuja plicataCedar (Western Red)Light, naturally decay-resistant softwood that is dimensionally stable when wet. The default cladding, roofing and outdoor trim material where structure is not carrying the load.0.47 g/cm³ · Juniperus virginianaCedar (Eastern Red)Aromatic, decay-resistant softwood with a fine texture. Traditionally used for chest lining and closet interiors because the oils discourage insects.0.53 g/cm³ · Pseudotsuga menziesiiFir (Douglas)Strong, stiff softwood and the standard structural framing timber in North America. Good strength-to-weight, but not decay resistant when left exposed.0.43 g/cm³ · Picea sitchensisSpruce (Sitka)Exceptional stiffness for its very low weight, which is why it is used for aircraft structures and instrument soundboards. A structural softwood with an unusually high strength-to-weight ratio.0.42 g/cm³ · Sequoia sempervirensRedwoodLight, stable softwood with natural decay resistance. Used for decking, siding and outdoor structures where a long unprotected service life matters more than strength.0.47 g/cm³ · Tsuga heterophyllaHemlock (Western)Straight-grained structural softwood used for framing, sheathing and interior joinery. Works cleanly but has no natural decay resistance, so it belongs where it will stay dry.0.58 g/cm³ · Larix spp.LarchThe densest of the common softwoods, with better natural durability than most conifers. Used for cladding, decking and fence posts where treated timber is not wanted.0.48 g/cm³ · Taxodium distichumCypress (Bald)Decay-resistant softwood that has been the traditional outdoor and boatbuilding timber of the southern United States. Relatively light for its durability.
Engineered4 entries
0.68 g/cm³Birch PlywoodCross-laminated veneer sheet with alternating grain direction, which makes it far more dimensionally stable than solid timber. Birch-faced stock is the standard for cabinetwork and jigs.0.75 g/cm³MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)Uniform sheet made from wood fibre bonded with resin. No grain, so it routes and machines identically in every direction and takes paint without a grain raise.0.65 g/cm³OSB (Oriented Strand Board)Structural panel built from oriented wood strands bonded with resin. An engineered substitute for plywood in sheathing and flooring, produced from fast-growing species.0.7 g/cm³BambooA grass rather than a timber, laminated into boards from strips or strands. Grows to harvest in a few years and gives a hard, stable surface for flooring and worktops.
Density comparisonevery wood entry on one scale
Weight calculator| Material | Group | Density (g/cm³) | kg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balsa | Hardwood | 0.16 | 160 |
| Cedar (Western Red) | Softwood | 0.37 | 370 |
| Poplar (Yellow) | Hardwood | 0.42 | 420 |
| Basswood | Hardwood | 0.42 | 420 |
| Redwood | Softwood | 0.42 | 420 |
| Spruce (Sitka) | Softwood | 0.43 | 430 |
| Cedar (Eastern Red) | Softwood | 0.47 | 470 |
| Hemlock (Western) | Softwood | 0.47 | 470 |
| Cypress (Bald) | Softwood | 0.48 | 480 |
| Fir (Douglas) | Softwood | 0.53 | 530 |
| Pine (Southern Yellow) | Softwood | 0.55 | 550 |
| Mahogany (Honduran) | Hardwood | 0.55 | 550 |
| Cherry (Black) | Hardwood | 0.56 | 560 |
| Larch | Softwood | 0.58 | 580 |
| Teak | Hardwood | 0.63 | 630 |
| OSB (Oriented Strand Board) | Engineered | 0.65 | 650 |
| Walnut (Black) | Hardwood | 0.66 | 660 |
| Ash (White) | Hardwood | 0.67 | 670 |
| Birch Plywood | Engineered | 0.68 | 680 |
| Birch (Yellow Birch) | Hardwood | 0.69 | 690 |
| Bamboo | Engineered | 0.7 | 700 |
| Maple (Hard Maple) | Hardwood | 0.705 | 705 |
| Beech (American) | Hardwood | 0.72 | 720 |
| Oak | Hardwood | 0.75 | 750 |
| MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) | Engineered | 0.75 | 750 |
| Hickory | Hardwood | 0.82 | 820 |
| Rosewood (East Indian) | Hardwood | 0.85 | 850 |
| Ipe | Hardwood | 1 | 1000 |
Densest entry: Ipe at 1 g/cm³. Lightest: Balsa at 0.16 g/cm³. Values are representative reference figures, not a specification for a delivery.
Common applicationswhere these materials are actually used
FurnitureCabinetryFlooringDeckingMusical instrumentsGeneral constructionInterior joineryOutdoor structuresBoatbuildingButcher blocksCarvingCladdingFramingJigsMouldingsOutdoor furniturePavingPlywoodSidingSports equipmentStructural sheathingTool handlesWorktopsAircraft structuresAxes and hammersBarrelsBeamsBoardwalkBoat deckingBoat trimBuoyancyChest liningCloset interiorsComposite coresCutting boardsFence postsFencingFloor underlayGunstocksInlayInstrument soundboardsInsulationInterior trimMarine trimMastsModel buildingOutdoor joineryOutdoor trimPainted cabinetryPainted furniturePattern makingPencilsPremium furnitureRoof deckingRoofingScale modelsSheathingShuttersSparsStructural framingTurningWall panelsWork surfacesWorkbench tops
Frequently asked questionsabout wood selection
What is the difference between hardwood and softwood?
It is a botanical split, not a hardness scale. Hardwoods come from broad-leaved trees that drop their leaves, softwoods from conifers. Balsa is a hardwood and much softer than pine, so the label describes the tree family rather than the surface.
What is the densest wood in this database?
See the density comparison above — the densest entry in this list is highlighted with its figure. Density is the number that turns a board's dimensions into a weight.
Why do these densities differ from figures I have seen elsewhere?
Almost always moisture content. Wood is quoted in several conventions — kiln-dried, air-dried and green — and the spread between them is large. Figures here are air-dried at roughly 12% moisture content, and a green figure can be 50% higher.
Can I use these figures to estimate shipping weight?
Yes, for air-dried stock, but add margin. A delivered board has not spent long in the drying conditions these figures assume, and it will pick up moisture in transit. Treat the number as a floor rather than a guarantee.