Is Balsa Wood A Hardwood Or A Softwood

Broad leafed flowering trees are hardwoods.

Is balsa wood a hardwood or a softwood.

That is hardwood isn t necessarily denser than 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. Yet despite its softness balsa is technically classified as a hardwood rather than a softwood since it has broad leaves and is not a conifer. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods.

But as the classification of balsa wood demonstrates there is no minimum weight requirement to become a hardwood. In fact balsa is the spanish word for raft. Although the wood of a balsa tree is soft balsa is a hardwood. But the difference between these two types of wood isn t in their name.

Balsa has excellent sound heat and vibration insulating properties and is also incredibly buoyant. For example balsa wood which is known as one of the lightest woods in the world is actually a hardwood. There are many more types of hardwood trees than there are softwood. It is the softest commercial hardwood.

Being a deciduous angiosperm balsa is classified as a hardwood despite the wood itself being very soft. The name balsa comes from the spanish word for raft. The trees are harvested after six to 10 years of growth. For instance yew wood is classified as a softwood but is considerably tougher than certain hardwoods.

This may come as a shock to some of you but hardwood isn t necessarily harder than softwood and vice versa. Likewise balsa wood is classified as a hardwood and yet it s one of the least dense and softest types of. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a. The hardwood softwood terminology does make some sense.

The difference between hardwood and softwood. Balsa wood is very soft and light and is commonly used in model aeroplane building but it is not technically classified as a softwood. Balsa lumber is very soft and light with a coarse open grain. See wikipedia for more information about balsa.

Hardwood trees are angiosperms mostly decidous in the northern hemisphere but evergreens in the southern hemisphere while softwoods are conifers.