Our woodworker friends at Gate Expectations have put together this great chart of timber durability for anyone working with wood (1 is most durable and 5 is least). Over to Rob from here.
We’ve put together some resources about timber durability to help you choose the best timber for your gate, garage door, or whatever you’re looking to make.
The Timber Durability Database is a table of durability grades/ratings by wood type, with images to match. It contains 5 classes of timber, with each class determining how long each timber listed will last – these are all to BS EN 350-2:1994 and cover the durability of wood and wood-based products, the natural durability of solid wood and a guide to natural durability and treatability of selected wood species of importance in Europe.
| Timber | Durability Class | Hardwood, Softwood or Modified Timber | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abura | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Accoya (Modified Radiata Pine) | 1 | Modified Timber |  |
| Accoya Alder (Modified Alder) | 1 | Modified Timber |  |
| African Mahogany (a.k.a. Khaya) | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| African Walnut (Congowood) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Afrormosia | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Afzelia | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Agba | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Alder | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| American Ash (a.k.a. Black Ash, White Ash, Canadian Ash, Red Ash) | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| American Birch | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| American Cherry (a.k.a. Black Cherry) | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| American Mahogany | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| American Red Oak | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| American Walnut (Black Walnut) | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| American White Oak | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Andira | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Andiroba | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Angelim | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Aspen | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Balau (a.k.a. Red Balau, Yellow Balau) | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Balsa | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Basswood (a.k.a. Limewood) | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Cambara | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Canadian Red Pine (a.k.a. Norway Pine) | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Canadian Spruce (a.k.a. White Spruce) | 5 | Softwood |  |
| Caribbean Pitch Pine (a.k.a. Pitch Pine) | 3 | Softwood | |
| Cedar (a.k.a. Cedar of Lebanon) | 2 | Softwood |  |
| Central / South American Cedar (a.k.a. Cedro Rosa) | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Corsican Pine | 4 | Softwood | |
| Courbaril | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Cumaru | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Curupay | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Dahoma | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Danta | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Dark Red Meranti (a.k.a. Red Lauan) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Denya | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Douglas Fir (a.k.a. Columbian Pine, Oregon Pine)* | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Douglas Fir* | 3 | Softwood | |
| Ebony | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Ekki | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Elliotis Pine (Slash Pine) | 4 | Softwood |  |
| European Ash | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| European Beech | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| European Birch (a.k.a. Silver Birch, White Birch) | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| European Cherry | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| European Elm (a.k.a. English Elm) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| European Larch* | 4 | Softwood |  |
| European Larch* | 3 | Softwood | |
| European Lime | 5 | Hardwood | |
| European Oak (inc English Oak, French Oak, Polish Oak, Slovenian Oak) | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| European Plane | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| European Redwood | 4 | Softwood |  |
| European Walnut | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| European Whitewood (a.k.a. Silver Fir, Norway Spruce) | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Gaboon | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Garapa | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Garapa | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Gedu Nohor | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Geronggang | 5 | Hardwood | |
| Gombe | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Greenheart | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Guarea | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Guariuba | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Hickory | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Horse Chestnut | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Idigbo | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Imbiua | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Ipe | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Iroko | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Itauba | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Jack Pine | 4 | Softwood | |
| Japanese Larch | 4 | Softwood | |
| Japanese Oak | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Jarrah | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Jelutong | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Kapur | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Karri | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Kebony* | 1 | Modified Timber |  |
| Kempas | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Keruing | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Koto | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Light Red Meranti (a.k.a. Red Meranti, White Lauan) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Light Virola | 5 | Hardwood | |
| Lignum Vitae (a.k.a. Ironwood) | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Limba | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Lodgepole Pine | 4 | Softwood | |
| Louro | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Makore | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Mandio | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Martime Pine | 4 | Softwood | |
| Massaranduba* | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Massaranduba* | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Mengkulang | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Merbau | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Moabi | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Mora | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Movingue | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Niangon | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Nyatoh (a.k.a. Padang) | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Obeche | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Opepe | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Padauk (a.k.a. Barwood, Camwood) | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Parana Pine (a.k.a. Brazilian Pine, Radiata Pine (Monterey Pine) | 5 | Softwood |  |
| Patula Pine | 4 | Softwood | |
| Pau Amarelo | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Piqua | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Ponderosa Pine (a.k.a. White Pine) | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Poplar | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Purpleheart | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Ramin | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Red Alder (a.k.a. Western Alder) | 5 | Hardwood | |
| Red Angelim | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Red Grandis (a.k.a. Rose Gum, Flooded Gum) | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Red Louro | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Robinia (a.k.a. Black Locust, Falsa Acacia) | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Rock Maple (a.k.a. Hard Maple, Black Maple) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Rosewood | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Rubberwood | 5 | Hardwood | |
| Sapele | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Scots Pine (a.k.a. Red Pine) | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Sepetir | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Sesendok | 5 | Hardwood | |
| Siberian Larch (a.k.a. Russian Larch)* | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Siberian Larch* | 3 | Softwood | |
| Simarouba | 5 | Hardwood | |
| Sitka Spruce (a.k.a. Silver Spruce) | 5 | Softwood |  |
| Soft Maple (Red Maple, Silver Maple) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Southern Pine | 4 | Softwood | |
| Sucupira | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Sweet Chestnut | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Sycamore (a.k.a. Great Maple) | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Tasmanian Oak (a.k.a. Australian Oak, Alpine Ash) | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Tatajuba | 2 | Hardwood | |
| Taun (a.k.a. Malagai) | 3 | Hardwood | |
| Teak | 1 | Hardwood |  |
| Thermowood Radiata Pine (Modified Radiata Pine – Softwood) | 2 | Modified Timber |  |
| Thermowood Redwood (Modified European Redwood – Usually from Finland – Softwood) | 2 | Modified Timber |  |
| Tulipwood (a.k.a. Canarywood, American Yellow Poplar) | 4 | Hardwood |  |
| Utile | 3 | Hardwood |  |
| Wallaba | 1 | Hardwood | |
| Wenge | 2 | Hardwood |  |
| Western Hemlock | 4 | Softwood | |
| Western Red Cedar* | 3 | Softwood |  |
| Western Red Cedar (a.k.a. Red Cedar)* | 2 | Softwood | |
| White Elm (a.k.a. Red Elm) | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Willow | 5 | Hardwood |  |
| Yellow Meranti | 4 | Hardwood | |
| Yellow Pine | 4 | Softwood |  |
| Yew | 2 | Softwood |  |
*Douglas Fir is listed as both a Class 2 and Class 3 timber, UK grown Douglas Fir is Class 4
*European Larch also listed as both Class 2 and Class 3 timber, UK grown European Larch is Class 4
*Siberian Larch is in both Class 2 and 3, Siberian grown Larch being Class 3
*UK grown Western Red Cedar is in both Classes 3 & 2. Class 3 Western Red Cedar is UK grown, Class 2 from America and Canada
*Massaranduba is listed as both Class 1 & 2 as durability can vary
*Kebony is listed as both Class 1 & 2 as durability can vary
Image Credits
Images are via these organisations and helpful people:
Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, Imgur
Kebony SYP
Accoya
SBT Design
Jon Linney
If you can see a picture of the tree from our logo instead of the timber, we’re still looking for an image for this timber! If you have a picture you’d like us to use then we’ll credit you – contact us via email at [email protected]. You can also find further resources here on our website.
1 Comment
Absolutly brilliant, it goes much further than most such tables. It must have taken a lot of hard work by all concerned to compile such an extensive table. Many thanks to all of you!