When it comes to taking on any wholesale lumber project, you have to have the right materials before you get started, as a project is only as good as its materials. However, purchasing lumber is far more involved than just picking up some pieces of wood. If you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head in the hardware store, we can answer all of your softwood- and hardwood-related questions. Take a look at our softwood vs hardwood lumber cheat sheet, below. Softwood Lumber When choosing lumber, you can choose from between softwood and hardwood. Softwood lumber comes from conifer trees. These include cedar, fir, spruce, and pine. These woods are called softwood for obvious reasons, as they can be easily dented with light pressure. Softwood lumber absorbs and loses moisture faster and easier than hardwoods, so it requires extra care to remain beautiful and intact. Pressure treated softwood can hold up against the elements, however. This kind of wood is far cheaper than hardwood, and often used in construction. Most home DIY projects utilize softwood lumber and it is readily available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Hardwood Lumber This type of lumber is derived from deciduous trees, which have broad leaves that fall off over the course of the cold months. African Forest Hardwood lumber commonly comes from iroko, ebony, ironwood, blood wood, mahogany trees and many more... Most hardwoods, with the exception of balsa wood, are harder than softwoods and not as easily dented. Hardwood trees require a longer time to come to maturity, so their lumber is more highly priced than softwood lumber. This type of lumber is generally used in furniture construction, fine woodworking, flooring, and cabinetry. If you want to get into woodworking, you will definitely be using primarily hardwoods. Most hardware stores do not stock much or any hardwood, so in order to pursue projects utilizing hardwoods, you will have to seek out a specialty lumber company like African Forest Timber Ltd. Get In Touch With African Forest Timber Ltd Today Since 2014, African Forest Timber Ltd has been serving homeowners and professional contractors in Cameroon and the central African areas with top quality lumber, building materials, tools, and accessories. Get in touch with us today by visiting www.afotimber.com