Ask a Woodworker
I'm in the process of looking to purchase an entertainment
center. However, I have seen a unit made of maple wood and one made of
oak, and I am hoping you can tell me which wood is a better quality wood. Which is a more expensive wood the maple or pine?
Quality in wood is relative since it is provided by nature.
Craftsmanship on the other hand can be rated. Which do you like best?
What's going to work best with your decor and/or architecture of your
home?
Maple and Oak are both "hard" woods and hold up well to time, humidity
changes and abuse. Pine is a soft wood and is affected more easily by
temperature, moisture and physical contact.
For all of these there are certain "cuts" that make them more valuable
than their "plain jane" cousins. Birds-eye maple, quarter sawn oak, or
aged hand hewn ponderosa pine. These premium grades all have a unique
grain pattern, so let your eye be the judge.
What's more expensive? The market sets that not the "wood itself" (e.g. where you live, demand, transportation systems, etc.).
Do you have a question? Drop us a line at questions@woodworking-news.com. We will try to answer your question as best we can.
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