What is natural wood: what types exist

What is natural wood: what types exist

24 January, 2023

What exactly is natural wood? Learn about its applications, all the types of natural wood, and its many aesthetic and functional advantages.

Natural wood is one of the building materials used by mankind since ancient times. 

Thanks to its mechanical and insulating properties, it is used both to create structures and to cover floors and walls.

We can also use wood as an insulating or decorative element. 

What is natural wood?

Natural wood is marketed in the form of beams, lamellas, boards and strips. 

By this term we mean wood as a raw material “in its pure state”, unprocessed and unmixed with other materials (plastics, fibres, glues, etc.) as is the case with plywood or chipboard. 

Therefore, natural wood is a noble material of higher quality and with a more elegant and beautiful aesthetic.

Types of natural wood: what are they and what are they used for?

Natural wood has many uses. It can be used to make doors, windows and furniture. It is also one of the most popular floor coverings

The question is: which wood should I choose if I am thinking of renovating or changing the floor in my house?  

In theory, there are as many natural woods as there are types of trees. So we could classify them according to their properties, use or origin.

However, it is customary to establish the different types of natural wood according to their hardness, differentiating between hard and soft. 

Natural wood types

Hard natural wood 

Woods defined as “hard” come from deciduous trees, usually from Europe and North America. 

These trees have larger trunks and are slower growing, which makes their wood dense, heavy and of high quality

Hardwoods are used in construction and joinery.

They are widely used to make high quality furniture, structural elements and flooring, and although they are difficult to work and uneven, they are durable and aesthetically beautiful. 

Types of hard natural hardwood 

Oak

Oak is a common tree in Spain. 

Its light-coloured wood is flexible and has a beautiful grain, which makes it very attractive. It is one of the natural wood types used to make cladding and parquet flooring. 

Walnut 

Walnut wood is durable and hardly changes over time. 

This type of wood stands out for its brown colour, which varies in intensity, and for its characteristic grain

Walnut wood is ideal for furniture, doors, ornaments and turned elements, but is not usually used for cladding because of its high cost

Cherry 

Cherry wood is recognisable by its reddish colour, which darkens over time.

Traditionally, it has been used for furniture, but it is also very popular for joinery and panelling.

It is a particularly hard and resistant type of wood, but it is also more delicate and prone to woodworm, which requires greater care. 

→ You may be interested in discovering L’Antic Colonial’s natural wood collections.

Mahogany

Mahogany wood is reddish in colour and has a fine and resistant grain.

Widely used in cabinetmaking, it is used to make high-quality furniture

It is also used as cladding due to its high density and durability.

Soft natural wood

Softwoods originate from fast-growing evergreen trees (conifers) that are abundant in Europe.

These natural woods are lighter in weight, lighter in tone and easier to work than hardwoods.

They are also cheaper, although their quality is inferior and they require more maintenance.

Types of soft natural wood 

Pine 

Pine wood has a yellowish colour and a uniform texture. 

It is one of the cheapest and most versatile types of natural wood: it is used in the manufacture of furniture and mouldings, in carpentry, as cladding, in packaging, for making laminated wood, etc.

Spruce

Similar to pine, but lighter and less resistant, spruce is often used for the manufacture of containers and packaging.

In construction, it is used as cladding for ceilings and interior walls due to its high resistance to moisture. 

Cedar

Cedar wood has a reddish colour and is highly resistant to moisture, insects and fungi.

It is ideal for the construction of shingles and roofs, and for the manufacture of outdoor furniture (garden, terrace, etc.). 

Natural wood types

L’Antic Colonial natural wood flooring: advantages 

At L’Antic Colonial we are unconditional lovers of natural wood, and every day we work to offer you collections of products, floating platforms and floors that maintain the naturalness, diversity and beauty of this material.

In fact, our “Nature” natural wood flooring collection is characterised precisely by the fact that it is made from clean oak wood, with smooth and homogeneous finishes, as it has a very low number of knots. 

This collection is available in three shades: 

  • NATURAL (with the original oak wood finish).
  • GREY (darker).
  • WHITE (lighter). 

The “Monarch” natural wood flooring collection is also made from oak wood, and stands out for the protection of its matt varnish finish

Its different products, named after some of the most important British queens, are available in a chromatic range that goes from the darkest chocolate brown of the VICTORIA model to the almost white of the ISABEL model, with greyish tones in the DIANA model and intermediate ranges in the MARIA and CATALINA models.

In all cases, we are talking about a classic style floor which, on the other hand, is not at odds with the most current decorative trends.

Are you considering installing a natural wood floor by L’Antic Colonial in your home

These reasons will help you in your choice:

Natural material 

Wood is a flexible material that is easy to work with

In addition, during its extraction and processing, it causes little pollution in the water and air, which is a great advantage from an environmental point of view

Excellent insulator

Wood has the ability to absorb and expel humidity, regulating the temperature in indoor environments. 

Wooden constructions act as a natural insulator due to the thermal inertia of this material, which keeps heat in cold areas and offers cool interiors in warmer areas

In this sense, the use of natural wood helps to save energy in air conditioning. 

Moreover, wood is an excellent insulator against noise and vibrations.

High durability 

Wood has a very favourable strength-to-weight ratio, and structures made of this material age by a natural process that can last for centuries.

Cladding and decorative elements made of this material also have a very high durability. 
Natural wood creates comfortable and high quality spaces. Find out more about our wooden floors at L’Antic Colonial.

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