Pine, Oak, Cypress or Teak? How to Pick the Right Wood for your Hong Kong Furniture Project

Wood species have different properties and there is no one size fits all solution. Depending on whether you are looking for a rustic coffee table, a conference room table that will really impress your clients, or a set of chairs or drawers that fit your apartments interior design style, different types of wood will be ideal for you. This article provides some guidance to steer your decision making, but also feel free to reach out to us via filip@hardwood.com for a free consultation.  

Pine – Affordable & Mass applications

Pine is a soft wood. It is one of the most affordable lumber species available. Pine is a fast growing tree and typically processed before it can reach large diameters. Pine is pale but after applying oil looks more yellow. In Europe, it is commonly used in housing construction as roof or wall structure. In Hong Kong, it’s widely available in most of the local wood shops as 8 or 10 ft board in two or three different dimensions. Here low-grade pine is often used on construction sites and disposed of after use. Hardwood Hong Kong can deliver high-grade pine, spruce and fir on custom orders.

Cypress – Popular in Boat Building and for Interior Applications

Cypress is a softwood native in North America. It is very different from pine and grows to a much larger diameter (up to 1 to 1.5m). It can be purchased in slabs and is commonly used in construction, boat building and for interior applications. It has a pale, brownish colour and a straight grain. Builders favour it for its high stability and low shrinkage between seasons. Cypress is also high in resistance to decay, even when used outdoors. Slabs cut from old trees may have holes made by fungi that are considered a decorative element.

Oak – The Premium Choice of Carpenters

Oak is probably most well known and most popular premium wood species. It is valued by carpenters for centuries for its warm colour, grain and durability. Used for furniture, stairs, floors, whiskey barrels and other furniture applications. Oak tables symbolise prosperity and are often the choice of architects looking to create a luxury interior design experience. Oak trees can grow large diameters and slabs cut from up to 100-year-old trees that Hardwood Hong Kong imports can reach a width of up to 5.2 ft.

Teak – Premium Wood Ideal for Outdoor Applications

Teak wood is very different from the other wood species introduced in this article. Teak is a tropical hardwood mainly imported from Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has an elegant brownish to red color, and straight grain.Teak wood is very pricey and costs up to ten times as much as oak, which is a premium wood species. It has characteristics that make it more suitable for certain applications: It’s very stable and highly weather resistant, which makes it a natural choice not only for outdoor tables, chairs and other outdoor furniture but also for boat building. Teak derives these superior weather resistance properties from its natural oil, which it can preserve for a long time. If properly dried after harvesting the natural oils stay inside the wood and essentially waterproof it while also making it highly rot resistant.

To learn more about the wood batches we have currently available in our Hong Kong warehouse, or to get a free consultation for your project get in touch with our team via filip@hardwood.com