Certain species of woods are, therefore, selected for particular parts of the house according to the needs of durability, strength, appearance, and local supply.
Rough wooden framing requires a wood that is fairly abundant and strong. The soft woods are generally used, and those which are classified as durable in the table are the most used.
RELATIVE DURABILITY OF THE COMMON WOODS
| The Soft Woods | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| very durable | durable | intermediate | non-durable |
| Northern white cedar. | Douglas fir. | Eastern hemlock. | True firs. |
| Western red cedar. | Tamarack. | Western hemlock. | Spruces. |
| Cypress. | Western larch. | Loblolly-pine. | |
| Redwood. | Long-leaf yellow pine. | Norway pine. | |
| Eastern white pine. | Short-leaf yellow pine. | ||
| Sugar-pine. | |||
| Western white pine. | |||
| Western yellow pine. | |||
| The Hard Woods | |||
| Chestnut. | Black cherry. | White ash. | Basswood. |
| Black walnut. | White oak. | Butternut. | Beech. |
| Black locust. | Red gum. | Birch. | |
| Yellow poplar. | Buckeye. | ||
| Red oak. | Cottonwood. | ||
| White elm. | |||
| Hard maple. | |||
| Soft maple. | |||
| Sycamore. | |||
| Cotton gum. | |||
For rough underflooring and sheathing the cheapest and most abundant local wood is used. Durability is not essential.
For shingles the most durable woods must be used, such as cypress, cedar, and redwood.
Lath are generally cut from waste slabs, and should be of some soft wood like spruce or of one of the softer hard woods. Siding should be made from one of the soft woods, especially those which are classed as durable in the table.
Porch columns and the like require very durable woods. They should be hollow except for very small ones. Built-up columns of interlocking type are usually specified, but the lumber used should be thoroughly kiln-dried so that the joints will not open.
