You are here: About Wood > Hardwood or Softwood

Hardwood or Softwood

The grouping of timber species under ‘hardwood’ or ‘softwood’ should be considered to be general classifications. Softwood is a term used to describe timber sourced from coniferous or needle-leaved trees and hardwood from deciduous and evergreen broad-leaved trees. The terminology cannot be relied upon to describe accurately the durability of the timber and there are notable exceptions such as balsa wood which is one of the lightest, least dense woods but also falls within the category of a hardwood. As a general rule, however, hardwoods tend to be more dense than softwoods and are, therefore, sturdier and more weather resistant.

At Parsons Joinery we predominantly use four species of timber for our joinery.

European oak, a hardwood, is one of the most durable timbers for exterior use. Oak can be treated with oil with UV filters to preserve its blond appearance or can be left untreated and will gradually fade leaving it silver gray. It is one of the most expensive hardwoods and should not be painted.

Utile and sapele are commonly used tropical hardwoods, suitable for exterior use and are a cheaper alternative to European oak. They have a reddish colour and can be stained, varnished or painted. We use utile or sapele for door and window cills when the rest of the joinery is manufactured in softwood as the cill requires more durability than the vertical components in a window or door.

Iroko is a tropical hardwood, suitable for exterior joinery, is a cheaper alternative to European oak and is often used as a substitute for oak because it has a lighter more yellow hue than utile and sapele. Iroko is often used for unpainted door cills.

Redwood is the preferred softwood choice for exterior joinery and this is brush coated with preservative prior to the paint finish to prolong the life of the joinery.

What is Accoya?

Accoya is one of the latest high technology advances in timber. The accoya process takes sustainably sourced, fast growing softwoods and treats these in a non toxic process that ‘enables nature’ to create a durable and stable product with good environmental credentials. Accoya boards consist of sections of timber laminated together to provide a more stable product which is less wasteful.

Our Customers say...

CASEMENT WINDOWS IN A BUILDING CONVERSION -

The quality of the finish is far in excess of our expectations and the fitting process could not have been smoother.

Mr. Michael Heap, Hartfield, East Sussex
HARDWOOD GATES - March 2011 -

Once again, it was a pleasure to have your staff at our house and we are delighted with the end result.

Mr. Jim Tame, Hove, East Sussex
REPLACEMENT WINDOWS -

Thanks again - the new windows look great, and are perfectly in keeping with the age of the building. I would have no hesitation in recommending Parsons in the future - in fact, I already have!

Mr. James Fulforth, Buxted, Sussex
CUSTOM-MADE OAK CUPBOARD DOORS -

I would like to express my thanks to Phil, Luke and Jake for the excellent work they have completed here and to Trevor for his detailed plans before the job started.

Mr. Jim Tame, Hove, East Sussex
TIMBER ROOFLIGHT -

I appreciated the time you took with me on the occasion I visited your shop and feel that the service you provided was very professional.

Mr. Tony Wilks, Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire
BESPOKE WINDOW USING ORIGINAL GLASS -

We were very pleased with the efficiency of your staff, especially with regard to the tricky job of successfully removing the 76 year old stained glass windowpanes....

Mrs. Averil Garritt, Two Chimneys, Lewes, Sussex - December 2011
OAK LEADED LIGHT CASEMENT WINDOWS -

We would like to praise the excellent work carried out at Heart's Delight by Phil and Jake. Their work was first rate and they carried it out expertly and tidily, we are very grateful.

Mr. and Mrs. Green, Kent
FITTED WARDROBES -

Thank you so much for the wonderful design and manufacture of this furniture. I was also very impressed with the installers who worked so hard and were so respectful of our home.

Mrs. E. Wadee, Tunbridge Wells
CUSTOM MADE DOORS TO MATCH PERIOD FEATURES -

I am extremely pleased with the workmanship and quality of my doors and have had many compliments from friends and neighbours. Thank you for doing such a great job.

Mrs. Arlene Toth, Eastbourne, Sussex
WOODEN CURVED FRONT DOOR AND FRAME -

The goods are built to an excellent standard, the dialogue during the design and construction was most helpful and your fitters provided a very high standard of workmanship.

Mr. Graham Reeve, Kenley, Surrey
REPLACEMENT TRADITIONAL SLIDING SASH WINDOWS IN A VICTORIAN VILLA -

We are very pleased with the windows which look terrific and the quality is great. Your installers were helpful and productive.

Mr. and Mrs. Sparey, Hastings, Sussex