I HAVE STIPPED THE PAINT OFF THE WOODWORK AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD IT IS. HOW DO I TELL?

Anyone trying to answer your question is absolutely only guessing. One can make comments about one species or trait of a particular type, but you can't get a good answer to your question as you posed it. Chances are the wood is from a few various types if it was used in the construction of your come. If you're talking about a piece of furniture, the type or species will broaden even more considerably. And if it's a foreign made piece, even moreso.


I've worked with wood for 35 years, and there are literally thousands of different types globally. If necessary, you could locate a book or search the web for a site that graphically details different types. I have such a book, and even then it's difficult for the more exotic species. You could ask a local handyman to come take a look - (s)he could give you a good guess, and it if a more common type of wood, i.e., cherry mahogony, walnut (s)he could probably tell you that much.


Good luck





added: p.s. wood isn't labeled soft or hard by their density, although it works most of the time - rather it depends upon whether the tree keeps it's leaves through out the year!I HAVE STIPPED THE PAINT OFF THE WOODWORK AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD IT IS. HOW DO I TELL?
It is very likely some variation of pine...or if hardwood it would be oak. You can tell Oak by a very distinct grain. Take a fingernail in some out of the way place and push in slightly. If it goes in easily it is probably pine (fir).I HAVE STIPPED THE PAINT OFF THE WOODWORK AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD IT IS. HOW DO I TELL?
Woodwork??? No don't tell me I can guess





From What cabinets, desk, piano, molding?
Cut off a small section. Light the section on fire. If it burns yellow then it's a hardwood. If it burns orange, then it's not.





Cut off another small section - Soak it in alcohol. If the grain turns green. It's pine. If not, then it's Oak.





Repeat if needed.





-J
Search Garrett Wade on the net. I believe you can purchase samples of wood there. Why not take a piece of the wood to a woodworker and get his advice?
Read what Stretch wrote and you have your how to find out taken care of. I've done this for 27 years and any answer here would be by-guess, by-golly. Someone who knows wood needs to look at it.
when was the house built? Prior to the 60's most stuff was oak then they went to pine, You may have to remove a piece. Press the back with something, does it leave a mark or is it rock solid.


Also you might look at the sample chart in the hardware store near the stains. They have small strips of wood showing how the stain reacts.
What kind of grain does it have? Is the wood itself have any color? If very light, probably pine. If it is close grain, probably a hard wood. Try sampling a stain on a small piece of it. If the color comes up dark , quickly, then it is a soft wood. If you need to apply several coats to reach the darkness you want, then it is probably oak, maybe hemlock.
Recognizing different species of wood is a skill learned by years of woodworking. I don't think I can tell you by description. Oak is grainy (lots of visible grain lines) Ash appears like oak but is lighter color and less weight. Others with a smoother less visible grain are pine, fir,popular,cherry, and basswood. You can determine hard wood vs softwood by digging in your fingernail.