WOOD STRENGTH, HARDNESS, & DENSITY

Not all woods are created equal. Within their material category their strength properties are considerably different.

Tensile Strength indicates a material’s resistance to bending and breaking (higher number equals stronger). Hardness measures a material’s resistance to denting (higher number equals more dent resistance). Density is a materials weight per volume (higher density means heavier wood).

Bar chart titled 'Tensile Strength (kpsi)' displaying tensile strength of various types of wood, including Black Cherry, Black Walnut, Eastern White Pine, Elm, Hickory, Poplar, Red Oak, Sugar (Hard) Maple, White Ash, White Cedar, White Oak, and Yellow Birch. The bars show different tensile strength values, with Hickory having the highest and White Cedar the lowest.
Bar chart titled 'Hardness (HB lbs.)' showing the hardness levels of various types of wood, with the highest for Hickory and the lowest for Eastern White Pine.
Bar graph showing tree species with their associated density measurements in pounds per square foot, including Black Cherry, Black Walnut, Eastern White Pine, Elm, Hickory, Poplar, Red Oak, Sugar (Hard) Maple, White Ash, White Cedar, White Oak, and Yellow Birch.
A table comparing different wood species based on their tensile strength, hardness, and weight.