Looking for a characterful, pronounced pattern, or an understated, sleek and subtle design? Let’s break down wood grains, exploring different types and some fine examples you might want to try for your next project.
Wood grain refers to the arrangement of a wood’s fibres resulting from the growth of a tree. When the tree is cut, these fibres reveal a visual pattern of relatively darker and lighter wood, commonly known as the grain or — more accurately — the ‘figure’. Wood grain also affects the texture of a piece of sawn timber.
The appearance of a piece of sawn wood is affected by the size, arrangement and type of these fibres. Different ways of sawing can reveal different grain patterns — the most common method is quarter sawing, when a log is cut into even boards that form parallel plains.
Because of the way in which wood grows, each piece of timber has its own unique grain pattern. No two are the same! With over 60,000 types of tree in the world, there are an incredible array of different grains, figures and textures.
Hardwoods contain a special type of longitudinal cell called vessel cells — when cut, these reveal pores. Softwoods, on the other hand, do not have vessels or pores. This structural difference is why hardwoods often can have a stronger, more pronounced grain pattern — these pores have a big effect on the appearance of some sawn wood.
However, not all hardwoods are the same, of course — some have many pores which vary wildly in size; others have smaller, consistently-sized and more evenly-distributed pores. Let’s take a closer look.
Woodworkers, architects and wood technologists often use a number of terms when describing wood grains. Perhaps the most common distinction between hardwood grains is ‘open’ and ‘closed’.
Hardwoods that contain large pores are said to have an open grain (or a coarse grain, also known as ‘ring-porous’ trees). An open grain is typical of trees that grow faster during spring and slower in summer, causing variety in their cell composition and arrangement. As a result, these timbers often have stronger, more pronounced grain patterns.
Popular open-grained woods include species of oak and ash. Patterns in these woods can create a natural, homely or even rustic feel. Open grained woods can have a straight or irregular grain.
Other types of open-grained woods can be used to achieve a daring, bold design, such as Zebrano, an exotic hardwood. Its unusual grain results in wild streaks that vary from cream to dark chocolate — always certain to capture the eye.
Depending on what grade of wood is chosen, these natural characteristics — such as knots — can become more abundant. These woods can effortlessly achieve a very characterful look. Before finishing, these timbers are often filled in with a grain filler to achieve a flat surface.
Wood grain refers to the lines that naturally appear in lumber. They are a byproduct of the sawing pattern used when the mill first cut the boards of a piece of wood in relation to the angle of the existing growth rings. Since growth varies from tree species to species and from year to year, the rings appear consistent but unique like a finger print. Wood grain is important for more reasons that simply aesthetic purposes. If a board has been cut so as to show a tremendous amount of grain, then that will affect how that board dries and absorbs finishing stains.
To control the grain of boards, saw mills pay special attention to the direction in which a log is cut. The most common method for cutting is the quarter sawing, which will cut a log into even boards that form parallel plains. The lines of the grain will appear to run consistently along the length of the board. Flat sawing is the other most popular method for cutting logs into usable shapes of lumber, but the grain patterns it produces are considered unappealing. Therefore, flat sawed lumber is used for internal construction. Finishing wood and veneers are often created using sawing methods like rift or radial because these allow for greater control over the grain direction, which increases the beauty of the finished wood project.