Wood grain refers to the orientation of wood fibers in relation to the main axis of a tree trunk and determines the surface condition of wood. It is one of the characteristics of each wood species that can help you make your choice based on the aesthetics and specific use you want to give it. There are about eight types of wood grain, each with its own distinct characteristics.
The different sizes of wood grain
- Very fine grain, generally specific to fruit trees such as walnut or cherry
- Fine grain, such as birch grain
- Medium-fine grain, which corresponds to chestnut grain
- Coarse grain, like the grain of oak or ash.
The different types of wood grain and their characteristics
- Straight grain is recognized by its fibers parallel to the main axis of a tree trunk
- Cross grain is recognizable by crossings not parallel to the tree trunk
- Spiral grain forms twists that are oriented in the same direction
- Diagonal grain is not a natural grain, but the visual result of a flat cut of spiral-grained wood
- Irregular grain is, as its name suggests, a grain with contorted and irregular movements
- Interlocked grain forms spirals that intersect to the left then to the right, alternating direction each year
- Wavy grain is characterized by wave-like shapes that undulate regularly
- Curly wood grain can undulate, form loops and irregular shapes.
An aesthetic wood grain<
All these different types of wood grain have their own authenticity, their own charm, and are more or less unique depending on the tree they come from. Temperature variations, soil, and the region in which it is found are factors that make each wood, like its grain, patterns, and color, unique, despite belonging to a specific wood species. It is then thanks to extensive knowledge of wood and meticulous cuts made by wood professionals that the beauty of the wood grain can be brought out and a certain depth created.
Other characteristics of wood<
To choose a piece of furniture or a wooden floor, the wood grain is one of the determining elements to choose, but this noble material also has other great characteristics such as:
- First, its species, that is to say, the variety or species of the tree that determines whether it is a softwood like cedar, fir, pine, spruce, or a hardwood like the vast majority of exotic woods.
- Its texture, which varies according to the size of the wood pores but also according to the width and quantity of vessels. Wood with wide rays is considered rough, while wood with narrow vessels has a rather fine and smooth texture.
- Its growth rings and figures, which are patterns created on the surface of the wood as it grows, depending on its grain, but also during cutting.
- Its odor, which, depending on the wood species, can be slight or very pronounced, even though many woods lose their odor when dried.
To choose the type of grain you need based on its utility, whether for furniture, flooring, or stairs, depending on the work to be done on it and according to your decoration, don’t hesitate to ask wood professionals!
