Walk into any lumberyard and you’ll see dozens of boards with different colors, prices and labels. For a beginner, the choice really comes down to a few questions: will it be indoors or outdoors, does it need to be hard-wearing, will it be painted or shown off, and what’s your budget? Answer those and the right wood usually picks itself.
This guide covers the woods you’re most likely to find at a home center or local lumberyard in North America, plus the sheet goods that make big projects affordable.
Softwood vs. hardwood
The names are about botany, not strength. Softwoods come from conifers such as pine, fir and cedar. Hardwoods come from broad-leaved trees such as oak, maple and walnut. Most softwoods are softer, but not all: balsa is a hardwood, and some pines are harder than poplar.
- Softwoods are cheaper, widely available as construction lumber, light and easy to cut and screw. They dent more easily.
- Hardwoods are usually denser, more durable and more attractive when finished, but cost more and can be harder on tools.
Common softwoods
- Pine. The beginner’s best friend: cheap, light and easy to work. Choose “select” or “clear” boards for furniture, since knots in common boards can loosen or bleed through paint. Pine can look blotchy under stain, so use a pre-stain conditioner.
- SPF and Douglas fir. Spruce-pine-fir and fir are the framing lumber sold as 2×4s and 2×6s. They’re ideal for workbenches, shop furniture and shed frames, but often wet and prone to twisting, so let them acclimate in your shop for a week or two.
- Cedar. Western red cedar is light, smells wonderful and resists rot and insects naturally, which makes it a favorite for planters, fences, outdoor furniture and siding. It’s soft and dents easily.
Common hardwoods
- Poplar. Inexpensive, smooth and stable. It’s the best choice for painted furniture and drawer parts, though its green streaks don’t suit clear finishes.
- Red oak. Strong, widely available and affordable, with a bold open grain. Great for tables, shelves and frames.
- White oak. Similar to red oak but tighter-pored and more water-resistant, which is why it’s used for outdoor furniture and boats.
- Hard maple. Very hard and pale, with a fine grain. It’s the classic choice for cutting boards, workbench tops and anything that takes a beating.
- Cherry. Easy to work, with a fine grain that darkens to a rich reddish brown with age and light.
- Walnut. Dark, beautiful and pleasant to work. It’s more expensive, so many woodworkers save it for small pieces and accents.
- Ash. Tough and shock-resistant with a grain similar to oak. Traditionally used for tool handles.
Hardness and uses compared
The Janka hardness test measures the force needed to press a small steel ball halfway into the wood. Higher numbers mean harder wood that resists dents but may be harder to cut and nail.
| Wood | Janka (lbf, approx.) | Workability | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western red cedar | 350 | Very easy | Planters, outdoor furniture, siding |
| Eastern white pine | 380 | Very easy | Shelves, painted furniture, practice |
| Poplar | 540 | Easy | Painted furniture, drawers, trim |
| Douglas fir | 620 | Easy | Workbenches, framing, shop projects |
| Cherry | 950 | Easy | Fine furniture, boxes |
| Walnut | 1,010 | Easy | Furniture, accents, cutting boards |
| Red oak | 1,220 | Moderate | Tables, shelves, frames |
| Ash | 1,320 | Moderate | Chairs, handles, tables |
| White oak | 1,350 | Moderate | Outdoor furniture, tables |
| Hard maple | 1,450 | Harder | Cutting boards, bench tops |
Janka values are typical figures as listed by The Wood Database. Individual boards vary.
Plywood, MDF and other sheet goods
- Plywood is made of thin layers glued with the grain crossing, so it’s strong and stable in every direction. Hardwood plywood (such as birch or oak veneer) is used for cabinets and furniture; construction plywood for sheds and shop projects. Faces are graded, often A to D, with A the cleanest.
- MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is flat, smooth and cheap, perfect for painted cabinet doors and jigs. It’s heavy, doesn’t like water and makes very fine dust, so always wear a mask when cutting it.
- OSB (oriented strand board) is the budget sheathing for shed walls, roofs and floors.
Watch the thickness. Plywood sold as ¾" is often closer to 23/32". If a plan has dadoes or grooves sized for ¾", measure your sheet and adjust.
Wood for outdoor projects
Outdoors, wood faces sun, rain and insects. Choose one of these, and finish it well:
- Naturally durable species: cedar, redwood and white oak resist decay better than most.
- Pressure-treated lumber: pine treated with preservatives, rated either for above-ground use or ground contact. Use ground-contact lumber for anything touching soil, such as shed skids or posts. Wear gloves and a mask when cutting it, never burn the offcuts, and don’t use it for cutting boards or anything that touches food.
- Fasteners: use screws and nails rated for treated lumber and outdoor use, such as hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel.
Planning an outdoor build? Our shed planning guide covers foundations and siding in more detail.
How to buy lumber
- Bring your cut list. Know how many pieces of each size you need. Our plan-reading guide explains nominal vs. actual sizes.
- Sight down every board. Look for bow, twist, cup and crook, and skip boards with large knots near the ends or splits.
- Check moisture. Kiln-dried lumber is more stable. Framing lumber may still be wet; let it dry and acclimate before building furniture.
- Know the units. Construction lumber is sold by the piece. Hardwood at a lumberyard is often sold by the board foot: 1 board foot is 12" × 12" × 1" thick.
- Buy 10–15% extra for defects and mistakes.
Wood movement: the beginner’s blind spot
Wood swells and shrinks with humidity, mostly across the grain and very little along it. A wide tabletop can change width noticeably between a humid summer and a dry winter. That’s why good plans attach tops with slotted holes or clips, leave panels free to float in their frames, and never glue a solid board across the grain of another. Respect movement and your projects won’t crack or warp.
How each wood takes a finish
The same finish can look very different on different woods. Test on a scrap from the same board before you finish a project:
- Pine and other softwoods absorb stain unevenly and can look blotchy. Use a pre-stain conditioner or a gel stain, or skip stain and use a clear oil or paint.
- Poplar takes paint beautifully and is the classic choice for painted furniture.
- Oak has open pores that soak up stain and give a strong grain pattern. A grain filler gives a smoother, glassier surface if you want one.
- Maple and cherry can blotch under dark stains. Clear finishes or dyes usually look better, and cherry darkens on its own over time.
- Walnut rarely needs stain. An oil finish brings out its color.
- Cedar outdoors turns silver-gray if left unfinished. An exterior oil or stain with UV protection keeps its color longer.
Want ready-made plans with cut lists? TedsWoodworking says its library holds 16,000 plans (the vendor’s count), sold for US$67 one-time when we checked on Nov 15, 2026, with a 60-day refund. Read our honest review first, or see the plans on the vendor’s site.
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Which wood should you start with?
For your first few projects, use pine or poplar indoors and cedar outdoors. They’re forgiving, affordable and easy to find. Move to oak or maple when you build something that needs to last for decades, and save walnut and cherry for pieces you want to show off. Our beginner projects suggest a wood for each build, and our joints guide explains how to put the boards together.
Keep reading
10 easy woodworking projects for beginners
Weekend-sized builds that teach one skill at a time.
How to build a shed: a beginner’s planning guide
Permits, foundations, framing and a materials checklist.
Woodworking joints for beginners: 9 joints explained
Butt to dovetail, with diagrams and the tools for each.