Hardwood or softwood?

Most construction lumber is made out of softwood. Fir, pine, wood from trees that don’t lose their leaves. It’s plentiful, fast growing, cheap, and easy to work with. But it’s relatively soft and weak.

Hardwood is from deciduous trees: walnut, oak, maple, etc. These trees take a lot longer to grow, and the wood they produce is expensive, and it’s harder to work with. But it’s the beautiful material they make family heirlooms out of.

When selecting the materials to make up your business or next project, you can choose cheap and fast. And often that’s the right course of action. But understand just like using softwood, you may be sacrificing longevity, durability, and polish in the process.

Or consider the alternative, to slow down, think things through, and grow consistently. It’s not necessarily the easiest path, but it may be the ticket to building something that lasts for the long haul.