Softwood refers to wood from coniferous or evergreen trees that grow quickly and can be cut easily. They tend to keep their needles throughout the year. Softwoods Lumber is the main type of wood used in construction projects, including house framing. Generally, structural softwood is classified with “two-by…” lumber sizes.

The classification of the wood is misleading because softwood is not necessarily soft. While there are hardwoods that are denser than softwood, many types of softwood are much harder. Softwoods do not have the same structure as hardwoods because they do not require vessels to transport water. The use of softwoods is considered to be environmentally friendly because the trees grow more quickly than hardwood trees.