A question we get asked a lot here at UK Stair Parts is the difference between hardwood and softwood for use in staircases, in both newbuild staircases and for replacement staircase parts. Firstly, it’s great to understand the difference between hardwood and softwood, before looking at their uses and suitability in more detail.

Whilst hardwood comes from deciduous trees, such as Oak Trees – softwood is grown from evergreen trees, such as Pine. The main difference here is that deciduous trees lose their leaves during the winter months, whilst evergreen trees keep their leaves all year round.

One of the biggest differences between hardwood and softwood, is price. Hardwood is more expensive because it takes longer to grow, and can only grow in certain conditions and environments – whilst softwood can be grown quicker in a range of environments.

Softwood is an excellent alternative to hardwood for stair parts, with both pine and hemlock being some of our best selling softwood stair parts. Pine is a particularly popular choice of timber for stair parts, because it is so easy to work with, including easy to sand and finish. Hemlock is another popular option, mainly because it is so tough and resistant to the high stress wear and tear a staircase faces.

You can view our full range of softwood stair parts above, and as always – get in touch if you have any questions about the collection.