What is a hemlock fir tree?
Hem-Fir is a species combination of Western Hemlock and the true firs ( Noble, California Red , Grand , Pacific Silver and White fir ). With strength properties slightly below Douglas Fir-Larch, this is an extremely versatile species group and useful for multiple, general-purpose framing applications.
Is Hemlock wood the same as tree lumber?
While there’s a lot of confusion between the two, the tree and the plant are actually completely unrelated! Hemlock lumber is a popular choice for a variety of different projects, especially as an alternative for hardwoods in indoor projects like cabinets or furniture pieces.
Is hemlock a good material for framing?
It is an excellent material for building projects, particularly for framing. Hemlock is more resistant to warping or twisting due to weather than pine, so it is a popular choice for trims and moldings. Pine is known as a weak wood, though it has its place.
Which is better Douglas fir or hemlock?
Douglas Fir tends to grow less “limby” than Hemlock, making it a little more valuable as logs. As far as my experience goes, if you get reasonably clean wood (knots or other defects) then it will make little to no difference in your project.
What is the difference between fir and hemlock lumber?
The evergreen foliage of fir trees differs from that of hemlocks. Hemlocks feature a narrow, flat, evergreen needle that tapers at its base to form a tiny stem, attaching to the twigs on what resembles a woody cushion. The needles on a fir tree appear plump or flat in a cross-section view.
Is hemlock fir A strong wood?
Other attributes. Besides the above mentioned, Hem-fir is also solid tough, making it one of the durable lumber species. Its strength gives it a great joist distance span, which is an upside.
What is the difference between Douglas Fir and hemlock fir?
Hemlock is usually smaller than fir, with few exceptions. It can reach 33 to 197 feet in height (50 to 100 on average), while fir can reach height of 32 to 262 feet (100 to 150 on average). Hemlock has narrow, flat needles that are usually only one inch long.
Is hemlock harder than Douglas Fir?
Fir is harder and stronger than pine, spruce or hemlock, and it's less likely to have knots or other blemishes.
Is hemlock better than pine?
It is much stronger and harder than pine. It is used as cribbing (jacking timbers) and in situations requiring high strength. Green hemlock is very heavy but is easily worked with tools. Once dry, hemlock is very difficult to work.
Is hemlock better than cedar?
One reason is that hemlock is prone to splinter. In the construction of a sauna, it's important to use wood that is both pliable and strong. Cedar is reflective of both of these traits and works very well in all aspects of the sauna. Hemlock is better suited for framing use within a building such as a home or a barn.
What is hemlock wood good for?
About three-fourths of the hemlock lumber produced is used for light framing, sheathing, roofing, and subflooring. The remainder of the lumber is used for boxes, crates, and pallets; railroad car construction and repair; general millwork, and sign construction.
Is hemlock a spruce or pine?
Pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock (and several others) are all conifers in the botanical family Pinaceae. Each of these trees are, technically, in the pine family and this may be why many people see an evergreen tree and call it a pine.
How do I know if I have hemlock fir?
If you can roll the needles between your thumb and fingers, the tree is not a hemlock. Hemlock needles are short, flat and blunt-tipped. They can be distinguished from pines and spruces by the two white “racing stripes” on the un- dersides of each needle.
Is hemlock a good wood to build with?
Hemlock is a good building material because it is light and strong. It is widely used for framings and sub-floors, as well as for roofing and sheathing. It can also be used for indoor features like shutters, banisters, and stairs. Hemlock is a softwood common in North America.
What's the strongest 2x4 wood?
Hickory is the hardest, commercially available common wood.
Is hemlock good for outdoor use?
It's popular both for indoor and outdoor projects thanks to its ability to hold paint and glue very well and deter pests because of its natural smells. It is resistant to shrinkage and can have a longer lifespan because it's less prone to splinting or even cracking.
What is hemlock paneling?
« Hemlock Interior Paneling Manufactured for either tongue-and-groove or lapped applications. From these two basic types , we develop a number of paneling profiles by varying the surface design to complement any style or period of architecture or interior design.
Why does hemlock bark have black knots?
Dark streaks are often found in the lumber; these are caused by hemlock bark maggots and generally do not reduce strength. Western hemlock is moderately light in weight and moderate in strength.
Is hemlock the same as Douglas Fir?
Western hemlock is moderately light in weight and moderate in strength. It is moderate in its hardness, stiffness, and shock resistance. It has moderately large shrinkage, about the same as Douglas-fir. Green hemlock lumber contains considerably more water than Douglas-fir, and requires longer kiln drying time.
Does hemlock lumber need a kiln?
Green hemlock lumber contains considerably more water than Douglas-fir, and requires longer kiln drying time. Trees may contain wet wood and/or have ring shake. The wood is intermediate in nail holding ability and has a tendency to split when nailed.
Is hemlock wood stable?
In doors, windows, staircases, louvered cabinets, mouldings, spindles and paneling, hemlock has a reputation for excellence in form and function. The kiln or air-dried wood is very stable with little tendency to cup, check or twist.. It yields clean straight edges and accurate contours to either machine or hand tools.
Is hemlock sapwood or heartwood?
Whether used extensively or in small decorative elements., Hemlock complements virtually any architectural style or design scheme. Get A Free Quote. The heartwood and sapwood of western hemlock are almost white with a purplish tinge. The sapwood, which is sometimes lighter in color, is generally not more than 1 inch thick.
What is hem fir?
Hem fir is one of the most common lumber species used in both residential and industrial purposes, and it is a combination of Western Hemlock and true firs. It is majorly associated with structural framing among other general applications. Just like other lumber species, Hem-fir also has its various attributes, some good some bad, ...
What is the color of hem fir?
Its color ranges between white and light straw color. You might find some hem-fir with a slight lavender cast, which gives it a natural appeal. The lumber is also fine-grained and even textured. It has quite a number of knots, rings, and springs.
Is hem fir a good lumber?
Besides the above mentioned, Hem-fir is also solid tough, making it one of the durable lumber species. Its strength gives it a great joist distance span, which is an upside. Additionally. Hem-fir can be found in quite a number of dimensions, saving you the strength of having to cut the longer ones to get small dimensional lumber or vice Versa.
Is hem fir stronger than Doug fir?
Significantly, Hem-fir is quite strong and its strength is only slightly below that of Doug-fir. 3. Cost. Hem-fir is by far the cheapest lumber species, and this could possibly be one of the reasons for its prevalence. Among all decking boards, Hem-fir is the least expensive especially the untreated version.
Is hem fir good for woodworking?
Lastly, on the uses, hem-fir is a good choice for making doors and millwork, and it can give your interior woodwork a touch of formality.
Is hem fir wood susceptible to water damage?
Unfortunately, Hem-fir is a little bit more susceptible to water and insect damage than its counterparts; the likes of Doug-fir, SYP and SPF. But, this should not be a major issue since the wood can be regularly pressure-treated or merely primed or painted to reduce its vulnerability.
Is hem fir decking expensive?
Among all decking boards, Hem-fir is the least expensive especially the untreated version. However, the downside to this could be high susceptibility to water damage and insect infestation. A better option would be priming or painting it for preservation sakes. 4. Availability.
What is hem fir?
Hem-Fir is a species combination of Western Hemlock and the true firs ( Noble, California Red, Grand, Pacific Silver and White fir ). With strength properties slightly below Douglas Fir-Larch, this is an extremely versatile species group and useful for multiple, general-purpose framing applications. In the structural framing grades, Hem-Fir is capable of meeting the span requirements of many installations.
What is hem-fir framing?
In the structural framing grades, Hem-Fir is capable of meeting the span requirements of many installations. Hem-Fir is often considered by those seeking wood with a very light color as the most desirable of the Western softwoods. It is as light or lighter in color than some of the Western pines but stronger.
Is Western pine stronger than Western pine?
It is as light or lighter in color than some of the Western pines but stronger. Products are available in structural, appearance and remanufacturing grades. It is easily pressure treated with preservatives, making it useful for decks and other outdoor amenities.
Is heartwood a distinct wood?
The heartwood is not distinct. Sometimes small, delicate dark grey or black streaks appear in the wood. Hem-Fir is fine grained and even textured, with a refined appearance. In the clear and nearly clear appearance grades, these products lend formality to wood interiors.
What is Hemlock Wood?
Hemlock is a softwood and a member of the pine family. There are about 10 species of hemlock, with the most popular and commercialized Eastern Hemlock and western hemlock.
Characteristics of Hemlock Wood
There are plenty of reasons to use hemlock wood in your next project, and discussed below are just a few.
The Best Alternative to Hardwood
If your budget is not enough for the high cost of hardwood, you can use hemlock as it has almost similar features.
What are the Downsides of Using Hemlock Wood?
Like every other type of wood, hemlock also has its downside. So do your research before buying or cutting your hemlock tree. So what complaints do people have on hemlock?
5 Facts that Show Hemlock Wood is Good
If you are not sure if hemlock wood is good for anything, here are 5 facts to prove that you can use it to make the following items.
Final Thoughts
Hemlock is a solid softwood and an excellent building material with many pros than cons. It can be used as an alternative to hardwood makes a better choice for people with a low budget. And a bonus to boot, it’s good to look at.
What color is eastern hemlock?
One feature of eastern hemlock that may influence you to opt for it for your siding is that over time, as it weathers, it becomes a pleasing and distinctive brown-red color. This is different from comparable lumber choices such as spruce or fir, which weather to a dull grey.
What does it mean when hemlock is hard?
The strength of hemlock means that when it dries, it is quite hard. This is great for something you don’t want to change or see a shift – it’s sturdy and resilient – but if you are working with aged and dried wood or looking to modify an existing fixture, nailing and sawing can become a challenge.
Is hemlock a good material?
Hemlock is a good building material because it is light and strong. It is widely used for framings and sub-floors, as well as for roofing and sheathing. It can also be used for indoor features like shutters, banisters, and stairs. Hemlock is a softwood common in North America. It was used primarily for its bark, which was extracted for tannin, ...
Is hemlock wood stronger than pine?
Hemlock is more resistant to warping or twisting due to weather than pine, so it is a popular choice for trims and moldings. Pine is known as a weak wood, though it has its place. However, hemlock is far superior when it comes to warping and discoloration from temperature fluctuations.
Is hemlock good for subflooring?
This means it will not last well over time in prolonged damp or fluctuating temperatures, which is one reason it is largely used in subflooring and framing. Keep this in mind when choosing a lumber option for outdoor building projects, and if you do use hemlock outside, make sure to give it preservative treatment.
Is hemlock wood good for laminate?
Good for Lamination. Hemlock wood holds glue very well, which makes it very easy and effective to laminate. It has been used to make laminated beams and edges to great effect. Since it’s porous, glue holds onto hemlock much better than non-porous materials.
Does hemlock wood split?
The strength of hemlock wood varies greatly depending on the quality of the grain. If it has knots in it, it will splinter and split when it is being machined and may not be the most durable option even after it has been milled.
What Is Fir Lumber?
Fir lumber is commonly sold in three different ways in the US, and only one of these is likely to have much true fir in it, although it’s just as possible not to have any.
What Is Pine Lumber?
Pine lumber is sourced from species in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. The genus contains about 120 species, most of which are trees.
How Are Fir And Pine Lumber Different?
Now that we’ve considered what fir and pine are let’s examine the differences between the various types of lumber sold in the trade.
Characteristics Of Douglas-fir Lumber
Douglas-fir is a hard and heavy softwood, with a Janka hardness of 620, and is stiff and strong for its weight, with a modulus of rupture of 12,500 and a modulus of elasticity of 1,765,000. It has excellent dimensional stability. Its average dried weight is 32 pounds per cubic foot.
Characteristics Of Hem-Fir Lumber
Many species of fir have excellent stiffness-to-weight ratios. Grand fir, a representative species of the white fir group, has a Janka hardness of 490, a modulus of rupture of 8,740, and a modulus of elasticity of 1,530,000. Its average dried weight is 28 pounds per cubic foot.
Characteristics Of Southern Yellow Pine Lumber
The primary species in this group (Shortleaf, Longleaf, Slash, and Loblolly Pine) have hard, dense wood. Shortleaf Pine has an average dried weight of 35 pounds per cubic foot and a Janka hardness of 690.
Characteristics Of White Pine Lumber
As a representative of this group, Sugar Pine has an average dried weight of 25 pounds per cubic foot and a Janka hardness of 380.
Where do saw mills pick up logs?
Saw mills pick up a load of logs from the pond or the stack, bring them to the wash, it then goes to the slab saws and from there gets dimensioned. There are some steps in between, but basically, when a log truck comes in it’s unloaded and stacked species by species.
What is Douglas Fir?
Douglas Fir is of the Psudotsuga genus (notice “kinda Hemlock” not “kinda Fir”) It is the second tallest tree in North America and grows along the eastern coast and comprises of most of the Fir lumber in the US.
What is root bark used for?
Root bark is also used to make tea, which in weak infusions is a pleasant beverage, but induces sweating in strong infusions. The leaves can be used to flavor and thicken soups. The mucilaginous pith of the root is used in preparations to soothe eye irritations.
Does spruce have a strong smell?
Spruce has a cedar like smell, not really strong, but noticeable. Fir, whether it’s Douglas or any other type has a reddish hue to it. If it’s Douglas fir, it won’t have many pockets of pitch, but where there are pockets, they will be large and messy. these are just my observations.
Is Douglas Fir more valuable than hemlock?
Douglas Fir tends to grow less “limby” than Hemlock, making it a little more valuable as logs. As far as my experience goes, if you get reasonably clean wood (knots or other defects) then it will make little to no difference in your project. I’ve cut up many trees of each and can tell no real difference in looks.
Use
Physical Properties
- Hem-fir is lightly colored. Its color ranges between white and light straw color. You might find some hem-fir with a slight lavender cast, which gives it a natural appeal. The lumber is also fine-grained and even textured. It has quite a number of knots, rings, and springs. Significantly, Hem-fir is quite strong and its strength is only slightly be...
Cost
- Hem-fir is by far the cheapest lumber species, and this could possibly be one of the reasons for its prevalence. Among all decking boards, Hem-fir is the least expensive especially the untreated version. However, the downside to this could be high susceptibility to water damage and insect infestation. A better option would be priming or painting it for preservation sakes.
Availability
- Hem-fir is readily available, you can easily find it in your local store or lumberyard. In fact major stores like Sherwood Lumberstock it in all its grades, that is, the structural, appearance and remanufacturing grades. Additionally, because of its affordability, most wholesalers and retailers find it easy to stock it.
Susceptibility to Damage
- Unfortunately, Hem-fir is a little bit more susceptible to water and insect damage than its counterparts; the likes of Doug-fir, SYP and SPF. But, this should not be a major issue since the wood can be regularly pressure-treated or merely primed or painted to reduce its vulnerability.
Workability
- Just like other pressure-treated lumber, Hem-fir is quite soft. This makes it easy to work with, and drilling and nailing it can be quite an effortless task. The lumber also glues easily and accepts paint well.
Other Attributes
- Besides the above mentioned, Hem-fir is also solid tough, making it one of the durable lumber species. Its strength gives it a great joist distance span, which is an upside. Additionally. Hem-fir can be found in quite a number of dimensions, saving you the strength of having to cut the longer ones to get small dimensional lumber or vice Versa. These are pretty much the top facts about …