What are the pros and cons of Hemlock wood?
It looks great rough sawn. Hemlock is very strong, has a long grain and is a renewable resource. It is resistant to rotting and it is also much less expensive than douglas fir for timber frame homes. However, it does have one character flaw: certain stands of hemlock can have a defect called shake.
Which is better cedar or hemlock wood?
Both Hemlock and Cedar are durable, sturdy, and lightweight. Hemlock is more expensive than Cedar, but Cedar is more durable. Hemlock looks better due to its attractive color, but it’s more prone to decay and insect issues. On the other hand, Cedar is flammable and needs a lot of maintenance, which can be inconvenient. Which Wood Is Better for DIY?
How much does hemlock cost per square foot?
The price of hemlock is a fraction of the $15-$16 per square foot for reclaimed lumber, he said. Hemlock boards planed on one side with a shiplap edge is one of Parker Lumber’s most popular products.
Where can I find Hemlock wood?
Vast logging operations on the Pacific Northwest coast keep hemlock widely available in the West and Midwest. On the East Coast, even availability of local hemlock is spotty. If you need them, thick boards up to 14" wide is available. And hemlock costs less than Ponderosa or white pine.
What does it mean when hemlock is hard?
What color is eastern hemlock?
How does weather affect wood?
Is hemlock a good material?
Is hemlock wood stronger than pine?
Is hemlock a wood?
Is hemlock good for subflooring?
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Is hemlock more expensive than pine?
Pine is the not as strong as fir or hemlock. Pine has more knots, but it's more affordable that hemlock or fir. Pine has the advantage of aesthetics if you like rustic lumber for paneling, cabinets or furniture.
How much does hemlock wood cost?
Hemlock | Fir | W. Pine | White OakSize (Full Width)HemlockDouglas Fir4 x 4 6 x 6 8 x 8 10 x 10 12 x 12$2.75 / LF $5.99 / LF $9.99 / LF N/A N/A$7.50 / LF $15.00 / LF $30.00 / LF $40.00 / LF $60.00 / LF2 more rows
Is hemlock wood durable?
While not the most durable type of lumber out there, hemlock does have a bit of natural strength to it and can resist wear and tear quite nicely.
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.
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.
How much is a hemlock log worth?
Standing hemlock timber usually sells for around $5-$10 a ton, which translates to around $10-$20 a tree.
Does hemlock need to be stained?
Hemlock is used for many construction and craft projects, from flooring to furniture. Hemlock sands well and accepts wood stain, but as a softwood, it requires special care to ward off blotchiness and grain reversal.
How can you tell if wood is hemlock?
Best Characteristics for Identification: Growth rings which are often wavy. Distinct growth rings. Lack of resin canals. Uses: Construction lumber, pulp, uses where high strength is important such as docks.
What is the longest lasting wood?
Teak. Teak is the king of durable, outdoor woods. It's extremely rot resistant, reasonably dense and straight-grained, will not warp or crack over time, and has an attractive appearance. Teak is chiefly associated with boatbuilding.
Is hemlock wood water resistant?
Uses of Hemlock Lumber Many are now using it for furniture making and flooring. This is due to its stability and water resistant properties.
How long does it take to season a hemlock firewood?
How Long To Season Hemlock Wood? One of the quickest drying firewood out there, hemlock only takes 7 – 12 months to season depending on when in the time of the year you cut it.
What's hemlock good for?
Despite serious safety concerns, hemlock leaves, root, and seeds are used to make medicine. It is used for breathing problems including bronchitis, whooping cough, and asthma; and for painful conditions including teething in children, swollen and painful joints, and cramps. Hemlock is also used for anxiety and mania.
Is hemlock considered hardwood?
Hemlock is used primarily as a construction timber, and is in good supply. Expect prices to be moderate for a domestic softwood. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is reported by the IUCN as being near threatened.
Is hemlock good to burn?
Hemlock makes a great firewood for campfires because it burns hot, it smells good and it crackles and pops, giving you the ideal campfire experience.
Is Rough Cut lumber cheaper?
Rough cut lumber is known to be cheaper than treated lumber. However, it is quite a bit more to haul and deliver because it is heavier than treated lumber. But if you are picking the lumber up yourself, it will almost always be cheaper.
Is hemlock a 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.
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.
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.
How does weather affect wood?
Weathers to a Pleasing Color. Over time, exposure to the elements will change the color of the wood. As it ages, it will dry out, fade in the sun, and be exposed to wind and rain. All of this affects how it will eventually look.
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 a wood?
Hemlock is a softwood common in North America. It was used primarily for its bark, which was extracted for tannin, but these days its use in construction is becoming more and more widespread. The rest of this article will look at the pros and cons of choosing to build with hemlock and what kind of projects it is best suited for.
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.
How much does hemlock cost?
The price of hemlock is a fraction of the $15-$16 per square foot for reclaimed lumber, he said. Hemlock boards planed on one side with a shiplap edge is one of Parker Lumber’s most popular products. It can be used as flooring, siding or sheathing.
Where is Parker hemlock sold?
Most of Parker’s dimensional hemlock is sold through distributors to out-of-state markets , notably New York City. I asked Brian Parker about New York’s preference for hemlock and he was unsure, other than saying “it’s a tradition.”. “The New York market is shrinking. It used to be very, very large.
What is eastern hemlock?
He said eastern hemlock is considered interchangeable with “hem-fir,” a catch-all lumber designation for western hemlock and douglas fir.
Can hemlock be used in home framing?
As Watts is encouraging, hemlock can be used in home framing, although in parts of Maine that requires a little hoop jumping. Many of the larger municipalities in Maine require framing lumber to carry a grade stamp certifying its strength if it is used in non-agricultural buildings.
Where is Parker Lumber?
Parker Lumber in Bradford produces 10 million board feet of lumber annually and 80-85 percent of it is hemlock, according to owner Brian Parker. Parker couldn’t say if demand has increased because the mill has been running full bore for a while. “We saw hemlock year round,” said Parker. “We’re at capacity.
Is hemlock green or rough sawn?
Most hemlock is sold rough-sawn and green, given that it is predominantly used in farm buildings. This is perfectly acceptable in drafty out buildings, because installed green, hemlock will dry in place, which counteracts its tendency to twist as it dries.
Do sawmills in Maine grade hemlock?
Sawmills in Maine typically do not grade stamp hemlock. An alternative to a grade stamp is to hire a lumber grader or to ask the local code enforcement to allow its use. Watts said asking a grader, such as her, for a grade inspection is a small add-on for most builders, who routinely use engineers on an as-needed basis.
Where does hemlock lumber come from?
And then the eastern hemlock's West Coast cousin provided the raw material. Today hemlock lumber from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia (where the species represents 60 percent of the mature coastal forest) feeds home construction and millwork manufacturers.
How much does hemlock weigh?
The wood of western hemlock weighs more (about 29 pounds per cubic foot, dry) than that of its eastern relative. Western hemlock also is harder, stronger, straighter-grained, and resin-free. You can work hemlock easily with hand or power tools. In crosscutting, however, expect some tearout.
What is hemlock bark?
Hemlock. The softwood that toughens up with age. During the last century the bark of hemlock was sometimes worth more than the wood. The leather-tanning and fur-processing industries demanded hemlock bark for its high tannic acid content. Hides and skins infused with a tannic-acid solution become soft and strong.
What color is the bark of a hemlock tree?
The bark of both hemlock species appears cinnamon-red to brown in color and has broad, deep ridges. Seed-bearing brown cones sprout at the ends of branch shoots.
How big is a hemlock tree?
Trees 100 years old can be 150' tall with a 24" diameter.
Where does Eastern Hemlock grow?
The Japanese word means "yew-leaved," referring to its short, flat, and contrary to legend, non-poisonous needles. Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) plants its roots from Canada south to Georgia and west across the Great Lakes states to Minnesota.
Where is hemlock found?
Vast logging operations on the Pacific Northwest coast keep hemlock widely available in the West and Midwest. On the East Coast, even availability of local hemlock is spotty.
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.
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.
How does weather affect wood?
Weathers to a Pleasing Color. Over time, exposure to the elements will change the color of the wood. As it ages, it will dry out, fade in the sun, and be exposed to wind and rain. All of this affects how it will eventually look.
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 a wood?
Hemlock is a softwood common in North America. It was used primarily for its bark, which was extracted for tannin, but these days its use in construction is becoming more and more widespread. The rest of this article will look at the pros and cons of choosing to build with hemlock and what kind of projects it is best suited for.
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.
Reasons to Use Hemlock
Cons of Using Hemlock
- Keep in mind that hemlock will not be the perfect material for everything you are seeking to achieve. It’s up for you to decide if the pros outweigh the cons. Read on for some qualities that may make you think twice about using it in your project. One slightly notorious feature of hemlock wood is that it is quite prone to splintering. The splinters themselves are quite hard and small, m…
Final Thoughts
- Hemlock is most certainly a good building material. It performs well in framings, sidings, sub-floorings, or roofing, or you can use it for sheds and saunas, moldings and trimmings, and floors and stairs. Whatever wood you choose will influence your building’s life and longevity, so you know you should choose wisely! As long as you take its strengt...
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