Is alder a good wood?
Alder has an excellent reputation for machining and is also a desirable wood for turning. Alder can be nailed without splitting or screwed without pre-drilling. It glues well and can be sanded to a smooth finish. Alder is evenly textured, with a subdued grain pattern, and has a moderate weight and hardness.
Where does alder grow?
White alders grow along streamsides or just adjacent to them on the dryer, rocky slopes above. Occupying a wide elevational range, they occur from just above sea level to almost 2400 m (8000 ft), primarily in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
What tree does alder wood come from?
birchAlders are trees comprising the genus Alnus in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species extending into Central America, as well as the northern and southern Andes.
Where is alder wood harvested?
Abundant and sustainable, alder is grown across the Pacific Northwest—with a range that spans from Southeast British Columbia all the way down to Northern California. This all-around adaptable hardwood has many advantages which have led to its spread in popularity among furniture and cabinetry makers worldwide.
Is alder a hardwood or softwood?
hardwoodHow Hard Is Alder Wood? Alderwood is one of the softest woods in the hardwood family, just above pine and poplar. It has a bending strength (in PSI) of 9,800, making it pliable but relatively soft. These properties make it an excellent option for cabinetry, bedding, and other decorative furniture inside the home.
Is birch and alder the same?
Alders and birches are both in the birch family (Betulaceae). You might say they're cousins -- different genera, with alders in the genus Alnus and birches in Betula. They're enough alike to be confusing, especially when they don't have leaves.
Is alder more expensive than maple?
As a hardwood, maple is durable and will stand up well to years of heavy use. It has a dense grain and is usually stained and not painted. It is more difficult to work with than alder and pieces take longer to create, making maple doors both more expensive and valuable.
Which is harder alder or oak?
Oak is harder than Alder. Both Alder and oak are hardwoods. But both red oak and white oak are harder, denser, and stronger than Alder wood.
What is special about alder trees?
The alder is also the only native deciduous tree to have tiny cones. Alder is monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers are found on the same tree. They take the form of catkins that appear in early spring, between February and April, usually before the leaves.
What is another name for alder wood?
Alder Wood Qualities It is interesting to note that this light-brown wood with striking grain patterns came into limelight as a more affordable alternative to cherry wood, and that's exactly how alder wood got its common name “poor man's cherry”.
Which wood is harder pine or alder?
Alder on the other hand is usually very consistent as far as its weight is concerned from piece to piece. The list below is sorted by hardness, softest to lightest....Is this list complete? That's where you come in.Wood SpeciesHardnessPoplar540Red Pine560Alder (Red)590Larch590220 more rows•Jun 30, 2015
How long do alder trees take to grow?
It adapts to the conditions fast and the young trees also develop rapidly, almost growing about one meter or more in a year.
Is alder toxic?
Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, alder in the Alnus genus has been reported to cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Is alder the same as poplar?
Alder and Poplar are similar woods. Without a finish on them, Alder will tend to have a light tan or brownish tint, while poplar typically is whiter with greenish and sometimes even purplish tints to it. I would also characterize poplar's grain as more "even" whereas alder will often have more "specs" or "flecks".
How do I identify an alder tree?
Alder trees are easily identified by their brown hard, cone-like strobiles that dangle from bare brown-purple twigs that have orange markings. You can also spot alder trees by their light gray bark and orange-brown drooping flowers.
How do you identify an alder tree?
How to identify an alder tree. Alder trees are broadly conical in shape, and have dark and fissured bark. Twigs are light brown with orange spots, and young twigs are sticky (as implied by the glutinosa part of alder's botanical name). Leaves grow from purple or grey leaf buds and are fresh green and rounded.