Which trees are used for which products?
Wood quality varies with tree species and with the conditions where the tree grows. Certain qualities make one species better for a product than another. Here are some examples.
- Western Red Cedar
- Rot resistant, durable & light weight: house siding, outdoor furniture, decking, fencing, roofing shakes. Low relative density makes it a good thermal insulator so it is used in saunas. The low density long wood fibres are light and strong and perfect for making disposable medical lab coats.
- Yellow Cedar
- Yellow colour, straight grain, rot resistant: used in boat building and carving.
- Lodgepole Pine
- Hard stiff wood: lumber, plywood, panelling, doors, windows, furniture, railway ties, fence posts.
- Hemlock
- Even grain, resists scraping: doors, windows, staircases, ladders, construction, pulp: specialized uses include wood turnings, broom handles, pallets, rails.
- Douglas Fir
- Exceptionally hard, stiff and durable: heavy duty construction - wharves, trestles, bridges, commercial buildings.
References
Tree Book
Canadian Forest Service
A Discussion of Wood Quality Attributes
Les Jozsa and G. Middleton - Forintek Canada