The large tree usually has a straight, cylindrical trunk and grows to a height of about 30 m (up to 55 m), with a large diameter of about 60 cm (up to 1,5 m). I believe as far as strength goes, it must be at least strong enough to support a house if it is able to be used as framing lumber. I've heard the science behind it, but something about spruce wood carries sound waves differently than other woods. Institute, Jessica is passionate about drama and film. Common uses The typical end-uses for spruce wood are for structural end uses, indoors and outdoors, thus it is the most important building and construction timber in Europe. Affordable: The spruce wood is available in market at low rates due to this reason the spruce wood is one of the popular material which is used for making the furniture. @Izzy78 - Actually, given it's very light size, spruce is very strong. @Emilski - I've also heard the reasoning behind spruce lumber being good for instruments, but I don't remember either. I know for a fact it grows very well in Alaska and Canada, because I lived there for a couple of years, and it was everywhere. Besides guitars, the famous Stradivarius string instruments also included spruce wood. Picea abiesOther names: Whitewood, Norway spruce. Interesting. The material is stamped SPF, which stands for Spruce, Pine, Fir- I guess because they are similar enough to one another for structural uses. about a wide range of topics in her role as a wiseGEEK writer. The sitka spruce tree in particularly is noted for airplane use, thanks to its fine grain, light weight, and wide availability. It is also used for decorative plywood, decorative veneer, domestic flooring, factory flooring, general carpentry, interior construction, joinery (external). Spruce lumber is frequently used for house construction. A lot of wood strength just depends on the width of the tree rings. Strong, straight trunks and tiers of dense branches make these trees a beautiful addition. Most spruce lumber is light in color, with a even and fine grain to the wood. Spruce wood offers an even texture that makes it appealing as a building material. A strong and relatively light wood, spruce lumber has many uses in a variety of industries. Given what the article says, I am willing to guess that a lot of the Native American tribes in that area use boats that have been carved out of spruce logs. I know it is an evergreen, so it would probably be in the north, I would guess. Is there any certain kind of spruce that is normally sold in on the market? A tonewood, in general, is any wood that is used to make a musical instrument. Spruce wood is used for many purposes, ranging from general construction work and crates to highly specialised uses in wooden aircraft, and as a tonewood in … All I really know is what the article mentioned that it was a popular wood for airplanes before they were made of steel. The Wright brothers' first aircraft, the Flyer, was built of spruce. It's also a lightweight wood, which makes it versatile for low-stress app… It is also used for decorative plywood, decorative veneer, domestic flooring, factory flooring, general carpentry, interior construction, joinery (external). Woods Used in Aircraft Construction There are four woods which are regularly used for aircraft construction. I was a demonstration once where a spruce board was just as strong as a piece of pine lumber. Spruce wood is used for many purposes, ranging from general construction work and crates to highly specialised uses in wooden aircraft. Spruce is either sold by the mill or shipped to lumber suppliers for public sale. Here in Canada we commonly use spruce as stud framing material in houses and other wood building construction. The individual strips of lumber that are used for lattice typically measure 0.25 inches x 1.5 inches, come in various lengths, and are pressure-treated so that the wood will last a long time. A spruce is technically any tree that falls within the genus Picea. Generally, spruce logs arrive at a lumber factory or mill just after felling, and … Most commercial lumber is refined by machine, using a variety of high powered saws and shapers to create uniform boards. Spruce is useful as a building wood, commonly referred to by several different names including North American timber, SPF (spruce, pine, fir) and whitewood (the collective name for spruce wood). These trees are often used as building lumber. Still, though, spruce isn't nearly as strong as something like oak lumber of another hardwood. Softwood is wood harvested from conifers, typically: spruce, pine, cedar, and such. These types of lumber are also frequently used for house construction as interior timbers, but are generally not placed in areas that would expose them directly to the elements. Common types of spruce used for indoor furnishings include Eastern spruce, red spruce, black spruce, and Engelmann spruce. But the wood from the trees also serves as an important raw material for building supplies and in the paper industry. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. @Izzy78 - I think I might be able to answer a couple of your questions. What is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. It is important to note that very few varieties are good for outdoor use at all, since many types of spruce does not stand up well to weathering and is subject to a relatively fast decay. Spruce wood is also known as red spruce. I don't recall ever seeing it being sold anywhere, but I might not have noticed it. Generally, spruce logs arrive at a lumber factory or mill just after felling, and still retain their original shape.