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). I am not very familiar with spruce wood at all. Common types of spruce used for indoor furnishings include Eastern spruce, red spruce, black spruce, and Engelmann spruce. Spruce is straight-grained with thin and regular texture. The wood is soft, low in weight and has medium density. 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. 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 had never heard of spruce being a good lumber to use for boats. This type of wood is most often used for dimensional lumber, the wood which is used to build structures. I'm guessing it wasn't Sitka, though, since Stradivari was Italian, and I doubt there was a lot of travel to Alaska during the 16- and 1700s. Spruce has a slight tendency to split when nailed. What is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. It is also used for decorative plywood, decorative veneer, domestic flooring, factory flooring, general carpentry, interior construction, joinery (external). Brinell hardness perpendicular to the fibres, Nail withdrawal strength in N per mm depth and mm diameter. I wouldn't have any idea what kind it was, though. Strong, straight trunks and tiers of dense branches make these trees a beautiful addition. The colours range from creamy white to light yellow and to red-brown. The material is stamped SPF, which stands for Spruce, Pine, Fir- I guess because they are similar enough to one another for structural uses. Is there any certain kind of spruce that is normally sold in on the market? Spruce wood is used for many purposes, ranging from general construction work and crates to highly specialised uses in wooden aircraft. It can be used for general construction as well as for more specialized use, such as … Since spruces are found in cold climates, they typically grow very slowly, which means their rings are close together. For furniture, crates, barrels, and musical instruments, some spruce lumber may be ideal. Even though there are many different types of spruce trees, many varieties will appear nearly identical when milled into lumber. 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. These are Sitka spruce, birch, ash and Douglas fir. Spruce wood offers an even texture that makes it appealing as a building material. This genus contains just over three dozen species of coniferous evergreen trees. Ironically, one of the most famous wooden airplanes in history, Howard Hughes' “Spruce Goose” relied heavily on birch wood, having only a few spruce parts. Woodworking is a skill that is easily learned by the novice who usually has a basic knowledge of wood construction and some of the necessary tools. Besides guitars, the famous Stradivarius string instruments also included spruce wood. 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. Natural durability is based on mature heartwood. Spruce wood from Central and Eastern Europe shows exceptional resonance qualities and is used for musical instruments like sound boards of pianos and bellies of violins and guitars. Spruce wood is used for many purposes, ranging from general construction work and crates to highly specialised uses in wooden aircraft. 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. Spruce is noted for having a very high strength-to-weight proportion, making it ideal for situations where the wood required is both lightweight and load-bearing. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing The sitka spruce tree in particularly is noted for airplane use, thanks to its fine grain, light weight, and wide availability. 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). It is perfectly possible to have a box, a piano, and a full-sized boat all made from spruce. 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 … The many uses of the spruce tree make it a versatile option. I'm not a lumber expert, but I believe Sitka spruce is one of the biggest types of spruces and probably has the best lumber, which makes it a popular tree. A lot of wood strength just depends on the width of the tree rings. Most commercial lumber is refined by machine, using a variety of high powered saws and shapers to create uniform boards. Boards may be treated with chemicals to be made more durable or fire-resistant. Modern building code here now requires minimum 2x6 wall to allow greater room for insulation. Sitka spruce is used to build masts and spars, thanks to the tree's durability and natural height. Does anyone have any idea? Picea abiesOther names: Whitewood, Norway spruce. 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). Sapwood must always be considered as non durable against wood destroying agents. A strong and relatively light wood, spruce lumber has many uses in a variety of industries. I don't recall ever seeing it being sold anywhere, but I might not have noticed it. Most spruce lumber is light in color, with a even and fine grain to the wood. A tonewood, in general, is any wood that is used to make a musical instrument. The strength properties are good.Sawing and machining is easy, also assembling. Spruce lumber is made by refining raw spruce logs into more uniform and usable forms. Institute, Jessica is passionate about drama and film. In terms of building strength, is spruce weaker than pine or Douglas-fir since it is lighter? Heartwood is not distinct from sapwood. One of the most interesting uses of spruce lumber is in the building of wooden airplanes. All I really know is what the article mentioned that it was a popular wood for airplanes before they were made of steel. Here in Canada we commonly use spruce as stud framing material in houses and other wood building construction. 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. Spruce lumber is frequently used for house construction. Interesting. My house is built with 2x4 wall studs and 2x10 floor joists. @Izzy78 - Actually, given it's very light size, spruce is very strong. Generally, spruce logs arrive at a lumber factory or mill just after felling, and … 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. But the wood from the trees also serves as an important raw material for building supplies and in the paper industry. Where does spruce even grow? Before Hardi-plank hit the scene, primed spruce was the primary cornice materials. Some lumber mills set premium spruce wood aside specifically for airplane use, since only a small amount of lumber will have the requisite strength to withstand aircraft forces and pressures.