How is Hemlock Wood Used
We saw locally harvested Eastern Hemlock and Pine in our mill. This is rough, unseasoned, untreated green lumber. It is suitable for exterior use as detailed below. Hemlock is used for raised garden beds. As it dries, this lumber will check and will shrink in width. It is unsuitable for interior applications such as furnituremaking.
The most commonly requested dimensions are priced in the above price list. We are able to custom saw to your specifications. Please call or email us for details.
The heartwood of eastern hemlock is pale brown with a reddish hue. The sapwood is not distinctly different in coloration, but may appear lighter. The wood is coarse and uneven in texture. It is considered to be moderately stiff, moderately low in strength, and moderately hard, with a relative hardness rating of 500 when dry, or 400 when green.
Hemlock is widely used for timber framing, general framing, and in the manufacture of boxes, pallets, and crates.
Although the US Forestry Service, as stated above, doesn’t see Eastern Hemlock as a particularly strong or rot resistant, it is the local “go to” wood for a number of uses. 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. Once dry, hemlock is very difficult to work.
Hemlock is locally widely used for raised garden beds, fencing, and barn construction and repair. There is no guarantee as to how long the wood will last in the ground, but in the right conditions, some people report that it lasts 5 to 7 years. There is enough of a price difference between the hemlock and cedar or fir, that it is locally preferred wood for general outdoor and farm use.
The heartwood of Eastern white pine is a light brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge, turning darker on exposure. The sapwood is white, tinged with yellow. It has a uniform texture, is easily worked with tools, shrinks little and is straight grained. It has medium strength values and takes fasteners well. It is light weight, moderately soft, moderately weak, not stiff, and low in shock resistance. It has a relative hardness of 290 when green, and 380 when dry.
Our rough lumber is a mixture of these two species. People often request one or the other, as is their preference.
This lumber is locally grown and sawn, is untreated, and has not been dried. It is also, sometimes, referred to as native rough sawn. General pricing is given below. Use the link for per piece pricing for the most requested dimensions: ROUGH LUMBER PRICELIST