ALDER

General Characteristics: Alder is concentrated in and cut from the Western faces of the Cascade Mountains in the states of Washington and Oregon. Alder is light reddish brown in color with a very fine or even texture. It is relatively light in weight in comparison to most hardwoods. The grain pattern is very similar to Cherry and Soft Maple.

Typical Applications: Alder has grown in popularity for kitchen cabinet construction due to the upper grade's resemblance to the more expensive Cherry and the lower grade's ability to offer that "rustic" appearance. Alder is also used in many millwork applications including the construction of stile & rail doors.

ASH

General Characteristics: Ash is typically sorted and purchased to be "white" in color and medium in texture. This lumber is known for its stability and is less prone to the twist and cup that is prevalent in may other hardwood species. The wild open grain can provide a very attractive and unique appearance when finished. Natural or Brown Ash is also available. It is sometimes referred to as Cabinet Ash. The grain is very similar to that of all Ash lumber, but the color is definitely a light brown to tan.

Typical Applications: Ash is a very popular choice in the South for cabinetry and moulding. It is also purchased and utilized quite extensively in the furniture industry. Select cuts and sorts of 8/4 Ash are utilized in the construction of guitars as body stock.

BASSWOOD

General Characteristics: Basswood is botanically a hardwood; however, it is very light in weight and roughly half the density of Oak. It is known for its work ability and is often used in place of or in conjunction with Hard & Soft Maple and Birch due to its creamy white appearance.

Typical Applications: Basswood is very desirable among carvers and turners. It is used extensively in the production of moulding and in the construction of cabinetry. Basswood is also a very popular choice in the interior shutter industry for both paint and stain grade applications.

BEECH

General Characteristics: Beech is sawn and distributed domestically as well as being imported and distributed as what is known as "European Steamed Beech". Domestic Beech is relatively dense with a light grain pattern and is creamy white to blonde in color. The domestic variety is sawn and graded on NHLA standards and is a suitable substitute for Maple and Birch. The imported variety is marketed with the same rules and standards as Alder. "European Steamed Beech" is a little more blonde to reddish in color in comparison to the domestic product and is often sold as a substitute for Alder.

Typical Applications: Beech takes a finish very well and promotes a resistance to wear. Due to these characteristics, it widely utilized in the cabinet and furniture industries. Beech is also a nice choice in the manufacture of moulding due to its machining abilities.

BIRCH

General Characteristics: Birch is a relatively dense wood with a closed tight grain. This makes for a very stable and strong material offering; however, difficulty in machining sometimes becomes an issue. The majority of Birch that is yielded from cuts is light tan to light yellowish brown in color and is commonly known as "Yellow Birch". However, mill sorts are also completed to yield "White Birch" (sapwood) and "Red Birch" (heartwood). Southern Birch is also cut to yield a product that has a fair amount of mineral fleck throughout the board. Birch trees are not large in size, therefore long lengths and wide widths are not readily available.

Typical Applications: Birch is predominately sawn and utilized in the manufacture of veneers for the plywood industry. Birch lumber is also used in the manufacture of furniture and cabinetry.

CEDAR, Aromatic Red

General Characteristics: Cedar is typically knotty and red in color with the sapwood being pale tan to white. Aromatic Cedar lumber averages 5 inches in width and 8 feet length. It produces and odor that is extremely offensive to moths, but very pleasing to humans.

Typical Applications: Aromatic Cedar is almost exclusively used in the construction of cedar chests and the lining of closets.

CHERRY

General Characteristics: The finest Cherry is grown and sawn in the Northeastern portion of the United States. Cherry is very easy to machine and finishes very nicely. It has a tight, slightly swirling but unassuming grain. The more desirable heartwood is reddish brown in color while the sapwood has a light yellow shade. Cherry is also offered as a steamed product. The steaming process minimizes the distinction between heartwood and sapwood.

Typical Applications: Cherry has long been a leading choice among the cabinet and furniture industries. It is also a popular choice among designers for wall paneling, flooring, and retail fixtures.

CYPRESS, Sinker

General Characteristics: Sinker Cypress is cut from logs that been cut at some point in time and have sank to the bottom of rivers and lakes. These logs are recovered from under the water usually after the sapwood has rotted away leaving only the heartwood. The heartwood is reddish-brown in color and resists the elements very well.

Typical Applications: Sinker Cypress is an excellent choice for exterior applications such as bevel siding. Its natural color bears a striking resemblance to Teak.

CYPRESS, Yellow

General Characteristics: Yellow Cypress is more readily available in comparison to Sinker Cypress although it does not carry all the same characteristics of the Sinker. Yellow Cypress is light tan in color and sometimes carries an orange cast. It machines and finishes very well.

Typical Applications: Yellow Cypress is often used outdoors as well as indoors. It is typically used in the manufacturing of paneling, furniture, and fencing.

FIR, Douglas

General Characteristics: Douglas Fir is North America's most plentiful softwood species. It is among the strongest and hardest softwood species. Fir is unique among all softwood species in that it is naturally dimensionally stable, having the ability to season well in position. Douglas Fir possesses a light rosy color that is set off by its remarkably straight and handsome grain pattern. The color will darken or "redden" over time when exposed to light. The tough fiber makes it difficult to work with hand tools. However, it responds very well to sharp power tools and machines to an exceptionally smooth, glossy surface.

Typical Applications: Douglas Fir is utilized extensively in the millwork industry with the manufacture of doors, windows, and moulding. It is also a choice among designers for cabinets and furniture. Douglas Fir is a top choice for structural and decorative beams.

HICKORY

General Characteristics: Hickory is considered to be one of the most dense of all commonly utilized hardwoods. Hickory is known for its relatively closed grain and reddish brown to light tan color. There is usually no distinction made between Hickory and Pecan when they are being cut and graded. They are considered interchangeable.

Typical Applications: Hickory and Pecan are both used quite extensively in the manufacturing of flooring. Hickory has grown in popularity as a choice in cabinetry and furniture. Hickory is also an excellent choice in the manufacture of drum sticks.

MAPLE, Hard

General Characteristics: Hard Maple is a very popular and widely utilized hardwood. It is very dense and is generally pale tan in color. Hard Maple is typically sorted at the saw mills and sold in 3 distinct categories. #1 & #2 white is sorted and sold for a premium due to its uniform white appearance. Unselected is just as it is stated and will have a mixture of the darker heartwood and the whiter sapwood within the same board. Brown or paint grade is the byproduct of these sorts and is used in paint grade or dark stain applications.

Typical Applications: Hard Maple has a wide variety of common uses. Among them are flooring, cutting surfaces, fixtures, and furniture. The floors of basketball courts and bowling alleys are typically constructed from Hard Maple flooring.

MAPLE, Soft

General Characteristics: Soft Maple possesses many of the same general characteristics as Hard Maple. However, it is not nearly as dense or strong. Soft Maple is medium in density with a fine texture and close grain. It has excellent machining and finishing properties. A great deal of Soft Maple is cut and sorted to yield a product that is 80% white one face. However, the product is also sorted to yield a 100% white one face that is offered at a premium price. The heartwood varies from pale to reddish gray and the sapwood is white to off white.

Typical Applications: Soft Maple is predominately used in the construction of cabinetry and in the manufacture of a wide variety of moulding profiles for both paint and stain applications. Soft Maple is also utilized in the furniture and fixture industries.

OAK, Red

General Characteristics: Red Oak is one of the better known and most widely used species of wood in the United States. The color, cost, and perceived quality of the wood is often dictated by what region it is sawn from. The most common regions in descending order are Northern, Appalachian, and Southern. The farther North the Oak is sawn; the more consistent in color the product is. Red Oak is very hard; however, it machines, stains, and finishes quite well. The open grain of Red Oak often does not require filling as part of the finishing process. Red Oak varies in color from light pink to light red.

Typical Applications: Red Oak has a wide variety of applications. It has been a top choice in the cabinet and furniture industries for years. Red Oak is used extensively for flooring and moulding as well. It is also a very popular choice in the construction of interior and exterior doors and windows.

OAK, White

General Characteristics: White Oak is the more desirable choice in the Oak family. It is more dense than Red Oak and possesses a more even texture. Therefore, White Oak is easier to work and finish in comparison to Red Oak. Due to the abundance of tyloses in the pores of White Oak, it can be used in certain exterior applications. White Oak can be very light gray to very light tan in color.

Typical Applications: White Oak is a favorite choice for architectural millwork. It is also used extensively in the furniture and flooring industry. Because of its durability with exposure to the elements, White Oak is often used for truck and trailer beds.

PECAN

General Characteristics: There is generally no distinction made between Pecan and Hickory when the two are sawn and graded and later distributed. Pecan is a medium density hardwood with a closed grain that possesses a nice appearance in both clear and stain finishes. It is light tan to reddish brown in color.

Typical Applications: Pecan has grown in popularity as a choice in the hardwood flooring industry. It has also long been a choice for fine furniture and cabinetry.

PINE, Eastern White

General Characteristics: Eastern White Pine is very soft in texture, light weight, and light in color. It is pale yellow to a light cream in color. It machines and glues very well. D Select contains a minimal amount of small knots. Furniture Grade contains a great deal of large but tight knots and is the grade of choice where "knotty pine" is requested.

Typical Applications: Eastern White Pine is used for cabinetry and millwork. It is also utilized by woodworks as pattern lumber.

PINE, Ponderosa

General Characteristics: Ponderosa Pine is a very stable wood and machines extremely well. It is light weight with a straight grain and even texture. The heartwood is brown to light tan with a white sapwood.

Typical Applications: Ponderosa Pine is used extensively in the millwork industry in the manufacture of wood windows and doors. It is also a very popular choice for moulding.

PINE, Radiata

General Characteristics: Radiata Pine is a softwood tree, however, it is harder (denser) than several hardwood species. The tree is native to the United States. However, Radiata Pine is now more widely known to be an import wood versus being sawn and distributed domestically. There are large plantations in New Zealand, Chile, Austria, and Spain. Radiata Pine is often sold blanked and finger jointed.

Typical Applications: Radiata Pine is used extensively for mouldings, shelving, and interior trim boards. It paints very well.

PINE, Southern Yellow

General Characteristics: Southern Yellow Pine is a collective term that encompasses several species that grow throughout the South. There is no real separation or distinction of the species when they are sawn and marketed as lumber. The only real separation is the distinction between Long Leaf Yellow Pine and Short Leaf Yellow Pine. Yellow Pine is usually very coarse textured with highly pronounced growth rings. It is typically brownish yellow in color and can sometimes have an almost orange tint. Yellow Pine is most often soft and relatively easy to work. However, depending on where it is gown, it can sometimes be as dense as Oak.

Typical Applications: Yellow Pine is used in a very wide variety of applications. Obviously, the bulk of the production is used structurally in the building industry. However, yellow pine is often run into tongue and groove flooring, beaded ceiling, and bevel siding profiles. The uses of yellow pine are almost endless.

POPLAR, Yellow

General Characteristics: Yellow Poplar is probably considered the most valued of all the hardwood species because of the abundance of supply and versatility. It is reasonably stable and machines and glues quite well. Poplar has a light to dark green heartwood with a creamy sapwood.

Typical Applications: Yellow Poplar has a multitude of uses. It is used extensively as a both a paint and stain grade moulding. Cabinet door manufacturers utilize Poplar in many paint grade applications.

WALNUT

General Characteristics: Walnut has been a popular choice among woodworkers for many years. It machines and glues very well and is extremely stable. The majority of Walnut that is distributed has been steamed. This process blends the heartwood and sapwood in an effort to provide more uniformity in the color of the entire board. The heartwood is brown to black and the sapwood is basically white. Walnut is one of the few woods that actually lighten (instead of darken) with age.

Typical Applications: Walnut is used extensively in the manufacture of fine furniture and cabinetry. It is also a favorite choice for gun stocks.