Alder

SKU: WL-Alder.
Category: .

Alder

Alder is a great choice whether you are looking for a clear, naturally light colored wood, or a knotty, stained wood with a lot of visual variety.  Its’ tight grain and even texture make it useful for cabinets, and even floors, walls and millwork.  Alder’s natural color is light tan to reddish brown.  The grain patterns range from a tight, straight grain to more irregular patterns with knots and other anomalies.  We source our Alder from sustainable forests in the Western United States, where we know the harvester.  We also hand select our lumber to provide the best surfaces for creative interiors.  Alder, when used the properly, can add a lot of character.

Alder wood is one of the softest hardwoods, making it easy to work with and useful for interior construction.  It offers a very even grained wood in light tan, red and brown colors.  The sapwood and heartwood are indistinguishable.  It can look very similar to Birch.  We love Alder with a straight grain and a quartersawn cut, but also with a flat cut to show off the many unique grain patterns found in Alder (knots, pin holes, cracks, worm holes, bird pecks marks, etc.).  Some knots can go through the entire board, and can be left unfilled if you want a rustic look.  Alder can be used for kitchens, bathrooms, interior flooring and walls, trim and millwork, and veneers.  Alder wood is soft and light in weight.  Extra care should be taken as it can dent easily.

We hand select and carefully organize lumber and panels for our concept projects.  Because wood is a product of nature, no two pieces  are alike.  Alder grown in different locations can result in wildly different looks.  Please stop by or order a sample to confirm the look you want.  When the right boards are chosen, and composed in the right way, alder can be one of the most unique woods for interior surfaces.

 

Material

Wood

Wood Type

Alder

Usage

Cabinets, Interior Floor, Interior Wall

Wood Color

Light Brown, Reddish Brown, Yellow/Gold

Wood Finish

Gloss, Matte

Wood Grain

Straight

Wood Hardness

<1,000 lbf

Wood Decay Resistance

Non-Durable, Perishable

bring your HOME to life with unique surfaces:

The finish materials you use for the surfaces around your home can become some of the most important focal points in your home.  Using a carefully selected wood for interior floors, cabinets, and other surfaces can add a unique tactile effect that exudes beauty and luxury.  Take advantage of our carefully curated wood options to bring your home to a new standard.

USES:

Alder wood can be used for cabinets, interior flooring, interior paneling, veneer, and millwork.

Color Range

Alder is light tan to reddish brown, and there is no visible distinction between its sapwood and heartwood.  Like most woods, Alder’s color darkens with age, but it also reddens.  Alder has a stable staining surface.

Alder will exhibit moderate color variation from board to board, so hand selecting the lumber is important.

Grain & Visual Pattern:

Alder has a straight grain.  The visual pattern changes based on the log and cut, but it is generally uniform as the wood has an even, fine texture and the heartwood and sapwood have indistinct boundaries.

Alder can also be found with more dramatic grains.  It is one of the softer hardwoods, so it can be easy to find open and closed knots of various sizes and colors, pin holes, worm holes, worm tracks, small cracks, mineral streaks, bird pecks, and other grain variations.  Patterned Alder can be stained to bring out significant perceived depth of the pattern, as well as luster. Hand selecting Alder boards is extremely important when looking for a rustic effect.

Texture and Finish:

Alder wood has a smooth and even texture, so it’s easy to finish with a light brush or smooth sand.  This also makes it very easy to stain.  Its color and grain can be displayed with a simple matte or gloss finish.  Like most woods, it will darken naturally.

However, due to the many different grain anomalies found with different cuts, choosing the correct Alder boards with the right patterns is very important.

Environmental

Alder is not listed in the CITES Appendices or the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

We source our Alder from trees cultivated in the United States by environmentally responsible harvesters.  We believe that when the building industry sources and manufactures building materials with sustainability in mind, we all live in a healthier world.

Workability:

Alder is very easy to work with, both with our CNC machines, as well as hand tools.  Alder is one of the softest hardwoods, so it can dent easily with some applications.  Alder is easy to stain, glue and finish.

Decay Resistance:

Alder is rated as non-durable to perishable.  Freshly cut logs should quickly be cut into lumber and dried, to prevent decay in the wood or staining.  Once shaped and sealed, it holds up well over time when used indoors.

Performance
TEST
U.S. Measurement
International measurement
Janka Hardness: 590 lbf 2,620 N
Average Dried Weight: 28.0 lb/ft³ 450 kg/m³
Modulus of Rupture: 9,800 lbf/in² 67.6 MPa
Elastic Modulus: 1,380,000 lbf/in² 9.52 GPa
Crushing Strength: 5,820 lbf/in² 40.1 MPa
Density: 30-40 lb/ft³ 480 kg/m³
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.4%; Tangental: 7.3%; Volumetric: 12.6%
83%+ Clear:

We start with Select & Better graded lumber that is at least 83% clear on one side.

Kiln dried:

All of our wood is kiln dried and stored in a protected warehouse.

We store our wood as S4S, which stands for “surfaced on 4 sides.”  The boards have two flat and parallel faces and two flat and parallel edges.  The boards are first surfaced on both faces (S2S) with a planer, and receive a rip on both edges.

BULK Commercial Pricing

Because we have become known for our unique material selection, we do sell wood slabs to third parties.  If you are working on a large project and in need of large amounts or slabs, we can offer great pricing for bulk orders.  We can also finish the wood for your project.  However, our wood is hand selected for superior appearance and performance, so contact us to confirm availability and to receive a quote.

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