Hemlock Wood
Hemlock lumber is produced from trees in the genus Tsuga.
Hemlock wood. Very consistent little variation in color. Western hemlock is one of the best pulp woods for paper and paperboard products. This high-quality lumber has an even tone and appearance suitable for use in woodworking projects.
It is resistant to rotting and it is also much less expensive than douglas fir for timber frame homes. Western Hemlock is used as construction lumber and is commonly grouped together with other species of fir and hemlock and sold under the more generic label HEM-FIR. It can behave like a hardwood in many applications.
Hemlock is usually found as plain and quarter-sawn lumber and as rotary or quarter sliced veneer. Certain species of timber will contain a small percentage of sap and knots in line with international grading. HEMLOCK The wood of eastern hemlock is moderately light in weight moderately hard coarse grained uneven in texture and inclined to splinter when machined.
This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices but is reported by the IUCN as being near threatened. Hemlock is a great economical wood for country homes and barns. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
The poison hemlock is best known for being the plant that killed the famous philosopher Socrates. The leather-tanning and fur-processing industries demanded hemlock bark for its high tannic acid content. Outside of the commercial world Hemlock is available in various appearance grades.
Although moderately low in bending strength and shock resistance eastern hemlock can be used in construction for light framing sheathing subflooring and roofing. Hemlock is a very stable wood. In agro-forestry western hemlock is used to help reduce stream bank erosion and increase biodiversity.