Is Alder A Hardwood Or Softwood

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Is alder a hardwood or softwood.

Alnus alder is a north american hardwood usually found in the pacific northwest generally between california and alaska. Lighter than some of its wood counterparts this hardwood member of the birch family has been used to make gorgeous renditions of everything from guitars to dining room tables. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. On a hardness scale alder ranks just above pine and poplar.

Although classified as a hardwood alder is one of the softest of all hardwoods and is more commonly referred to as a semi hardwood. Homeowners who want to pick the best wood for their wooden furniture are often confused when it comes to alder wood as they wonder if alder is a hardwood. Alder is a common wood used in cabinet making. It can be a great option for cabinets too but there are several factors to consider before making a decision about.

Alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density that has low bending strength shock resistance and stiffness. While there are many species of alder throughout the world the most commonly used in woodworking today is the red alder in the flooring industry hardwood harvested in north america is referred to as domestic which is less expensive than the imported. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a. If you re in the market for new cabinets there s a good chance you ve heard about alder wood.