Compare Species

Select two species for a detailed comparison.

  • American alder
  • American ash
  • American aspen
  • American basswood
  • American beech
  • American yellow birch
  • American cherry
  • American cottonwood
  • American elm
  • American hackberry
  • American hickory
  • American hard maple
  • American soft maple
  • American red oak
  • American white oak
  • American pecan
  • American sap gum
  • American sassafras
  • American sycamore
  • American tulipwood
  • American walnut
  • American willow
or

American alder

alder_red_big

Forest Distribution

American alder trees grow prolifically in the Pacific Northwest under sustainable management. Alder has a relatively short rotation, taking less time to harvest than most other hardwoods.

Material Availability

  • lder is graded using NHLA Pacific Coast Red Alder Rules published in the “NHLA Rules for the Measurement  and Inspection of Hardwood and Cypress”. The key grading points include grading from the better face rather than poor side as in the Standard NHLA Grading Rules; pin knots are regarded as character and no defect. The primary grades include Superior (Select and Better), Cabinet (No. 1 Common) and Frame (No. 2 Common) that are similar to uses as for the standard NHLA grades.

     
  • Alder from the USA is readily available as kiln dried sawn lumber and often sold under a range of unique grading rules, for grades not listed in the NHLA Rules, consultation with suppliers is recommended.

     
  • Lumber may be sold rough sawn or planed as dimension stock. It has limited availability as veneer.

Wood Description

Alder is almost white when freshly cut, but quickly changes on exposure to air, becoming light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. There is no visible difference between the sap and the heartwood, although heartwood is formed only in older or mature trees. The wood of alder is fairly straight grain, somewhat similar in character to cherry, with uniform texture.

Mechanical Properties

Alder has medium density, but is relatively soft. It has low bending strength, shock resistance, and stiffness. It is easily turned and can be polished and stained to an excellent finish.

  • 0.41

    Specific Gravity (12% M.C.)

    449 kg/m3

    Average Weight (12% M.C.)

    10.10%

    Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.)

    67.571 MPa

    Modulus of Rupture

    9,515 MPa

    Modulus of Elasticity

    40.129 MPa

    Compressive strength (parallel to grain)

    2,624 N

    Hardness

Oiled / Un-Oiled Appearance

Oiled
alder_red_oiled
Un-oiled
alder_red_unoiled

Performance

  • Alder machines easily and is good for planing, drilling, boring, carving, moulding, nailing, screwing and gluing, making it highly suitable for furniture and joinery.

     
  • The wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay but is permeable to preservative treatment.

Main Uses

  • This prolific hardwood from the Pacific Northwest, with excellent environmental credentials, is used for furniture, kitchen cabinets and interior joinery. It is also used for doors and panelling.

     
  • The grain pattern and colour of alder makes it suitable as a substitute for cherry.
Furniture
Doors
Panelling
Cabinets
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