European Larch
Larix decidua
Also known as common larch · Botanical Larix decidua
Revision history
- — Data re-verified in site-wide audit (formulas, sources, durability classes)
- — Working properties and comparable-species data cross-checked against listed sources
About European Larch
European Larch (Larix decidua) is a soft timber that works easily but bruises and dents in service, with a Janka hardness of 530 lbf (2,357 N) and a density of about 0.55 g/cm³. It grows in Europe.
At 4.2% radial and 8.2% tangential the T/R ratio is 1.95 — typical, and manageable in interior joinery and furniture provided the gaps are designed rather than assumed. Its fibre saturation point is near 28%. Below it, movement is the governing constraint on this species: 8.2% tangential against 4.2% radial, a T/R ratio of 1.95. Flatsawn boards will cup; quartersawn stock is worth the premium here. — wide boards need real expansion room, not a token gap.
At 550 kg/m³ a cubic metre of European Larch weighs about 550 kg air-dry — that figure, the 8.2% tangential and 4.2% radial movement and the 740 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select European Larch in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.
Working properties
How European Larch behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from European timber-protection references and international wood-technology data.
Durability & use classification
Here the honest answer contradicts the folklore. Larch is widely marketed as naturally durable, but European timber-protection references contradict that reputation directly: whatever the trade believes, larch heartwood is only moderately durable (EN 350 Class 3–4), and it is not resistant to house long-horn or common furniture beetle. The heartwood is practically untreatable; only the sapwood takes preservative, and variably. Used untreated for cladding with sapwood excluded, expect roughly 30 years — genuinely useful, but not teak.
Typical applications & suitability
Indoor Outdoor — Tougher than most conifers and among the hardest of them when slow-grown — alpine and Siberian material is denser and straighter-grained. Quality varies considerably and it needs careful selection.
Documented end-uses: external cladding (its most common use) and shakes/shingles, structural work and heavy joinery, decking, flooring and parquet, doors and window frames, staircases, boat and ship building, poles, piling, posts and fencing, furniture and decorative veneer.
Comparable species
Species closest to European Larch by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.
Trade alternatives. Compare Douglas Fir and Scots Pine (treated) structurally; for genuinely durable untreated cladding, Sweet Chestnut, Western Red Cedar, or modified timber such as ThermoWood Siberian Larch.
Alternatives to European Larch
European Larch measures 740 lbf Janka at 0.55 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 3, movement rated Good. European Larch sits mid-range, which gives the widest choice of substitutes — and the widest scope to pick the wrong one on appearance alone. Read the numbers against the Janka scale and EN 350 durability classes.
For domestic flooring, worktops and furniture edges taking regular contact. Harder timber dents less and machines slower — both matter on a quotation.
Lighter and faster to work. Pricing is not shown here: timber cost varies with region, grade, origin, certification and availability, and we hold no verified price data to publish.
The axis that decides whether a wide panel or a door stays flat through a Panipat monsoon and then a 45 °C May. Size the gaps with the shrinkage predictor and EMC calculator.
If European Larch is unavailable and the specification cannot change, these are the nearest substitutes across hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and durability class together — not on any single property. Lower distance means a closer match.
European Larch is EN 350 Class 3, so untreated exterior service is not advisable. These reach Class 1–2 at comparable hardness.
Computed from measured properties only — hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and EN 350 class. Price, availability and appearance are never inputs. Figures are representative values, not consignment absolutes: two species within a few percent are equivalent until verified on the material. Full method and the rules the engine cannot break.
Substitution is a match on durability class, movement and strength — not on colour or grain. Where two candidates are close, compare them directly before specifying.
Compare European Larch side by side
The head-to-heads specifiers most often weigh against it for furniture and interior joinery. Every pairing shows the measured figures side by side; full matrix in the comparison index.
Calculators relevant to European Larch
Chosen for how European Larch is actually specified — its density, movement and durability class feed straight in. Full set in the tool index.
Understand the figures
Wood density reference — oven-dry vs air-dry basis · Moisture content — EMC, FSP and service conditions · Strength properties — MOR, MOE and what they govern · Durability & fire — EN 350 classes and E84 ratings.
Further reading. What is ThermoWood? · Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.
Common questions about European Larch
unverified no published source for this figure · WD The Wood Database (Eric Meier) · calc derived from the figures above · — no published source found