Hem-Fir
Also known as hemlock fir, hem fir · Botanical Tsuga heterophylla, Abies spp.
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 Hem-Fir
Hem-Fir is a soft timber that works easily but bruises and dents in service, with a Janka hardness of 500 lbf (2,224 N) and a density of about 0.45 g/cm³. It grows in North America.
Note: This is an engineered or treated product. The hardness shown reflects the base species; actual values vary with treatment grade and batch. Use as a guide, not a tested specification.
At 4.4% radial and 7.6% tangential the T/R ratio is 1.73 — 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: 7.6% tangential against 4.4% radial, a T/R ratio of 1.73. Flatsawn boards will cup; quartersawn stock is worth the premium here. — wide boards need real expansion room, not a token gap.
At 450 kg/m³ a cubic metre of Hem-Fir weighs about 450 kg air-dry — that figure, the 7.6% tangential and 4.4% radial movement and the 500 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select Hem-Fir in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.
Working properties
How Hem-Fir behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA) and American Softwoods species data.
Durability & use classification
Hem-Fir is rated slightly durable (EN 350 Class 4) — not an untreated exterior timber. Its saving grace is that it pressure-treats easily, which is what makes it usable for decks and outdoor amenities. The key thing to understand: no Hem-Fir tree exists anywhere — the name is a commercial species combination of Western Hemlock plus the true firs (Noble, California Red, Grand, Pacific Silver and White fir), grouped because their structural performance is interchangeable, so any given board could be any of them.
Typical applications & suitability
Indoor Outdoor — A general-purpose framing group that covers most jobs, with strength properties slightly below Douglas Fir-Larch, and second only to Douglas fir in Western production volume. Outdoors, specify it treated.
Documented end-uses: structural framing and engineered systems, wall studs, floor joists and rafters, trusses, high-quality case goods, doors, louvres, windows, mouldings and millwork, exposed ceilings, furniture, flooring, panelling and shelving, and laminated products.
Comparable species
Species closest to Hem-Fir by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.
Trade alternatives. Its stablemates are Western Hemlock (its main constituent) and SPF; Douglas Fir is the stronger step up, and Southern Yellow Pine the denser, more treatable alternative.
Alternatives to Hem-Fir
Hem-Fir measures 500 lbf Janka at 0.45 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 4, movement rated Good. Hem-Fir 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 Hem-Fir 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.
Hem-Fir is EN 350 Class 4, 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 Hem-Fir 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 Hem-Fir
Chosen for how Hem-Fir 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 Hem-Fir
unverified no published source for this figure · grade commercial grading-group design property · calc derived from the figures above