Western Hemlock
Also known as Pacific hemlock, Alaska pine · Botanical Tsuga heterophylla
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 Western Hemlock
Western Hemlock is a soft timber that works easily but bruises and dents in service, with a Janka hardness of 540 lbf (2,402 N) and a density of about 0.45 g/cm³. It grows in North America.
At 4.2% radial and 7.8% tangential the T/R ratio is 1.86 — 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: 7.8% tangential against 4.2% radial, a T/R ratio of 1.86. 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 Western Hemlock weighs about 450 kg air-dry — that figure, the 7.8% tangential and 4.2% radial movement and the 540 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select Western Hemlock in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.
Working properties
How Western Hemlock behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory and North-American forestry references.
Durability & use classification
Western Hemlock is rated slightly durable (EN 350 Class 4) — exterior use needs treatment. On treatability, sources genuinely disagree: the USDA FPL records it as resistant to preservative treatment, while softwood-industry guides rate it moderately easy to treat and Hem-Fir is marketed as easily pressure-treated. Expect variation and confirm with your supplier. One reassuring quirk: the dark streaks common in hemlock lumber are caused by hemlock bark maggots and do not reduce strength.
Typical applications & suitability
Indoor Outdoor — Good strength-to-weight and excellent, even machining, in a very pale wood. It is the principal constituent of the Hem-Fir group and is usually shipped under that designation rather than by its own name.
Documented end-uses: roof decking, laminating stock, mouldings and architectural trim, general construction, doors and windows, joinery, flooring, veneer and plywood, and newsprint.
Comparable species
Species closest to Western Hemlock by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.
Trade alternatives. It is normally sold within Hem-Fir; alternatives are SPF, Douglas Fir (stronger) and Scots Pine (more treatable).
Alternatives to Western Hemlock
Western Hemlock measures 540 lbf Janka at 0.45 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 4, movement rated Good. Western Hemlock 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 Western Hemlock 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.
Western Hemlock 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 Western Hemlock 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 Western Hemlock
Chosen for how Western Hemlock is actually specified — its density, movement and durability class feed straight in. Full set in the tool index.
Understand the figures
Strength properties — MOR, MOE and what they govern · Durability & fire — EN 350 classes and E84 ratings · Thermal conductivity — k-value and insulation behaviour · ThermoWood species guide — Thermo-D/Thermo-S treatment classes.
Further reading. What is ThermoWood? · Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.
Common questions about Western Hemlock
unverified no published source for this figure · FPL USDA FPL Wood Handbook GTR-190 · WD The Wood Database (Eric Meier) · calc derived from the figures above