Why aspen (poplar ) are not used to make 2X4, 2X6....(in Canada)

[roger 4400]

    Hi all. I want to buy a mill to give more value to my timber ( over here many industrial mills are closed ,,,,no way to sell our trees and if they buy it they do not pay...I live 30 miles north of Montreal and there is NO MILL that will buy soft wood in 150 miles up north, all closed...) I,m wondering why in Canada ( I live in Quebec) poplar or aspen is not use to do structural wood , 2X4, 2X6, we only use spruce, balsam and gray pine. Often I red that you (in U.S.A) use hemlock, aspen, and other species????? Or may those trees are milled for your own needs. I would use aspen for my own building purposes ,but is it fair to sell those ??? Almost all aspen are used for chipping (aspenite panels) some for pallet wood.
    Have a good day.                                   Roger

[tyb525]

I've heard of poplar being used.

[Don P]

It is listed with strength design values in the NDS, our authority on wood for construction.  You would likely need grading overseen by NLGA if you sold it for structural use.

[gdingee]

I have used Poplar to make boards which i have used on some small storage buildings I've built.


Also sawed some into 2*6 for the floor stringers of the buildings. they worked okay.

[Bow Saw]

Our experience with aspen is that it warps or the boards twist when dried.  Therefore don't use it on a project that you want to be proud of.  ;)
We have some planks on hand that my husband sawed when he had a band mill.  He has used some to make moldings & that seems to be okay so far.  But other aspen cut after the sell of the sawmill went to the wood chipping factory for making sheets of particle board.  I hope you have a similar solution to market your aspen in your area.
Mrs. Bow Saw

[Rick Alger]

I can't answer the poplar question, but I thought you might want to know that Lauzon Enterprises in E. Hereford Que. is paying $340 (US) for spruce/fir logs.

[roger 4400]

      Thank you all for your answers. I also red that aspen was wrapping a lot but you confirmed the information. Mills overhere are very slow.........Louisianna pacific chipping mill just re-opened a few weeks ago, before no one was buying aspen. And worst a few months ago no one was buying soft wood ( balsam, spruce...) from Montreal and 200 mille up north......it is why I want to buy my own mill and give more value to my wood.     Have a nice day                                      Roger.

[Corley5]

Build with it green fresh off the mill before it has a chance to dry and warp and use lots of ring shank or ardox nails.  My house is built from big tooth aspen and the new addition will be largely big tooth also 

[sharp edge]

Built my 5.750 x 5.750 board for Jeff out of yellow popel. I like the way it holes paint, also use it for sofits. They look just like new 35 years later.

SE

[Samuel]

There are a few mills operating in northern Alberta that saw poplar/aspen for multi-dimensional lumber and then utilize the hog fuel for making pellets for wood stoves.  Honestly I prefer to see aspen and poplar going through a Peterson Pacific 5000 G and sprayed into the back of a super b super volume trailer en route to our facility for pulp.  But that's just me! ;D

Chipping Operations Video: http://www.dmi.ca/about_dmi/dmi_in_alberta/prpd/co_overview_video/chipping_operations.html

[blaze83]

HI Roger,

framed my shop with aspen....2 stories 2300 sq ft. it does warp and twist some and the stuff with shake in it is useless. I cut my 2X6's for my first floor walls at 1 3/4 X 6 1/2, let them air dry for the summer then put them back on the mill and sized them to a true 5 1/2. did the same with the 2X8 joists and 2X4 truss materials.  the sub floor is all aspen also, cut at 4/4 and the planed on 1 side to 15/16. the building is now dried in and seems to be stable. the only thing i didn't use aspen for was the beams....used white oak for those.

[WAP Man]

Popple makes the best flooring in a horse stall. Sawn out 3 inches thick it'll last quite a while even when the horse is shod with ice shoes. Surprisingly hard wood when sawn out .

[roger 4400]

Thanks to everyone. I might try to use some for a futur project....a mill ..and tell you all about it. Best season greetings.  Roger