Hemlock what's it good for?

[dad2nine]

Is it good for anything? Ran across about 4500 lbs of nice saw logs, rather unusual to see hemlock growing in NC.

Thanks

[WDH]

Lots and lots of it in the mountains in NC, but that is mostly national forest, and there is little to no logging in those forests anymore.   

[Brad_S.]

It's the lumber of choice for barn siding in these parts.

[Ron Wenrich]

You can also use it as dimensional lumber.  I've sold lots of it for 2x material.  You just have to watch out for shake. 

[thecfarm]

Hemlock is a old timer lumber.Lots of people don't like it now.I made a horse run in a couple winters ago.A very strong lumber that can be abused and will not break apart like some lumber will.Mills very easy.I feel it's a good wood to work with with.I sawed out a lot of board and batten with it.I have alot of it growing on my land.

[HOGFARMER]

As well as being a good general construction lumber around the farm I have been told it holds paint well.

[RSteiner]

Hemlock is a greatly under rated wood these days.  Here in New England back in 1938 there was a big wind that came through , the "hurricane of 38."  Most of the large hemlock that was left standing after the storm had wind damage or what is called "shake."  I think you would be hard pressed to find any hemlock trees today that are left over form that period of time.   Much of that hemlock when into plup over the years.  

As a building material it is good for framing, sheathing, and I have seen some nice furniture pieces made out of hemlock.  Strength wise eastern hemlock has better performance numbers than spruce both red and white and balsam fir.  I have made several buildings using hemlock for framing and siding.  

Hemlock saws out quite well, however as with most species wood that grew on a side hill or had a very shaded side with tend to move when you saw it.  Hemlock dries straight if care is taken when it is piled and stickered.  Hemlock holds a nail well, when working with it green you do have to duck a squirt of water when you drive the nail home.  Dry it is hard and you will not drive a nail through a knot.  There is no pitch in hemlock to make you sticky or bleed through paint.

I was asked to make a cross for a church sanctuary once, I used hemlock.  The way the summer and winter wood took the stain made a contrast that caught your attention.

Randy

[moosehunter]

 I am in the process of sawing 348 Hemlock logs that were given to me. So far I have cut about 50. I had one 16 foot log that had shake through 2 2x6s. So far I am not seeing the shake that everyone is warning me about.

The cfarm said " old timers lumber". So far everyone that is more than 2 days older than me has said when they see my wack-o-Hemlock logs " That's what they used to build barns out of" :D

[KGNC]

I fear I am going to have a lot of Hemlock logs in the next couple of years. I have about 100 trees, some are old growth that are slowing succumbing to the Woolly Adelgid.
They tend to grow in the bottom of the valleys, along the creek banks.

I used some hemlock timbers last year on a shelter project, good sturdy lumber.
Some of the 4x6's had been sawed for a while and had some twist, don't know if that is typical.

[WDH]

Don't all 4x6's twist :.

[Ron Wenrich]

Some twist might indicate you have some spiral grain.  That's where the bark goes around the tree instead of straight. 

I cut 1200 bf for a shed this morning.  Mainly 1x10s, 2x4s, and 4x4s.  There was shake in a few logs.

[Handy Andy]

  Hemlock used to be the lumber you bought at lumberyards.  It is very good and strong. Not as strong as Douglas fir or yellow pine, but  much stronger than spruce.  Stays straight in the frame, doesn't split bad when nailed, all round good stuff.  Used to make my own exterior door jambs from the best boards, actually made handrails for open stairs from it. They used to sell spindles turned from the stuff, so the handrails matched.  Jim

[bull]

We used it to make all our 4 wheel hay wagons, also skidder bridges, barn frames, stall floors, also slabs and flitches make  GREAT BARK MULCH !!!! cant get enough hemlock !!!!!

[Captain]

I love hemlock, small tight knots and very solid wood.  I saw more shake in it growing up in Vermont on hillsides than I do down here in Massachusetts. 

Captain

[LOGDOG]

Hemlock is also the wood of choice for making slats for shade covering on ginseng farms. Ginseng is a big business in northern WI and lots of mills up there were cutting the hemlock logs up for lathes (sp) to serve this market.

LOGDOG