Thickness: 4/4 – 10/4
Grades: Superior, Cabinet, Jacket Board, Custom Shop, Jacket Board, Standard
Frame, #2 Shop, #3 Shop
Other Common Names: Red Alder, Western Red Alder, Western Alder
General Description: Red Alder is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes on exposure to air to light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees of advanced age and there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. The wood is fairly straight grained with a uniform texture and can be finished to resemble more expensive fine-grained species such as Cherry, Maple, or Birch.
Distribution: West coast, principally the Pacific Northwest, where it is the most common commercial hardwood.
Common Uses: Furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, interior moldings, turning, carving and kitchen utensils. Widely used by furniture industries around the world, its color makes it an ideal substitute for cherry.