Sitka Spruce: Furniture grade timbers with superior strength for large structural applications

The mature Alaska Sitka Spruce trees in the southeast Alaska forest average nearly 160 feet high and 5 feet in diameter, but trees with heights of 200 feet and diameters of up to 8 feet are common. Sitka Spruce has many characteristics that make it an excellent choice for many building applications. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is extremely resilient, with excellent shock absorbing qualities. It holds fasteners securely and has the ability to withstand sharp impacts and suddenly applied loads.

  • High strength-to-weight ratio with little tendency to split or splinter

  • Even grained and soft textured

  • Light silvery color blended with creamy white and honeycomb hues

  • Perfect for drying via a radio frequency vacuum kiln

 

These fine attributes make it the #1 sought after wood for light aircraft construction and other specialized applications such as masts, spars, wind tunnel propellers, and fine cabinets The wood is easily worked and has little tendency to split or splinter. It is considered even grained and soft textured. It is also easy to kiln dry, and shrinks and swells moderately. Aesthetically, the heartwood of the Sitka Spruce is a very light silvery color, almost white, which blends gradually into a very creamy sapwood. When planed, the surface of the wood has a beautiful silky sheen that is well suited for interior paneling, ceiling decking, trim, and soffit.

Alaska Sitka Spruce is the ideal species for manufacturing large, appearance grade, structural timbers. Because the timbers are cut from large, straight grained logs, they generally remain straight as they season, especially if dried in the Radio Frequency Vacuum “RFV” kilns (please refer to the Custom Milling section for more information on RFV Kiln drying.).

 

Unique and contemporary clear vertical grain soffit, ceiling decking, and paneling

Arc can produce RFV kiln dried timbers as large as 42″ x 42″ and up to 50 feet long. These timbers are available in the highest grades. The largest timbers provided by Arc have been in the Alaska Sitka Spruce beams. These timbers have been remanufactured into exquisite truss packages and have been called “furniture-grade” timbers by builders and architects.