Uses for Spruce Lumber
Spruce trees belong to the Picea genus and the Pinaceae family. About 40 species of spruces exist, all native to the Northern Hemisphere. As pine trees, they belong to the softwood group, and have considerable economic value, with their lumber finding a variety of uses among manufacturers, builders and craftsmen. Does this Spark an idea?
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Construction
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Contractors have found many uses for spruce lumber in the construction and home building industries. Spruce posses a straight grain which gives it strength, making it an excellent lumber for structural applications, such as framing for houses. Certain types of spruce, such as white spruce, also makes a good material for flooring or roof sheathing. Spruce lumber that is free of knots and other defects is used for interior trim around doorways, cornices and windows.
Airplane and Boat
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Aircraft designers have used spruce as a material for airplanes since before World War I. The combination of strength and lightness make certain types of spruce, such as the sitka spruce, well suited to the needs of aircraft manufacturers. Even with the advent of other building materials, spruce remains an important part of the industry, whether used as primary building material or to make components. The buoyancy of spruce also makes it a favorite material of boat builders.
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Musical
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Spruce makes an excellent tonewood, a wood used in crafting musical instruments. The strong acoustic qualities of old growth spruce, trees that have lived for hundreds of years, appeal to guitar, violin and piano makers. Craftsmen typically use spruce for the top of violins and guitars, as the tops of these instruments require a light, resonant wood. Different types of spruce woods create different sounds, based on their specific grain patterns, stiffness and density.
Christmas
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The Norway spruce, a European native now widely planted in the United States, and the Blue spruce, or Colorado blue spruce, a North American native, have both found wide acceptance in the Christmas tree market. The blue spruce has a pyramidal growth habit, while the Norway spruce possesses a triangular form. The blue spruce retains its needles better than the Norway spruce. Gardeners and landscapers also grow both trees as landscape ornamentals.
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References
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