softwood · Picea glauca
White Spruce wood properties
Also known as: canadian spruce, skunk spruce.
| Type | softwood |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Picea glauca |
| Modulus of elasticity (MOE) | 1,315,000 psi |
| Specific gravity | 0.43 |
| Density (approx) | 27 lb/ft³ (2.2 lb per board foot) |
| Janka hardness | 480 lbf |
| Shrinkage (tangential / radial) | 8.2% / 4.7% |
| Movement coefficient (CT / CR) | 0.00274 / 0.00130 |
| Region | Northern North America |
A 1 in x 6 in x 8 ft board of White Spruce weighs about 8.9 lb (roughly 27 lb per cubic foot). Its Janka hardness of 480 lbf is harder than about 14% of the woods in our database.
Uses and working notes
Common uses: construction lumber, millwork, crates, paper pulpwood.
Durability: Ranges from slightly resistant to non-resistant toward decay.
Workability: Easy where knots are absent; glues and finishes well, but staining may blotch.
Use this data
Similar woods
Woods with comparable hardness and density to White Spruce:
How these numbers were sourced
MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). CT 0.00274 (flatsawn) and CR 0.00130 (quartersawn) for Spruce, white from the Hoadley / FPL dimensional change coefficient table reproduced by Popular Woodworking. Uses, region, durability and workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.
Values shown as estimates rather than sourced constants: typicalPricePerBF_usd.
Sources
These calculators are for planning and estimation. Engineering results (shelf sag, wood movement) use published average material properties; real boards vary by grade, grain, moisture and defects. Verify load-bearing designs with a professional.