Species guide

American red elm

Latin name

Ulmus rubra

Other Common names

Slippery elm, brown elm

Distribution

The Eastern to Mid-West USA.

General Description

Red elm has a greyish white to light brown narrow sapwood, with heartwood that is reddish brown to dark brown in colour. The grain can be straight, but is often interlocked. The wood has a coarse texture. (American grey elm is now only available in very limited volume.)

Working Properties

The wood of red elm is fairly easy to work, it nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded, stained and polished to a good finish. It dries well with minimum degrade and little movement in performance.

Physical Properties

Elm is moderately heavy, hard and stiff with excellent bending and shock resistance. It is difficult to split because of its interlocked grain.

Durability

Rated as non-resistant to heartwood decay, and classed as permeable to preservatives.

Availability

USA:
Limited in both lumber and veneer
as supply is threatened by Dutch
elm disease, but more available in
the south.

Export:
Limited.

Main Uses

Furniture, cabinet making, flooring, internal joinery, panelling and coffins.

Grading

Bird pecks are a natural characteristic in all the elm species and are not considered a defect. Purchase orders should specify red or grey elm.

Technical statistics

Specific Gravity (12% M.C.):	0.53
Average Weight (12% M.C.):	593 kg/m3
Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.):	11%
Modulus of Elasticity:	10,274 MPa
Hardness:	3825 N