Used in traditional boat construction.

Spruce is the name given to some 40 kinds of trees -- all evergreen and cone bearing and all member soft the pine family. Sitka spruce gets its name from Sitka Island in southeastern Alaska. Sitka spruce thrives in wet conditions.

Sitka spruce is used in musical instruments such as piano soundboards, violins and organ pipes. Spruce offers a uniform texture with no grain irregularities so that all parts of the wood, when vibrating, will respond equally. It is also used widely for interior joinery, building construction, cooperage and boxes. Sitka spruce can be sliced into veneers.

Sitka spruce yields a creamy white, pink-tinged sapwood and a pink-brown heartwood. Most of the wood is straight-grained, although some displays a spiral grain. Some believe that timber from the center of the tree is most likely to yield the spiral grain. Though soft, it is strong, and has a uniform texture and a high affinity for glue and paint. An ideal material for doors. This wood has little tendency to bleed through the finish making it suitable for interior trim and paneling, bungalow siding and furniture. It does not split, warp or crack in the position of hatch covers for vessels. Because it is both light and strong it is excellent for workman's scaffolding, for the best tall ladders and for bleachers.

Very high strength to weight ratio; medium bending and crushing strengths; medium stiffness and resistance to shock loads. Steam bending classification is very good. Sitka spruce is non-durable. Wood is particularly vulnerable to pinhole borer beetles and jewel beetles. For seasoning, the wood dries rapidly but occasional warping, splitting and loosening of knots is a problem. Nails and takes screws easily.