Elm Wood

Elm is a tough, interlocked-grain hardwood known for its excellent strength and resistance to splitting, even in challenging applications. It typically features a light to medium brown color with a distinctive, slightly wavy grain, making it a popular choice for furniture, rustic woodworking, and projects that benefit from both durability and natural character.
Compare (0/5)
4/4 Elm Lumber

4/4 Elm Lumber

From $18.95
$18.95
4/4 Elm LumberPack

4/4 Elm Lumber Pack

$136.50
$136.50
S4S Elm Lumber
Online / Pre-Order

S4S Elm Lumber

From $23.95
$23.95

Elm (Ulmus Americana)

Pricing

Average

Hardness

830

Janka

Distribution

Eastern to Midwest United States

Availability

Moderately Available

Appearance

Heartwood is light to medium reddish brown. Paler sapwood is usually well defined.

Workability

Can be a challenge to work because of interlocked grain, especially on quartersawn surfaces. Planing can cause tearout and/or fuzzy surfaces. Poor dimensional stability. Glues, stains, and finishes well. Responds well to steam bending, and holds nails and screws well.

Uses

Boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, wood pulp, and papermaking.

Additional Comments

American Elm is especially susceptible to Dutch elm disease, and was ravaged by the fungal disease in the second half of the twentieth century. Consequently, large and mature American Elms are uncommon.

Have you made something with Elm?

Send us an email with your project for a chance to be featured.

Show us your project!

Why choose Elm Wood?

Elm is a tough, characterful wood with a wild interlocked grain that gives it a natural resistance to splitting that very few woods can match. It has a warm light to medium brown color with a coarse grain that has a lot of personality and movement to it. That interlocked grain is exactly why it was the wood of choice for chair seats, wheel hubs, and boat building for centuries because it holds together under pressure and stress where other woods would give out. Today it is a popular choice for furniture, flooring, and decorative bowls where that wild grain pattern becomes a feature rather than a challenge. Elm can be tricky to machine because of how the grain moves, but a good finish brings out a natural warmth and character that makes the extra effort worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Elm Wood