Old Growth Redwood wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 480lbf
- Density
- 28lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.7
- Spec. gravity
- 0.4
Old Growth Redwood is a North American softwood. It has a Janka side hardness of 480 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.4, and an air-dry density near 28 lb/ft³ (449 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 4.4% tangentially and 2.6% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.7), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.11 in (≈ 3/32 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Old Growth Redwood: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Old Growth Redwood's own shrinkage and density figures, not looked up from a table — change the width, moisture swing, or board size in the calculators linked alongside.
Cross-grain movement by board width
| Board width | Flatsawn (tangential) | Quartersawn (radial) |
|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.018″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.01″ (≈ 0 in) |
| 3″ | 0.026″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.016″ (≈ 0 in) |
| 4″ | 0.035″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.021″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.053″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.031″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 8″ | 0.07″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.042″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 10″ | 0.088″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.052″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 12″ | 0.106″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.062″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 16″ | 0.141″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.083″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Old Growth Redwood. At a T/R ratio of 1.69, Old Growth Redwood is stable — it moves moderately more across the face than through the thickness — normal behaviour for a furniture hardwood, and predictable if boards are acclimatised before milling.
Board footage & weight, standard sizes
| Nominal size × length | Board feet | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1×4 × 8′ | 2.67 bd ft | 6.2 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 9.3 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 12.4 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 15.6 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 18.7 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 12.4 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 18.7 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 24.9 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Old Growth Redwood.
Seasonal movement by city
| City | Driest month (EMC) | Most-humid month (EMC) | EMC swing | 12″ board movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | Jun · 4.4% | Dec · 9% | 4.6 pts | 0.081″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.049″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.039″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.023″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.044″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.086″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
Driven by Old Growth Redwood's tangential shrinkage of 4.4%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Old Growth Redwood compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 480 lbf, Old Growth Redwood is harder than 15% of the 157 species with a Janka figure — one of the softer woods here, easy to work and easy to dent.
- Weight: at 28 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 18% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 9.3 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.69 is more even than 63% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 37% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Old Growth Redwood plotted against every species we carry: the full Janka hardness chart and the full density chart .
Species with a similar working profile
Closest matches on hardness, weight and stability together — useful when Old Growth Redwood is unavailable or priced out.
- Sitka Spruce is a common substitute for Old Growth Redwood : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Red Alder is a common substitute for Old Growth Redwood : 23% harder, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Ponderosa Pine is a common substitute for Old Growth Redwood : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Yellow-poplar is a common substitute for Old Growth Redwood : 13% harder, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitka Spruce | 510 lbf | 28 | 1.74 |
| Red Alder | 590 lbf | 28.7 | 1.66 |
| Ponderosa Pine | 460 lbf | 28 | 1.59 |
| Yellow-poplar | 540 lbf | 29.4 | 1.78 |
About Old Growth Redwood
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) grows on the coast of California and some trees are among the tallest in the world. A closely related species, giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), is volumetrically larger and grows in a limited area in the Sierra Nevadas of California, but its wood is used in very limited quantities. Other names for redwood are coast redwood, California redwood, and sequoia. Production of redwood lumber is limited to California, but the market is nationwide. The heartwood of redwood varies from light “cherry” red to dark mahogany. The narrow sapwood is almost white. Typical old-growth redwood is moderately lightweight, moderately strong and stiff, and moderately hard. The wood is easy to work, generally straight grained, and shrinks and swells comparatively little. The heartwood from old-growth trees has high decay resistance; heartwood from second- growth trees generally has low to moderate decay resistance. Most redwood lumber is used for building. It is remanufactured extensively into siding, sashes, doors, blinds, millwork, casket stock, and containers. Because of its durability, redwood is useful for cooling towers, decking, tanks, silos, wood-stave pipe, and outdoor furniture. It is used in agriculture for buildings and equipment. Its use as timbers and large dimension in bridges and trestles is relatively minor. Redwood splits readily and plays an important role in the manufacture of split products, such as posts and fence material. Some redwood veneer is produced for decorative plywood. Extensive logging has prompted the IUCN to list redwood as endangered.
Durability & sustainability
Decay resistance: the Wood Handbook rates Old Growth Redwood heartwood resistant to fungal decay . Ratings are for heartwood only and the table's own note cautions that resistance varies substantially within a species; treat this as a general indicator, not a guarantee, especially for ground contact. Wood Handbook, Chapter 14: Biodeterioration of Wood (Arango, Lebow, Glaeser), USDA Forest Products Laboratory, FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 14-1. Public domain.
CITES status: not listed on any CITES Appendix — no international-trade restriction applies to Old Growth Redwood.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.4 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 480 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 28 lb/ft³ (449 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 25 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 2.33 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 2.6% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4.4% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 6.8% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.7 |
Shrinkage is total green-to-oven-dry (Table 4-3); strength values are at 12% MC. Full bases and the derivation formulas are on the methodology page.
Data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), public domain.