Red Alder wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 590lbf
- Density
- 28.7lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.7
- Spec. gravity
- 0.41
Red Alder is a North American hardwood. It has a Janka side hardness of 590 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.41, and an air-dry density near 29 lb/ft³ (460 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 7.3% tangentially and 4.4% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.7), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.18 in (≈ 3/16 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Red Alder: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Red Alder'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″ | 0.029″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.018″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 3″ | 0.044″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.026″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.058″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.035″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.088″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.053″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 8″ | 0.117″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.07″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 10″ | 0.146″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.088″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 12″ | 0.175″ (≈ 3/16 in) | 0.106″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 16″ | 0.234″ (≈ 7/32 in) | 0.141″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Red Alder. At a T/R ratio of 1.66, Red Alder 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 | 6.4 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 9.6 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 12.8 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 15.9 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 19.1 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 12.8 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 19.1 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 25.5 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Red Alder.
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 | 0.134″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.082″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.064″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.038″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.073″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.143″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
Driven by Red Alder's tangential shrinkage of 7.3%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Red Alder compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 590 lbf, Red Alder is harder than 27% of the 157 species with a Janka figure.
- Weight: at 28.7 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 23% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 9.6 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.66 is more even than 67% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 33% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Red Alder 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 Red Alder is unavailable or priced out.
- Old Growth Redwood is a common substitute for Red Alder : 19% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Sitka Spruce is a common substitute for Red Alder : 14% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Ponderosa Pine is a common substitute for Red Alder : 22% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Yellow-poplar is a common substitute for Red Alder : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Growth Redwood | 480 lbf | 28 | 1.69 |
| Sitka Spruce | 510 lbf | 28 | 1.74 |
| Ponderosa Pine | 460 lbf | 28 | 1.59 |
| Yellow-poplar | 540 lbf | 29.4 | 1.78 |
Durability & sustainability
Decay resistance: the Wood Handbook rates Red Alder heartwood slightly or nonresistant 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 Red Alder.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.41 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 590 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 28.7 lb/ft³ (460 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 25.6 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 2.39 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4.4% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 7.3% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 12.6% |
| 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.