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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Light-Induced Color Change
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Natural Growth Defects
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Substitutes
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities
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Common Names
California redwood, Californian redwood, Coast redwood, Redwood, Sequoia, Sequoia pine, Vervona
Regions of Distribution
North America
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
United States
Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Beams, Bedroom suites, Beehives, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chemical containers, Chests, Cigar boxes, Coffins, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Food containers, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Light construction, Millwork, Moldings, Musical instruments: piano, Paneling, Pencil, Plywood, Poles, Posts, Shingles, Signs, Stairworks, Tobacco boxes, Vats, Veneer: decorative
Environmental Profile
| Endangered |
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| Rare and local throughout is range (21 to 100 occurrences) |
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| Found locally, even abundantly, at some of its locations, but in a restricted range |
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| Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare within parts of its range |
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| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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The current environmental status of this species within its natural growth range in the states of California and Oregon is officially classified as Rare
Distribution Overview
The growth range of the species extends from extreme southwestern Oregon south to central California in the fog belt, a coastal strip of land which is about 5 to 25 (8 to 56 k) miles wide. Redwood forms pure stands in lush dense forests, and may be found in association with Douglas-fir, Port-Orford cedar, and mixed conifers. It prefers mostly alluvial soils on flats and benches or terraces.
Heartwood Color
| Brown |
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| Yellow |
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| Green |
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| Reddish brown |
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| Red |
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| Pale red to pink |
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| Purple |
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| Light cherry red to dark reddish-brown or mahogany |
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| Dark brown |
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Sapwood Color
| Grey |
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| White to yellow |
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| Well defined |
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| Paler than heartwood |
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| Almost white, or pale yellow |
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Grain
| Straight |
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| Figure |
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| Growth rings (figure) |
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| Even |
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| Variable (figure) |
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| Closed |
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| Distinct (figure) |
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| Crossed |
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| Wavy |
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| Other (figure) |
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| Spiral |
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| Straight |
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| Clear growth rings (figure) |
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| Variable figure |
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| Burrs |
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| Distinct and very fine figure |
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| Wide variety of grain patterns |
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| Wavy |
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| Spiral |
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| Redwood burls are common |
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| Rarely wavy-grained |
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| Other figure |
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| Generally straight, but may be somewhat uneven |
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| Even |
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Redwood burls rae sometimes 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter
Texture
| Coarse |
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| Medium |
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| Fine |
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| Medium |
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| Medium to coarse |
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| Fine to medium |
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| Coarse |
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| Even with narrow growth rings to coarse with wide growth rings |
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Luster
Natural Growth Defects
Natural Durability
| Perishable |
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| Non-durable |
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| Non-resistant to termites |
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| Durable |
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| Very durable |
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| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack |
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| Very resistant to attack by decay-causing fungi and other wood destroying insects |
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| Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present |
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| Moderately durable |
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Odor
| Has an odor |
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| No distinct odor or taste |
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Light-Induced Color Change
Toxicity
| Respiratory effects |
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| Dermatitic effects |
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Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast |
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| T5-D4(8/4)Us Schedule K (4/4) United Kingdom Heavy T4-F5(4/4) |
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| T3-F4 (8/4)US |
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| Light T5-D6(4/4) |
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Drying Defects
| Internal Honeycombing Possible |
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| Distortion |
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| Moderate collapse and honeycombing |
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| Minimal shrinkage and checking may occur |
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| Defects include:uneven moisture, chemical stains, iron stains, and are attributable to wetwood (usually in old growth) |
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Ease of Drying
| Slowly |
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| Easy |
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| Very high in moisture content |
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| Moderate |
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| Dries easily with a mininum of drying defects |
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Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is buttressed |
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Tree Size
| Tree height is 60-70 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
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The world's tallest tree is a Redwood, measuring about 368 feet (112 m) in height.
Product Sources
Redwood is readily available in the lumber form, and is typically priced competitively with other construction timbers. Redwood burls are available in limited quantities on the west coast of the United States, and are usually priced in the expensive range.
Substitutes
Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) is a possible substitute
Comments
Abnormal Growth Features
Although virgin forests of Redwood still exist in several state parks, as well as in the Redwoods National Parks and along the Redwoods Highway, there are still some concerns about the status of the species outside these areas. While some people advocate that the future of Redwood can be assured through planting in tree farms and regeneration of seed trees after selective logging, others feel that the species should be conserved and maintained at its present levels.
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Some stock may have alternating even-width zones of compression and normal wood
Blunting Effect
| Blunting effect on sawing green wood is mild |
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| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild |
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| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
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| Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe |
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Boring
| Fairly easy to very easy |
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| Easy |
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| Bores well with ordinary machine tools |
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Carving
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy |
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Gluing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Easy to glue |
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| Moderate gluing properties |
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| Excellent gluing properties |
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Mortising
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Interlocked slightly to moderately |
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| Easy to mortise |
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| Good mortising properties |
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| Finishes well |
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Moulding
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Interlocked slightly to moderately |
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| Easy to mould |
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| Material responds well to moulding operations |
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| Good finishing results |
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Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement |
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| Excellent Stability - Small Movement |
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| Stable |
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| Small |
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| Retains its shape very well after manufacture |
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| High dimensional stability after seasoning |
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Nailing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Possible if prebored |
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| Nails hold poorly |
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| Holds satisfactorily |
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| Holds nails well |
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| Excellent resistance to splitting in nailing operations |
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| Easy to nail |
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Planing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Easy to plane |
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| Ease of planing is moderate |
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| Planes well, to a good finish |
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| Good planing properties |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood |
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| Resistant sapwood |
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| Permeable sapwood |
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| Heartwood is moderately resistant |
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| Sapwood is permeable |
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| Sapwood is moderately resistant |
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| Heartwood is extremely resistant |
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| Fairly treatable with preservatives |
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Response to Hand Tools
| Responds Readily |
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| Easy to Work |
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| Easy to machine |
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| Moderate working qualities |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Routing is easy |
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| Routing yields good results |
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| Moderately easy |
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Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Screwing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Possible if prebored |
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| Poorly holds screws |
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| Excellent screwing properties |
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Turning
| Easy to turn |
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| Good turning qualities |
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| Good results |
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Veneering Qualities
| There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits |
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| Diifficult to veneer |
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Steam Bending
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Moderate |
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Painting
| Good results |
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| Accept and hold paints exceptionally well |
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Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Staining
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Staining (Characteristic) = non-staining |
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Strength Properties
| Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. |
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