Basswood Prime Lumber

Taking a consultative approach to best understand the needs and desires of our customers, we are committed to Delivering the Difference with our specialty lumber products. Please contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for a consultation to identify the best product for your application.

Choose the preferred hardwood for carving and woodworking with Basswood. From models and sculptures to musical instruments and Venetian blinds, Basswood offers a wide range of uses. Basswood can be customized to meet the visual demands of any project. It’s easy to glue and readily accepts stains and paints. Smooth, bright and clear, choose Basswood for an economical and extremely workable addition to your designs.

To determine the appropriate sub-species, color specification or grade, please consult with your Sales or Specifications Representative.

Why Prime Basswood?

• Bright hue and clear face
• Extremely workable
• Easily finished, glued, and painted
• Domestically harvested and readily available
• Desirable tonewood

Benefits of Plain Sawn Lumber:

Cutting tangentially through the tree’s growth rings, Plain Sawn Basswood utilizes the entire log while minimizing waste. The result is a grain pattern that displays a very traditional and recognizable cathedral pattern. This technique maximizes the amount of bright sapwood in Basswood for beautifully light and clear cuts.

Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information on how to configure Basswood for your project.

Prime Grade:

Using the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) Grading standard, Prime Lumber is a premium grade. Developed for the European export market, Prime captures grades within the Select and Better and FAS 1 Face and better grades that have been prepared to the highest standard to meet the demands of that market.

Prime Basswood is designed to meet a minimum yield of 83 1/3% clear-wood cuttings on the best face. Allowed widths start at 6” and wider before kiln drying with lengths 7’ and longer.

Please consult with your Sales or Specifications Representative to guarantee you receive the product that best meets your requirements.

Color/Appearance:

Basswood produces beautifully smooth and largely clear faces. The bright, pale white hue is mostly uniform with little variation between sapwood and heartwood sections. The subtle grain runs in a pleasing regular pattern with even texture and moderate natural luster. Basswood is easily finished for a classic and warm honey hue or more personalized look to fit the aesthetic demands of any project. Bright and cheery, Basswood provides a lightening effect to natural wood projects.

Workability:

One of Basswood’s most desirable characteristics is the ease with which it can be worked. Forgiving and lightweight, Basswood requires little effort to shape with both hand tools and machinery. Basswood is ideal for carving and modeling projects where full advantage of its smooth texture and softness can be taken. It accepts finishes, polish and paint readily for maximum customization potential. When dried, Basswood does have initially high shrinkage, but is quite stable once the process is complete.

Sustainability:

American Basswood is a readily available hardwood species. Widely distributed across the central and eastern United States, Basswood constitutes 1.4% of U.S. hardwood growing stock. This hardwood isn’t just valuable a lumber product, but also as a cornerstone of ecosystems, providing a preferred food source for deer and pollinators. The Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) shows that Basswood is increasing in net volume each year, improving the outlook for both timber use and ecological sustainability.

We recognize the importance of ethically harvested lumber. As our most valuable resource, sustainably harvested forests increase the rate of carbon sequestration and significantly cut carbon emissions. Wood is a renewable and sustainable material for the built environment, requiring less energy than alternatives like concrete or steel. From harvesting to recycling, lumber is the most carbon-efficient choice for building materials. Wood is of the few elements that can increase sustainability in a building’s life cycle, reduce waste, and create positive biophilic health benefits. Increasingly, architects and designers are calling for a return to wood as the prominent basic building material.

As an early adopter of FSC®, we recognize the importance of sustainably harvested lumber. FSC® Certified lumber is available upon request. Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information.

• Kitchen Cabinets
• Kitchen Cabinet Doors
• Signage
• Vanity Cabinets
• Vanity Cabinet Doors
• Wall Paneling
• Wall Protection
• Interior Millwork