GREY / AMERICAN ELM

The heartwood of Elm is light to medium reddish brown surrounded by typically well-defined paler sapwood. The grain is coarse and interlocked. (This can make for a very cranky person when attempting to split firewood). It can be challenging to work with due to the interlocked grain, but it does have some redeeming characteristics; it stains and finishes well, is great at holding nails and screws and steam bends like a dream. On the negative side, it tends to smell like cat pee.

Overview