When it comes to building something around the home, using the right type of wood really does matter. Today, we want to take a closer look at two very popular types of wood often used for construction around the home. These include poplar and spruce.
Today, we actually want to do a side-by-side comparison of the two to figure out which one is best used for your next big woodworking project.
What Is Poplar?
First, we have poplar, which is a deciduous hardwood tree, albeit it is technically quite soft. There are actually over 35 different species of poplar in the world, but the yellow poplar is the most popular in North America, as well as the most commonly used for a variety of purposes. The poplar tree can be found in North America, Northern Europe, and Northern Asia.
Although the poplar tree is technically a type of hardwood, it is actually quite soft, light, and not very durable overall. It also doesn’t feature too much sap or resin, so it’s not overly resistant to pests, moisture, or rotting. It is one of the softest types of hardwood that can be found in North America.
As for appearance, poplar features a fairly straight grain with a uniform and tight texture, and it usually doesn’t have any knots, gaps, or voids. The color is a creamy white or yellowish color. Yellow poplar is usually used for utilitarian purposes, such as for making plywood, low-end furniture, slabs, pallets, and other low-end purposes. It is ideal for indoor use, and it’s very affordable too.
What Is Spruce
Then we have the spruce tree, which is a softwood evergreen tree that can be found in most temperate and boreal climates in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be found in North America, Northern Europe, and Northern Asia.
However, for a type of softwood, spruce is fairly hard and dense, and it can be somewhat resistant to various types of physical damage such as scratching and denting. With that being said, spruce is not moisture-resistant, especially not in the long run.
Although spruce won’t necessarily absorb a whole lot of water, it does shrink, warp, and change shape quite easily. It also isn’t the most pest-resistant type of wood around.
That said, people do like spruce because it looks quite nice, as it features a reddish-brown color and a straight grain with a medium texture, and it usually doesn’t have many gaps or knots.
Spruce is a type of wood that is generally used for basic utilitarian uses, such as veneer, trim, and joinery, and it may also be used for musical instruments, and for other tasks that don’t require too much structural soundness.
Poplar vs. Spruce: What Are the Differences?
Now that we know what both poplar and spruce are, let’s figure out what makes them different from each other.
Hardness
Yellow poplar features a Janka hardness rating of 540 lbf, whereas spruce comes in at just 490 lbf. As you can see, although yellow poplar is a hardwood and spruce is a softwood, yellow poplar is only slightly harder than spruce, which makes it slightly more resistant to denting, scratching, and other forms of physical damage.
Density
These two types of wood are almost identical in weight as well. Yellow poplar features a density of 29 lbs per cubic foot, whereas spruce comes in at 27 lbs per cubic foot.
As you can see, yellow poplar is just slightly heavier and denser than spruce, which does lead to slightly increased durability, although it can also be slightly harder to work with because of this heavier weight.
Pest and Moisture Resistance
What can be said is that neither of these types of wood is very resistant to pests or moisture. Yes, yellow poplar might be slightly more pest and moisture-resistant than spruce, but the difference here is negligible. The bottom line is that neither of these types of wood should be used for outdoor purposes.
Overall Strength
In terms of overall durability, if we look at things like the compressive strength, the modulus of rupture, and the modulus of elasticity, yellow poplar scores slightly higher on all of these fronts. This means that yellow poplar is slightly more durable and structurally sound than spruce, and is therefore better used for construction-related purposes.
Workability
Both of these types of wood are relatively easy to work with, although spruce is likely just slightly easier. It’s not quite as dense or hard, so it’s easier to maneuver and also doesn’t do quite as much damage to your sawblades.
Appearance – Color and Grain
Spruce features a reddish-brown color whereas yellow poplar is yellowish or creamy white. This is the biggest difference in terms of their appearance, and most people would say that spruce is the better-looking of the two, although we suppose that this is totally subjective.
Cost
Yellow poplar should cost you around $6 per board foot whereas spruce is going to cost you around $7 per board foot. As you can see, the price is almost the same.
When to Use Poplar?
If you just need some affordable and basic wood to use for indoor purposes, poplar is a fine option to consider, especially for utilitarian needs. That said, it’s not something we would use for outdoor purposes, and it’s also not overly structurally sound either.
When to Use Spruce?
What is funny is that more or less the same thing can be said for spruce. It’s fine for basic indoor needs, although it doesn’t perform well when it comes to heavy-duty tasks or outdoor use.
Alternatives to Poplar and Spruce
If you need wood that is very hard, dense, and durable, we recommend going for something like maple, mahogany, oak, or ebony. Even teak is a fantastic option. At the same time, both mahogany and teak are also extremely moisture-resistant.
Summary
Now that you know what the main differences between poplar and spruce are, you can make an informed decision between the two in terms of which one to use for your next big woodworking project.