Find Your Store
Straight-grained, strong, and beautifully light in colour, hemlock is a versatile softwood ideal for both structural and decorative applications. We offer premium hemlock lumber and trim products perfect for mouldings, doors, panelling, millwork, and interior accents that call for a clean, refined look. Hemlock is valued for its uniform texture, workability, and dimensional stability, making it a favourite among builders, woodworkers, and designers. It takes stain and finishes well, allowing for both natural and custom looks, and its resistance to warping makes it especially reliable for detailed trim and fine joinery. As a proudly Canadian company, Windsor Plywood specializes in high-quality, hard-to-find wood species and expert, one-on-one service. Whether you're adding warmth to an interior space or crafting something custom, hemlock offers a timeless appearance with the performance to match.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is finishing lumber and how does it differ from construction lumber?
Finishing lumber refers to smooth-planed, appearance-grade wood used for trim, moulding, panelling, shelving, and interior millwork. It is graded for visual quality with minimal knots and defects. Construction lumber is graded for structural strength and is not intended for exposed applications where appearance matters.
What species are available in finishing lumber at Windsor Plywood?
Windsor Plywood carries finishing lumber in pine, poplar, hemlock, oak, maple, and MDF-based profiles. Poplar and pine are cost-effective choices for painted applications. Oak and maple are preferred for stained or natural finishes. Hemlock is a strong, stable option that takes paint well and is commonly used for trim in western Canadian construction.
What does S4S mean in finishing lumber?
S4S stands for Surfaced Four Sides, meaning the lumber has been planed smooth on all four faces. This is the standard for finishing lumber used in trim and millwork applications. The result is a consistently smooth, flat surface ready for priming, painting, or staining without additional preparation beyond light sanding.
What grade of finishing lumber should I use for painted trim?
For painted applications, select a paint-grade or finger-jointed product in pine, poplar, or MDF. These are designed for opaque finishes and are more affordable than clear-grade solid wood. Finger-jointed lumber uses shorter pieces joined end-to-end and is entirely appropriate for painted trim where the joints will not be visible.
How do I prevent finishing lumber from warping before and after installation?
Store finishing lumber flat on level supports in the installation space for at least 48 hours before cutting and fitting. This allows the wood to acclimate to the room's temperature and humidity. After installation, prime and paint all four faces including the back, which prevents differential moisture absorption that causes cupping and warping over time.