タイトルまたは説明

There are many types of larch, each belonging to the Larix genus. Siberian Larch (or Russian Larch) is known scientifically as Larix sibirica.

This particular species grows natively as far west as the Finnish border, with distribution eastwards towards central Siberia in Russia — hence the name! The species has also been introduced to Canada, the US, Iceland and Greenland.

Siberian Larch is a frost-hardy tree; its capable of surviving in freezing, adverse temperatures. When fully grown, it reaches heights between *0 and *0m and has needle-like leaves, with a 1m trunk diameter.

As a result of its extreme native climate, Siberian Larch grows extremely slowly. Interestingly, however, these inhospitable growing conditions imbue the timber with many useful and practical properties, suiting it to many purposes — particularly exterior projects.

Is Siberian Larch a hardwood? Technically, the answer is no — coming from a coniferous tree, its officially classified as a softwood. Despite this, Siberian Larch is actually one of the hardest softwoods in the world. As a result of its punishing upbringing in sub-zero Siberia, larch has plenty of hardness and natural durability. In fact, it has greater density than many hardwoods!

Once harvested, Siberian Larch starts its life as a golden-yellow wood, but left untreated, will eventually weather to a beautiful silvery-grey.

What are Siberian Larchs properties?
Appearance
Colour: Creamy yellow to light brown, weathering to a beautiful silvery-grey without treatment
Grain: Very straight, dense and fine with tight growth rings
Texture: Smooth
Because of its slow growth, Siberian Larch has incredibly tight growth rings and a very dense, fine grain. Depending on the grade chosen, this specie can generally contain small tight knots. The application of a high-quality stain can accentuate this beautiful natural tapestry, making the wood a distinguished and sought-after choice in architectural design circles.

It also makes it unique — with such character, no two pieces of Siberian Larch are the same as each other. Underpinning the popularity of Siberian Larch is also its versatility; theres rarely a setting or space where its Scandi style hues arent at home.

Upon close inspection of some Siberian Larch timber, subtle colours can appear, from creamy whites to reddish browns. If left for around two years without any treatment, the wood will attain a natural grey weathered look which, depending on your vision, is no bad thing. Monochromatic designs can add a touch of distinguished class!

Scratch resistance
As a species, larch is a product of its growing environment: the cold, sub-zero forests of Siberia. With a remarkably slow growing time, the wood is heavy and packed full of density.

This timber species is highly resistant to knocks, bumps and scrapes, suiting it ideally to exterior applications such as cladding and decking. With fewer abrasions, there are also fewer areas for moisture to penetrate the wood.

Siberian Larch has a density of **0kg/m³. For comparison, this makes it more dense than Western Red Cedar, which clocks in at **0kg/m³ (still respectable, hasten we add)! Siberian Larch also scores a very impressive 1,**0 lbf on the Janka hardness scale, ahead of many other popular commercially available hardwoods.

Rot, insect and moisture resistance
This timber is built to cope with the Siberian climate — meaning its more than suited to exterior application in the UK. High in resin, extractives and other chemicals, Siberian Larch boasts some mind blowing natural defences to the outside elements.

Resin is what trees produce naturally to protect themselves from injury, pathogens and insects. Resinous woods like Siberian Larch have natural antiseptics which repel insects.

When woods are exposed to moisture, they can tend to warp and bend. Because of its high density, Siberian Larch doesnt experience as much moisture penetration, making it far less prone to the issue.

Such is its natural durability, unlike many other species, Siberian Larch can be left without stain or paint treatment. For an exceptional exterior, you cant go wrong with larch.

Workability
With such high levels of density, strength and scratch resistance, you might be forgiven for thinking that Siberian Larch is a very tough timber to work with.

In fact, this is far from the truth. As well as taking stains very well (which can actually accentuate the grain), Siberian Larch also has good drilling properties, takes fixings well and has good machining and gluing qualities.

Quick tip — to avoid staining and corrosion, make sure you use top-quality stainless steel fixings when you work with your Siberian Larch. After all, quality timber deserves quality fixings, right?

Its also recommended to drill your holes instead of nailing to avoid the possibility of splitting. Because of its high density, ensure that any tools are kept sharp.
What is Siberian Larch used for?
Cladding
Fencing
Decking
Joinery
Flooring
Because of its remarkable natural physical properties and devilish good looks, Siberian Larch is a go-to choice for a wide range of building projects, particularly outdoors. Some of the most popular commercial and household uses for this wood include cladding, decking and fencing.

Such is its strength, density and scratch resistance, Siberian Larch is even used for velodrome track surfaces around the world, so keep an eye out next time youre watching some track cycling. Some lesser-known uses for the wood include railway sleepers and mine props.

Essentially, wherever a timber will be asked to stand up to the elements or a few knocks and bumps, you can count on Siberian Larch to do the trick.