hardwood · Liquidambar styraciflua
Sweetgum wood properties
Also known as: redgum, sapgum, satin walnut.
| Type | hardwood |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Liquidambar styraciflua |
| Modulus of elasticity (MOE) | 1,640,000 psi |
| Specific gravity | 0.55 |
| Density (approx) | 34 lb/ft³ (2.9 lb per board foot) |
| Janka hardness | 850 lbf |
| Shrinkage (tangential / radial) | 10.2% / 5.3% |
| Region | Southeastern United States |
A 1 in x 6 in x 8 ft board of Sweetgum weighs about 11.4 lb (roughly 34 lb per cubic foot). Its Janka hardness of 850 lbf is harder than about 39% of the woods in our database.
Uses and working notes
Common uses: furniture, veneer, plywood, interior trim, boxes, turned objects.
Durability: Heartwood ranges moderately durable to non-durable, sapwood perishable, and insects attack it readily.
Workability: Mostly easy, but interlocked grain tears and it warps badly while drying; turns, glues, stains and finishes well.
Use this data
Similar woods
Woods with comparable hardness and density to Sweetgum:
How these numbers were sourced
MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). Uses, region, durability and workability summarized from The Wood Database. Sweetgum is not listed in the FPL/Hoadley dimensional change coefficient table (Popular Woodworking reproduction), so CT/CR are omitted. Price indicative.
Values shown as estimates rather than sourced constants: typicalPricePerBF_usd.
Sources
These calculators are for planning and estimation. Engineering results (shelf sag, wood movement) use published average material properties; real boards vary by grade, grain, moisture and defects. Verify load-bearing designs with a professional.