The elm (Latin name: Ulmus), also known as Effe, Ruste or Rüster, is native to the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. It is found mainly in Eurasia and North America, but also in Mexico and China.
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The elm
If the elm can reach a relevant age, today only young specimens can be found. The reason is the Dutch elm disease, which is caused by a cockroach that can transmit fungal diseases. By the way, the elm is the only deciduous tree in which the flowers and fruits appear before the actual leaves.
Elm wood properties
Elm wood has a gross density of 640 kg / m³ and is one of the heavy and hard wood types. It is hard and strong and not easy to work except when treated so that it can be bent excellently. There are three different types of elm, field elm, mountain elm and white elm. The difference can be seen in the color of the heartwood, which is chocolate-red brown in the field elm, light brown to ruby red in the mountain elm and light brown-gray in the white elm. Sapwood and heartwood are separated from each other by light-colored stripes. All elm species have a typical, extremely lively wood pattern.
Processing
Elm wood can be worked very well. When turning, milling, planing, sawing and grinding, surfaces sometimes roughen. Since elm wood is subject to deep cracks and deformations, it must be dried with great care before machining. No problems are known in the final treatment and surface refinement.
Use
Elm wood is one of the most beautiful woods. It is often used for the production of furniture, parquet and veneers, wall and ceiling coverings. Due to its decorative appearance, it is used for decorative objects and for the construction of musical instruments. The precious red-brown elm wood is used for the creation of solid wood furniture, wonderfully original unique pieces thanks to the handcrafted production.
Care of elm wood
Elm wood is not very resistant in outdoor use. Sapwood is easy to impregnate, while heartwood is difficult to impregnate. For the care of furniture and ornaments the use of wax is suggested; it is necessary to be very careful when handling liquids such as polishes which, in case of contact, must be removed quickly before moisture can penetrate the wood. The best cleaning is done with a soft, dry cloth.
