Why Poplar? The Poplar Advantage

Guest Contributor: 
Carol Phillips, Sales & Marketing Koetter Woodworking 

​With the variety of paint grade moulding options available in the market, making the right choice isn't always easy. If you ask trim carpenters their preferred species to work with, the large majority will tell you "Poplar". Sometimes referred to as the "Tulip Tree", Poplar can grow up to 160 ft. tall in the virgin forests of the Appalachian Mountains. Often, the tree does not develop limbs until it reaches 80 - 100 ft in height, No limbs means fewer knots and longer, straighter trunks, making Poplar the #1 choice for interior millwork & doors!

Features & Benefits​

• Poplar has a tight, straight grain, providing a smooth painted finish. There is virtually no grain raise/telegraphing, as often seen with Pine.
• Poplar is more durable than man-made substrates such as MDF, resulting in less damage in the field and fewer callbacks.
• Trim carpenters prefer Poplar for its ease of workability in the field.
  • Easy to cope
  • Easy to miter
  • Easy to handle & install
  • Mills well with a variety of machine or hand tools
• Poplar is available in a wide selection of profiles. Other species can be milled to match.
• Poplar offal can be re-purposed into fingerjoint, providing long length, paint gradeproducts at a greater cost savings.​

• ​When milled, Poplar produces crisp, clearly defined profile edges, providing more pronounced details and greater visual impact.​
• Poplar is a versatile species.
• When finished by a qualified professional,
• Poplar can be stained to mimic other
• high-end species such as Cherry, Maple - even Walnut!
• Poplar has excellent screw, nail and staple fastening properties.
  • Nail holes won't pucker or volcano
  • Accepts screws and nails more readily without splitting.
• Poplar is environmentally friendly.
  • ​Renewable, Natural Resource
  • Organic
  • Sustainable
  • USA Sourced & Manufactured