What is Australian Cypress?
Australian Cypress(Callitris Columellaris) is a species of coniferous tree in the Cypress family. It is commonly known as White Cypress Pine, Murray River Cypress-pine, and Northern Cypress-pine.
Australian Cypress is a softwood species that is harder than Red Oak and other softwood. It is known for its durability, great strength, and light color.
| # | Australian Cypress |
| Scientific Name: | Callitris columellaris (= C. glaucophylla) |
| Tree Size: | 70-100 ft (20-30 m) tall |
| Average Dried Weight: | 42 lbs/ft3 (650 kg/m3) |
| Janka Hardness: | 1,360 lbf (6,060 N) |
| Workability: | Easy To work |
| Rot Resistant: | It is rot-resistant. |
| Wood color: | Medium to dark brown |
| Uses: | Veneer, plywood, flooring, furniture, and other light construction purposes. |
Australian Cypress Uses
Australian Cypress is a fairly durable species. So it is used to make quality flooring, furniture, light construction purposes, and plywood. The weight of the Australian Cypress is not very high but it has very good strength. For this reason, it is used for medium and low construction.
Is Australian Cypress Good for Flooring?
The Australian Cypress is widely preferred for making flooring. Because it has a straight grain, great hardness, and uniform texture.
There is no doubt that Australian Cypress is a better choice for flooring. To make a durable floor, the wood must be hard enough and have the properties of water resistance. Despite being a softwood of Australian Cypress, Janka’s hardness is 1,360 lbf (6,060 N).
Wood Color and grain pattern
Heartwood Color Can Vary From Light Tan To Darker Brown to Reddish-Brown Streaks. Sapwood is pale yellow or pinkish. Easily different can be seen in Sapwood and Heartwood. The color of Australian Cypress is light so that it can be stained easily..
Australian Cypress has a straight grain with a medium uniform texture. Australian Cypress contains Cypressene oil, which is a natural preservative resistant to decay. Its surface also appears a bit oily.
Workability
Australian Cypress has great workability properties. It is Easy To Work with hand and machines tools. Sometimes Small knots can cause tears and problems with the machine operations.
The hardiness of the Australian Cypress can be troublesome to work with. But generally, It is easy to work and glues and finishes well.
Hardness and weight
Australian Cypress’s Janka hardness is 1,360 lbf (6,060 N) and the average dried weight is 41 lbs/ft3 (650 kg/m3).
Australian Cypress Flooring Pros and Cons
All construction materials have some merits as well as flaws, Australian Cypress also has them. You should know their pros and cons before using them.
| # | Pros | Cons |
| 1 | It’s a decent price, compared to the other flooring woods. | Australian Cypress has been reported to cause skin irritation. |
| 2 | Great workability, durability, and resistance to insect attack. | Small knots can sometimes cause tear-out or other machining difficulties. |
| 3 | It is very easy to stain. | It requires regular sealing and care. Otherwise, it starts cracking. |
| 4 | The presence of small knots gives better strength to the wood. So that it does not crack easily. | It fades over time, more quickly outdoors. |
| 5 | Due to the straight and uniform grain pattern, the floor gets a uniform attractive look. | It has a sour odor which may be irritating for some of the users. |
| 6 | The lifespan of Australian Cypress solid wood is about 25 to 30 years with medium care and maintenance. | The Australian Cypress has many dark knots that some owners may dislike. |
Australian Cypress Tree Identification
Australian Cypress is a small tree whose height is 4 to 12 meters and trunk diameter is 50 to 55 cm. Its leaves are evergreen and like scale, 2–6 mm long and 0.5 mm broad. A tree has one main branch, from which there are many more sub-branches.
The Australian Cypress tree produces cones. The male cone is 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long while the female cone is 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) long. Cones are located at the tips of the twigs.
The bark of the young Australian Cypress is dark gray and smooth, and It becomes dark or reddish-brown and rough as the tree grows older.
Is Australian Cypress a Hardwood?
No, cypress is not hardwood, It is softwood. But It has properties of hardwood like great durability, hardness, and rot-resistant, So it can be used like hardwood.
It is also preferred by the owners due to many other reasons such as it is cheaper than hardwood and it requires less maintenance and is easy to stain or paint.
Australian Cypress Flooring Cost
Average 3 1/4″ x 3/4″ Prefinished Australian Cypress Solid Hardwood Flooring costs around 7$ to 10$ per square foot. Well, the flooring wood price depends on many things. Like the quality of wood and from where you are buying.
Wood is divided into grades on the basis of quality. Grade A would be a better choice for flooring. Grade A is more durable and costly than grades B and C.
Where to buy Australian cypress flooring?
There are many options for buying Australian cypress flooring. You can buy it online (homedepot.com) and at a local store according to your convenience. But you should visit the local store before making the final deal. Because you can feel the texture and color of Australian Cypress Flooring from your local store.
You can get the idea of the price online. In the end, you can shop from where you get the right price.
Read also cypress vs cedar
