Maple Hardwood Characteristics

This guide features 20 of the most abundant and most often used hardwood species.

Maple hardwood characteristics.

These products can be used on a variety of our wood products. Birch and maple are domestic hardwoods with similar characteristics and appearances but they do have variations. Maple typically demands higher prices and is considered more exclusive than birch. With care it machines well turns well glues satisfactorily and can be stained to an outstanding finish.

The guide to american hardwood species as a resource american hardwoods are abundant renewing and sustainable and an excellent choice for eco effective design and building. Wide x random length solid hardwood flooring 20 sq. If hickory oak and maple flooring are on your list of options to consider this flooring guide will help you make an informed decision you ll be happy with both now and for all the years you own your home. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown.

Pale yellow tan to reddish brown in color. For the average homeowner the differences may not be significant but when you consider cost the variance may add up. Thick x 3 1 4 in. Taking the hardness data within context of other hardwoods soft maple may be used as a valid substitute for hard maple in most situations where a hardwood of moderate density is called for.

Hard maple dries slowly with high shrinkage so it can be susceptible to movement in performance. For fans of solid hardwood flooring or engineered hardwood oak maple and hickory are three favorites each wood has unique characteristics that draw homeowners to it. Unlike most other hardwoods the sapwood of hard maple lumber is most commonly used rather than its heartwood sapwood color ranges from nearly white to an off white cream color sometimes with a reddish or golden hue. Listed below you will find a photograph common characteristics and common uses of the most popular lumber varieties that we stock.

Also note that black maple not pictured isn t quite as hard as its close relative hard maple and ranks in the mid range with a hardness of 1 180 lb f. A soft light wood with even texture and straight grain that accepts stain well. Millstead hand scraped maple chocolate 3 4 in. Hard maple or sugar maple is the most durable of the maple species with a janka value of 1 450 which makes it one of the hardest domestic woods used in furniture making.

There are many varieties of soft maple wood though the most common are the striped maple silver maple red maple bigleaf maple and box elder. Characteristics include random sized tight knots and rays. We also carry bush oil and penofin. Pre boring is recommended when nailing and screwing.