BIRCH – HARDWOOD LUMBER
| Botanical Name: Betula Alleghaniensis Common Names: Birch Where it Grows: Eastern U.S., principally Northern and Lake states. The average tree is 60 to 70 feet in height. Birch prefers valleys and stream banks although it adapts itself to higher grounds. Main Uses: Furniture, millwork and paneling, doors, flooring, kitchen cabinets, turnings and toys. General Description: Yellow birch has a white sapwood and light reddish brown heartwood. The wood is generally straight-grained with a fine uniform texture. Generally characterized by a plain and often curly or wavy pattern. Working Properties: The wood works fairly easily, glues well with care, takes stain extremely well, and nails and screws satisfactorily where pre-boring is advised. It dries rather slowly with little degrade, but it has moderately high shrinkage, so is susceptible to movement in performance. Physical Properties: The wood of yellow birch is heavy, hard and strong. It has very good bending properties, with good crushing strength and shock resistance. Availability: Reasonable availability, but more limited if selected for color. |
