Birch

Betula spp.

Top portion is finished with water-base finish; bottom with oil-based finish

Appearance

Color: In yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), sapwood is creamy yellow pale while; heartwood is light reddish brown tinged with red. In sweet birch (B. lenta), sapwood is light colored and heartwood is dark brown tinged with red.
Grain: Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, even texture. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards.

Variations Within Species And Grades: Yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch. Paper birch (B. papyrifera) is softer and lower in weight and strength than yellow or sweet birch. However, yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain and color.

Properties

Hardness/Janka: Janka:1260 (yellow); 2% softer than Northern red oak.
Dimensional Stability: Average (Yellow: 9.5; 10% less stable than Northern red oak).
Durability:

Workability

Sawing/Machining: Difficult to work with hand tools, but good machining qualities.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence if followed.
Nailing: No known problems.
Finishing: May be difficult to stain.

Comments: Origin: North America

Availability

Moderately available.