Is American Beech A Hardwood

Beech wood is primarily reddish brown in color and slightly coarse with conspicuous rays and tiny pores.

Is american beech a hardwood.

It is great for laser engraving and is a cheaper alternative to more expensive woods like hard maple. Interior use only. Beech has a fine even texture. It is especially favored as fuel wood because of its high density and good burning qualities.

With straight grain and medium to fine uniform texture the sapwood of american beech is white with a red tinge while the heartwood is light to dark reddish brown. Its hard pliable strong and pretty wood however primarily furnishes stock for paper. Beech wood is used to make flooring furniture veneer plywood and railroad ties. This is typical with just about any hardwood except for oak which takes about two full years to properly season.

That s because kiln drying beech in commercial quantities has its pitfalls. Which may be due to its somewhat bland appearance. American beech is often overlooked and underrated as a utility hardwood but because of its durability and low cost beech can be exceptionally valuable for woodworkers. Another characteristic of beech lumber is that beech has small pores which allow for a fine finish to be achieved.

Yet considering its decent strength and hardness and its comparatively low cost beech represents an excellent value for woodworkers. Beech wood has sapwood with a pale brown color and heartwood with adark brown to reddish brown tint. Butcher blocks clothes pins drum sticks flooring food containers furniture millwork mouldings. The american beech unlike most other hardwood trees the american beech retains this smooth bark throughout its mature years.

Yet some beech does become woodenware and furniture parts as well as barrels for aging beer. Beech fagus grandifolia is a medium to large size tree that originated in north america. After a year beech firewood burns great and it will keep you warm even during the coldest winter nights. High crush strength medium stiffness and.

Since it s a dense hardwood you should let beech season at least one year before burning it. Weight is about 46lbs per cu. American beech is sometimes underrated and under appreciated. American beech is also commonly called beech.

Beech american beech fagus grandifolia. Suitable for exterior interior use. The american beech can live for three hundred to four hundred years and can reach heights of eighty feet and diameters in excess of three feet. American beech beech copper beech red beech stone beech white beech winter beech.

The grain is straight with a fine even texture.