Birch Wood
Birch woods scientific name is Betula alleghaniensis and other common names are gray birch, silver birch, and swamp birch. Paper birch is the softest of the Betula species. Birch is often found in plywood, toothpicks, and other utilitarian purposes. In today's market, Birch is not used as often as it used to be early in the 20th Century. Yellow Birch was the most common form used in furniture and flooring alongside with white birch. Birch wood has similar graining and color to maple wood. Birch also has some of the same staining difficulties of maple due t
Wood Appearance
Color: Birch wood colors vary from white, yellow, to a reddish-brown. The sapwood is lighter colored than the heartwood of sweet birch.
Species Grades and Variations: Yellow birch is by far the most popular for flooring between paper birch and sweet birch. The boards bring beauty with many variations in color and grain.
Grain: Straight and even texture with variations in the grain. Some boards have wavy and curly grain.
Wood Properties
Janka Hardness: Yellow Birch is 1260 lbf which is between Sweet Birch 1470 and Paper Birch 910.
Strength: 16,500 psi
Stiffness: 2,020 1000 psi
Density (KG/m3): 720
Tangential Shrinkage: 9.0%
Radial Shrinkage: 6.5%
Wood Workability
Great machining properties but a fairly difficult product to use with hand tools. Birch is adequate from sanding when done correctly.
Wood Origin
White Birch, Yellow Birch, and Black Birch are found all over North Ameria in the United States and Canada regions. Dwarf birch can be found in the Northwest and parts of the North East while River Birch is native to the Eastern US.
Wood Uses
Birch is available in solid wood and engineered wood flooring products. Yellow birch is a principle wood used in the distillation of wood alcohol and acetate of lime. Deer and Moose both consume yellow birch seeding. While tea is sometimes made using inner bark and twigs. It isn't a common product found in finished furniture today as it was earlier in the 20th Century.
Birch Availability
Birch Wood Flooring is adequately obtainable. Birch comes in engineered hardwood flooring and solid wood products.
Cost of Birch Wood Flooring
The average price of birch flooring is anywhere between $3.00 to $7.00 dollars per square foot. The prices vary on the grade and quality.