Appearance
Color: In yellow birch
(B. alleghaniensis), sapwood is creamy yellow pale while; heartwood is
light reddish brown tinged with red. In sweet birth (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: 1260
(yellow); 2% softer than Northern red oak.
Dimensional Stability: Average (change coefficient
.00338; 8% more stable than red oak).
Durability: Hard and stiff; very strong, with
excellent shock resistance.
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Workability
Sawing/Machining: Difficult
to work with hand tools, but good machining qualities.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily.
Nailing: Excellent holding ability.
Finishing: No known problems.
Comments:
Cost
(relative to plainsawn select red
oak)
Multiplier: 1.30
Availability
Moderately available.
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