Is American Beech A Hardwood

Which may be due to its somewhat bland appearance.

Is american beech a hardwood.

Beech wood is used to make flooring furniture veneer plywood and railroad ties. Beech fagus grandifolia is a medium to large size tree that originated in north america. 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. 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.

High crush strength medium stiffness and. Weight is about 46lbs per cu. The tree is a hardwood and the lineal taxonomy is magnoliopsida fagales fagaceae fagus grandifolia ehrhart. Another characteristic of beech lumber is that beech has small pores which allow for a fine finish to be achieved.

Beech wood is primarily reddish brown in color and slightly coarse with conspicuous rays and tiny pores. American beech is sometimes underrated and under appreciated. Its hard pliable strong and pretty wood however primarily furnishes stock for paper. Yet considering its decent strength and hardness and its comparatively low cost beech represents an excellent value for woodworkers.

American beech beech copper beech red beech stone beech white beech winter beech. Interior use only. Beech american beech fagus grandifolia. It is especially favored as fuel wood because of its high density and good burning qualities.

The grain is straight with a fine even texture. The american beech unlike most other hardwood trees the american beech retains this smooth bark throughout its mature years. The wood grows throughout much of the eastern united states. 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.

This is typical with just about any hardwood except for oak which takes about two full years to properly season. Since it s a dense hardwood you should let beech season at least one year before burning it. It is great for laser engraving and is a cheaper alternative to more expensive woods like hard maple. European beech fagus sylvatica scans pictures.

That s because kiln drying beech in commercial quantities has its pitfalls. After a year beech firewood burns great and it will keep you warm even during the coldest winter nights. American beech is also commonly called beech. Yet some beech does become woodenware and furniture parts as well as barrels for aging beer.

Suitable for exterior interior use.