North America. Yellow birch, sweet birch, and paper birch grow principally in the Northeastern and Lake States. Yellow birch also grows along the Appalachian Mountains to Northern Georgia.
The Tree: :
Birches can reach a height of 70 ft (21m), with a diameter of more than 2 ft (0.6 m).
General Wood Characteristics: :
The wood varies slightly among species. The wood of yellow birch is heavy, hard and strong. It is most commonly used for flooring. The sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white; heartwood is light reddish brown tinged with red. Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, and uniform texture. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards.
Hardness (Janka)::
1260 pounds (i.e. 2% softer than Northern red oak).
Dimensional stability::
Average (i.e. less stable than Northern red oak).
Durability::
Hard and stiff; very strong, with excellent shock resistance.
Variations within species and grades: :
Birch is composed of 30 to 50 species, 4 are native from North America. Yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain and color. Its coloring goes from golden to reddish brown.
Comments: :
* Color variation: light color change upon exposure to intense light.
* color change will disappear within a few months
* Indentation: indentation marks, scratches, or imperfections are more obvious due to birch's density (closed grain) compare to oak and ash species. To minimize indentation appearance, use a Satin (low gloss) finish.
