Often preferred for the natural, light color of its sapwood, maple can be finished with a clear, water-based finish to accentuate its characteristics. Combined with proper sanding, staining, and finishing, maple can be colored darker, as well. The color of maple tends to darken over time, which is a trait it shares with birch.
When sanding maple wood, use care not to do too much sanding no finer than grit , as this can affect staining. Maple is also prone to burning or tear-out, which can make it tricky to work with. There are many different varieties of birch wood, though the most commonly used types in North America are yellow or sweet birch.
While it can often be found in furniture in either solid wood or plywood form, it has also been used in a broad array of other objects, as well. Birch has been used to make a variety of items. Everything from turned objects — toys, toothpicks, decorative items, tongue depressors — to boxes, crates, trim, specialty items, paper, and furniture has been made from birch. And, as previously mentioned, birch is often used to make plywood and veneer, common materials in furniture.
Considered a higher-quality hardwood, maple is often used in more high-end furniture and flooring. It has also been used in sports equipment, bowling alley lanes, and pins, and was once a popular choice for baseball bats. The remarkable strength and durability of maple have been sought-after wood qualities for a long time. Because of its hardness and density, though, maple has been known to be tough to work with. It can have a dulling effect on tools, though soft maple is relatively easier to use in terms of woodworking.
There are many different variations of both birch and maple wood. Some of the most common types of birch wood include:. For birch plywood, baltic birch is commonly used, whereas solid birch wood products are usually made with yellow or sweet birch. Maple wood is available in hard or softwood varieties, and there are many different types of maple wood that are used in furniture. Unlike birch, there are some more considerable differences among variations of maple wood to consider.
Some of the most common types of maple wood include:. There are also various grain patterns that can be found in maple wood, such as birdseye, quilt, and curl. Depending on what form you are buying maple and birch wood in — regular lumber or a finished furniture product — there are some price differences to consider. There are many sources online where you can order lumber of different kinds in various sizes and quantities.
This site has a few different varieties available with different pricing, including rough lumber and surfaced S4S lumber. The reference list for price per board foot of different woods on this site contains a few variations of maple and birch. This site includes many more varieties of maple wood, including several unique variations of maple, all of which tend to run on the more expensive side. There are many areas where birch furniture would make a light or modern addition to a room.
Often used in furniture such as cabinets, tables, desks, and dressers, birch furniture will fit in well in nearly any room. Birch is often used in kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
Offices also are a good setting for birch furniture. Desks, shelves, cabinets, and tables made of birch can make for an attractive yet quality choice of office furniture. If you want to brighten up a room, birch wood finished with a clear coat to emphasize its natural, light color is a good choice.
If you are looking for outdoor furniture, you will want to stay away from solid wood products, as they are more susceptible to weather and the elements. Birch is especially prone to insects, rot, and decay, particularly if left exposed to the outdoors.
For birch furniture that will match a darker color scheme, anything made of birch heartwood as opposed to sapwood will have a slightly darker hue. Birch is also attractive when stained dark if done properly. It might be best to consult an experienced source when dealing with stained birch wood. In terms of the initial appearance, maple and birch share many qualities. The sapwood of maple is most widely used, and it exhibits a light, natural blond color.
Maple furniture goes well in multiple different settings in the home, office, or wherever else you want to place maple furniture. Everything from kitchen cabinets, dining tables, office or study desks, dressers, and even hardwood flooring made of maple are considered high-quality and long-lasting investments. If you prefer a darker wood but like the qualities and characteristics of maple, you have options. When done well, including proper sanding, conditioning, and finishing, stained maple adds a beautiful element to a room.
Both maple and birch have different varieties, advantages, and disadvantages to consider when deciding between the two.
Here are some key qualities of two of the most commonly used types of maple and birch:. There are a lot of similarities between maple and birch. The characteristics of birch and maple wood tend to be similar in more areas than they differ. Both are strong, light-colored hardwoods that are very popular in furniture, doors, cabinets, panels, and flooring. The grain patterns most commonly found in both have some differences, but overall are relatively fine with straight or slightly wavy lines.
When it comes to choosing between maple and birch, the deciding factor is usually cost. Great Resistance: Being stronger and denser than birch wood, maple wood resists dents, dings, scratches, and cracks easily.
Plus, it retains its organic beauty for years together, which makes it a hot favorite for homeowners looking for kitchen cabinets with high integrity value.
If you have a kitchen that receives high traffic, maple wood is a great option for you as it can handle the abuse well. Wide Availability: Much like birch wood, maple wood is also widely available, making it a popular wood choice for many homeowners pursuing kitchen remodeling.
Moreover, maple wood is available in a wide range of styles and colors, a factor that helps you build kitchen cabinets different types of kitchens. In fact, it boasts of an impermeable surface. As a result, it yields great results no matter what your choice of finish is. No blotchy results whatsoever! Prohibitively Expensive: Maple wood may be super sturdy, visually appealing and finish-friendly. However, it also comes with a hefty price tag.
Homeowners who have a tight kitchen remodeling budget may find it out of their reach. Prone to Discoloration: Expensive wood species come with a caveat and maple wood is no exception.
Being a premium hardwood variety, kitchen cabinets built with maple wood require great care and maintenance. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All these advantages make maple more expensive than birch wood. With a hardness of 1,, Janka scale , you will find maple to be incredibly strong. It has a pleasant appearance, and you can apply a variety of stains to it.
Maple wood enjoys wide popularity among woodworkers and furniture makers because of its light, creamy color, and smooth grain pattern. Maple is a highly-durable type of timber. You can find numerous species of maple trees across the world. Still, the popular variety that woodworkers use in the US is hard maple Acer saccharum , also known as sugar maple, or rock maple.
You will find sugar maple trees growing abundantly across Northern US and Canada — it is the national symbol of Canada and features in the national flag of that country. Sugar maple trees secrete maple sap, the main ingredient that goes into making maple syrup. Coming to birch, its color ranges from yellow-white to light brown, and like many other types of wood, it darkens with time. Birch exhibits a fine to medium pore structure and has a delicate, wavy grain pattern.
It also has a satiny surface. The varying density and fat content of the wood can produce some fascinating light effects. Birchwood is not a heavy wood and is sufficiently strong. Although it exhibits a fair degree of elasticity and toughness, it is not a very hard wood with a hardness of 1, Janka hardness. The most typical variety of birch that woodworkers use is yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis. It also looks good once stained and polished.
These properties make birch suitable for making into plywood. Birch plywood plays a prominent role in woodworking and construction projects. When it comes to cabinetry, both these wood types compete fiercely with each other, each one having distinct advantages and disadvantages. Freshly-cut maple is light, cream-colored, but will become yellowish to reddish-brown on extended exposure to direct sunlight, hence, making it unsuitable for outdoor use.
You can get some unique and unusual grain patterns from maple as opposed to the regular straight-grained variety. Occasionally, you will come across spalted maple, which adds further to the type of wood grain patterns that maple wood has to offer. You can identify birch by the long, horizontal grain structure and papery bark. After milling, however, you may find it difficult to make out the difference between birch and maple. But there are still some unique features that distinguish one wood from the other.
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