Is American Beech A Hardwood

American beech beech copper beech red beech stone beech white beech winter beech.

Is american beech a hardwood.

Beech wood is used to make flooring furniture veneer plywood and railroad ties. Beech american beech fagus grandifolia. 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. It is great for laser engraving and is a cheaper alternative to more expensive woods like hard maple.

This is typical with just about any hardwood except for oak which takes about two full years to properly season. Beech has a fine even texture. That s because kiln drying beech in commercial quantities has its pitfalls. 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.

American beech is also commonly called beech. Beech wood has sapwood with a pale brown color and heartwood with adark brown to reddish brown tint. Butcher blocks clothes pins drum sticks flooring food containers furniture millwork mouldings. Another characteristic of beech lumber is that beech has small pores which allow for a fine finish to be achieved.

The wood grows throughout much of the eastern united states. Yet some beech does become woodenware and furniture parts as well as barrels for aging beer. After a year beech firewood burns great and it will keep you warm even during the coldest winter nights. Weight is about 46lbs per cu.

The tree is a hardwood and the lineal taxonomy is magnoliopsida fagales fagaceae fagus grandifolia ehrhart. Which may be due to its somewhat bland appearance. The american beech unlike most other hardwood trees the american beech retains this smooth bark throughout its mature years. Yet considering its decent strength and hardness and its comparatively low cost beech represents an excellent value for woodworkers.

High crush strength medium stiffness and. The grain is straight with a fine even texture. Beech wood is primarily reddish brown in color and slightly coarse with conspicuous rays and tiny pores. Its hard pliable strong and pretty wood however primarily furnishes stock for paper.

European beech fagus sylvatica scans pictures. American beech is sometimes underrated and under appreciated. Since it s a dense hardwood you should let beech season at least one year before burning it. Suitable for exterior interior use.

Beech fagus grandifolia is a medium to large size tree that originated in north america.