North American Hardwoods

Red Oak

Quercus spp.

General Description
The sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and the heartwood is often a pinkish reddish brown. The wood is similar in general appearance to white oak, but with a slightly less pronounced figure due to the smaller rays and a more porous end grain structure. The wood is mostly straight grained with a coarse texture.

Other Common names
Northern red oak, Southern red oak

Distribution & Availability
Widespread throughout Eastern USA. The oaks are by far the largest species group growing in the Eastern hardwood forests. Red oaks grow more abundantly than the white oaks. The red oak group comprises many species, of which about eight are commercial. Excellent availability as lumber or veneer in a wide range of grades and specifications. Red oak is often classified according to growing regions and marketed as Northern red oak and Southern red oak.

Physical & Mechanical Properties
The wood is hard and heavy, with medium bending strength and stiffness and high crushing strength. It is very good for steam bending. More detailed strength information is available in AHEC’s publication Structural design in American hardwoods.

Working Properties
Red oak machines well; nailing and screwing is good although pre-boring is recommended, and it can be stained and polished to a very good finish. It performs best when dried slowly, reducing the opportunity for degrade such as splits and warp. It has a high shrinkage and can be susceptible to movement in performance under variable moisture conditions.

Main Uses
Construction, furniture, flooring, architectural interiors, internal joinery, stairs and mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, panelling and coffins. Not suitable for tight cooperage. Red oak can vary in colour, texture, characteristics and properties according to the growing region. It is therefore recommended that users and specifiers work closely with their suppliers to make sure the wood they order is suited to their specific needs.

Other Information
This attractive looking oak, that is widely available, is increasingly being chosen by designers and architects for furniture, joinery and flooring in export markets around the world. While some red oak can have a distinct pink or red colour, other supplies can appear very similar to white oak. This is especially true once a finish is applied, which results in more ‘mixed oak’ products. The large volume of red oak production ensures that lumber availability is good and that a high proportion of long, wide boards with uniform grain can be obtained. For the same reason, red oak is increasingly available sorted to width and length for specific applications.

Walnut

Juglans nigra

General Description
The sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. Walnut is usually supplied steamed, which darkens the sapwood, but a very unique look can also be achieved by leaving it natural. The wood is generally straight grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. The dark heartwood will lighten in colour as it ages overtime with exposure to UV light.

Other Common names
Black walnut, American walnut

Distribution & Availability
Throughout Eastern USA, but principal commercial region is the central United States. One of the few American species planted as well as naturally regenerated. Reasonable availability in both lumber and veneer.

Physical & Mechanical Properties
Walnut is a tough, hard timber of medium density, with moderate bending and crushing strengths and low stiffness. It has a good steam bending classification.

Working Properties
Walnut works easily with hand and machine tools, and nails, screws and glues well. It holds paints and stains very well and can be polished to an exceptional finish. It performs best when dried slowly, reducing the opportunity for degrade. Walnut has good dimensional stability.

Main Uses
Furniture, cabinet making, architectural interiors, high class joinery, doors, flooring, gunstocks and panelling. A favoured wood for using in contrast with lighter coloured timbers.

Other Information
The NHLA grades have been altered for this species because of availability and nature of the timber growth (around 1% of the standing forest resource). The FAS lumber grade allows a 5 inch minimum width and 6 foot minimum length. When steamed, the sapwood, which is not considered a defect, will turn a darker colour to assist blending in the finishing process and is admitted without limit. Discuss with your supplier for more information.

Cherry

Prunus serotina

General Description
The heartwood of American cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken on exposure to light. In contrast the sapwood is creamy white. Cherry can be supplied steamed, to darken sapwood or left unsteamed. The wood has a fine uniform straight grain, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.

Other Common names
American black cherry

Distribution & Availability
Found throughout Eastern USA, but main commercial areas are Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York State. Although cherry accounts for less than 2% of the growing hardwood resource, it is widely available in a full range of specifications and grades as both lumber and veneer.

Physical & Mechanical Properties
The wood is of medium density with good wood bending properties. It has low stiffness, medium strength and shock resistance.

Working Properties
Cherry is easy to machine. It nails and glues well and when sanded, stained and polished, it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately large shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kilning.

Main Uses
Furniture and cabinet making, high-class joinery, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, panelling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turning and carving. The subtle range of red tones found in the heartwood have made this species very fashionable for many high end applications.

Other Information
On exposure to UV light, cherry products with a natural finish will generally darken in colour over time. This premium wood has naturally occurring pin knots and gum streaks which are not considered defects. Sapwood is admitted without limit. Because of this NHLA rule, cherry lumber is often sold with a heartwood specification such as 90/50, which means one face will be 90% heartwood and not less than 50% heartwood on the reverse face. Consult your supplier about how their cherry is being sold.

Hard Maple

Acer saccharum, Acer nigrum

General Description
The sapwood is creamy white with a slight reddish brown tinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The amount of darker brown heartwood can vary significantly according to growing region. Both sapwood and heartwood can contain pith fleck. The wood has a close fine texture and is generally straight grained, but it can also occur as “curly”, “fiddleback”, and “birdseye” figure.

Other Common names
Sugar maple, black maple

Distribution & Availability
Eastern USA, principally Northeastern and Lake States. A cold weather tree favouring a more northerly climate. Widely available as lumber and veneer. The higher quality grades of lumber are available selected for white colour (sapwood), although this can limit availability. Figured maple (birdseye, curly, fiddleback) is generally only available in commercial volumes as veneer.

Physical & Mechanical Properties
The wood is hard and heavy with good strength properties, in particular its high resistance to abrasion and wear. It also has good steam bending properties.

Working Properties
Hard maple dries slowly with a large shrinkage, so it can be susceptible to movement in performance. Pre-boring is recommended when nailing and screwing. With care it machines well, turns well, glues satisfactorily, and can be stained and polished to an outstanding finish.

Main Uses
Flooring, furniture, panelling, kitchen cabinets, worktops and table tops, interior joinery: stairs, handrails, mouldings, and doors. The hard wearing properties and tight smooth grain make this species ideal for high traffic flooring applications, such as theatres, concert halls, gymnasiums and basketball courts.

Other Information
The lighter coloured sapwood will tend to darken over time on exposure to UV light. Hard maple lumber is often sorted for the white (sapwood) colour, which the NHLA grading rules define as White maple or Sap maple. For more information, refer to AHEC’s publication The Illustrated Guide to American Hardwood Lumber Grades.

Yellow Birch

Betula alleghaniensis

General Description
Yellow birch has a white sapwood and light reddish brown heartwood. The wood is generally straight grained with a fine uniform texture.

Distribution & Availability
Eastern USA, principally Northern and Lake States. Reasonable availability, but more limited if selected for colour, i.e. red birch (heartwood) or white birch (sapwood). Increasingly found in export markets, although volumes produced may limit sizes and grades available.

Physical & Mechanical Properties
The wood of yellow birch is heavy, hard and strong. It has very good wood bending properties, with good crushing strength and shock resistance.

Working Properties
The wood works fairly easily, glues well with care, takes stain and polish extremely well, and nails and screws satisfactorily where pre-boring is advised. It dries rather slowly with little degrade, but it has moderately high shrinkage, so can be susceptible to movement in performance.

Main Uses
Furniture, internal joinery and panelling, doors, flooring, kitchen cabinets, turning and toys.

Other Information
Often sorted for sap (sapwood) or red (heartwood). When sorted for colour, the FAS grade will allow a 5 inch minimum width. Refer to the NHLA’s Rules for the Measurement & Inspection of Hardwood & Cypress for colour sorting specifications. Paper birch is a much softer textured birch species, which is lighter in colour, with scattered brown flecks and should not be confused with yellow birch.

Ash

Fraxinus spp.

General Description
American ash is similar in appearance to European ash. The sapwood is light coloured to nearly white and the heartwood varies from greyish brown to light brown, to pale yellow streaked with brown. The wood is generally straight grained with a coarse uniform texture. The degree and availability of light coloured sapwood, and other properties, will vary according to the growing regions. For example, Southern ash lumber will be faster grown and contain more sapwood and therefore, a higher percentage of white colour, but compared to Northern ash, it has a more open texture and grain.

Other Common names
Northern ash, Southern ash

Distribution & Availability
Distributed throughout Eastern USA. Good availability as lumber and veneer. The lumber is often classified according to growing regions and marketed as Northern ash and Southern ash. It is sometimes separated for colour and sold as white ash (sapwood) or brown ash (heartwood). American ash can comprise a number of commercial sub species and is available in a wide range of grades and specifications as lumber and veneer. Note that white ash is the commercial name for Fraxinus americana.

Physical & Mechanical Properties
Ash has very good overall strength properties relative to its weight. It has excellent shock resistance and is good for steam bending. Additional strength information is available in the AHEC publication Structural design in American hardwoods.

Working Properties
Ash machines well, is good in nailing, screwing and gluing, and can be stained and polished to a very good finish. It dries fairly easily with minimal degrade, and good stability means there is little movement in performance.

Main Uses
Furniture, flooring, doors, architectural interiors, high class joinery and moulding, kitchen cabinets, panelling, tool handles, sports goods and turning. A versatile, good-looking wood, offering great value for a wide range of joinery and furniture applications.

Other Information
Light brown flecks or mineral streaks, sometimes referred to as glassworm, are common and are treated as a natural characteristic and not considered as defects.