Birch plywood is made from laminations of birch veneer and it is light but strong. However, because of its tight grain pattern and glossy surface, even small dents or scratches on maple are visible. "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants"; Christopher Brickell and H. Marc Cathey, eds. Thanks to the wood's hardness, maple cabinets and furniture resist scratching better than birch. From Professor Gene Wengert, Sawing and Drying Forum technical advisor: Aspen poplar (not yellow poplar, also called tulip poplar) can look a lot like some of the pines. Birches happen to belong to their own plant family named Betulaceae. Birch: One of the toughest American woods, with fine grain and pleasing light tone similar to maple. The majority of both species are grown and harvested east of the Mississippi River. Birches also attain an upright, single-trunked habit with open, graceful branching. These dry fruits persist on the branches well after the fall foliage drops. Birch wood is fine-grained and pale in color with a satiny sheen. All the soft maple varieties rank lower than birch. On the Janka hardness scale, which ranks wood density, hard maple ranks 1,450. Birch is not used for flooring as much as maple. Some people think birch is too wild, and prefer the subtle, consistent tone of maple. are other members of the birch family, Betulaceae. Gardeners especially admire alder trees for their particularly long and showy catkin flowers in spring, which later yield cone-like fruits that change from green to brown. Acacia is beautiful a hard natural wood that is ideal for flooring type of the construction as it offers superb durability. Hard maple is harder and has more density than birch. Alder trees (Alnus spp.) Birch lumber isn't avalible in my area. Plywood is often overlooked when comparing hardwoods. He has worked professionally at gardens in Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The cost of an average set of kitchen cabinets made with birch plywood is considerably less than that of maple cabinets with a comparable amount of maple plywood. Alibaba.com offers 801 wood similar to birch products. Maple has two varieties, hard and soft. The soft category is separated into seven more irrelevant sub-categories. Birch and maple are both considered equally perishable, and susceptible to attack by bugs. Hard maple and birch will blunt woodworking tools. Hard maple and birch are not recommended for hand carving because of their hardness. Video of the Day Because it's more affordable, birch is used more often as a structural or building material for crates, concealed furniture parts, knobs, handles, kitchen items, chests, veneer and plywood. However, within the pines there are quite a few variations. Unless you are quite familiar with both alders and birches, you may not readily distinguish the two since their leaves, flowers and growth habits are so similar. Poplar and aspen trees are closely related. Hard maple is used in high-end homes, bowling alleys and dance halls; it's the queen of hardwood flooring. All Rights Reserved. It's also prized for fine furniture, clocks and specialty woodworking items. Jacob J. Wright became a full-time writer in 2008, with articles appearing on various websites. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Soft maple varieties are more comparable to birch in hardness and application than hard maple. The wood has the highest resistance to the dents and scratches hence best for the families that have kids as well as pets. It will be stained Golden Oak, so the grain and wood color is a factor. About 0% of these are ice cream tools. Soft maple encompasses quilted, burled, tiger and curvy maple varieties prized for solid-guitar bodies, musical instruments of all types and specialty items. If your match is critical, cut your plywood with long face grain and miter the corners to make the legs. Other examples of aspens with light-colored barks and upright, birch-like growth habits are bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) and the European aspen (Populus tremula). Maple typically demands higher prices, and is considered more exclusive than birch. The quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) has a ghostly gray smooth bark. Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992, and published a novel, “Dark Canyon,” in 2008. For example, SYP is heavy grained, as mentioned. Image Credit: Comstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images Birch and beech are similar in color and in the applications they're used for. Birch is readily available … Alder trees (Alnus spp.) Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Sixty different species of birch trees (Betula spp.). Soft maple can be used as a substitute for hard maple to save money in situations where low to moderate density is called for, such as profiled moldings, trim, plaques and carved items. In fact, both aspens and poplars share the same genus designation, Populus. Wright holds a graduate diploma in environmental horticulture from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a Master of Science in public horticulture from the University of Delaware. Therefore, they share many similar features to birches. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. These examples of poplar trees have upright habits and pale colored and fissured bark that looks somewhat like some birch tree species'. Unless you are quite familiar with both alders and birches, you may not readily distinguish the two since their leaves, flowers and growth habits are so similar. Birch has five varieties with no significant differences between them. Hard maple is roughly twice as hard as soft maple, and is often reserved for structural items like workbenches, and objects subject to high impact such as butcher blocks. Exclusively from the point of aesthetics, most hand-selected soft maple varieties are considered more beautiful than birch or hard maple. A grove of birch trees. Although aspens are in the willow family (Salicaceae), they display drooping catkin flowering in early spring before the leaves, just like birch trees. Others prefer the complex, complicated swirls that birch offers. When you compare birch and maple plywood, the only significant difference is aesthetics and cost. Differences in plywood weight, density and durability are minimal, no matter the species. Aspens also display golden yellow fall foliage. grow around various habitats in the Northern Hemisphere. Birch and maple plywood differences are mostly asthetics. Birch and maple are domestic hardwoods with similar characteristics and appearances, but they do have variations. Other examples of aspens with light-colored barks and upright, birch-like growth habits are bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) and the European aspen (Populus tremula). By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, Woodworker Source: Wood Database and Searchable Library Birch Betula Alleghaniensis, The Wood Database: Differences Between Hard and Soft Maple. Several species of aspen (Populus spp.) The majority of dealers, builders and woodworkers refer to maple and birch generically. Birch comes in two varieties: yellow and white. Poplars look like aspens which in turn mock many characteristics of birch trees. Unless you are quite familiar with both alders and birches, you may not readily distinguish the two since their leaves, flowers and growth habits are so similar. However, if you're purchasing maple for a specific project, requiring strength over beauty, it's best to specify hard or soft. Carbide-tipped blades and knives are recommended. Some examples of poplars that are birch- and aspen-like are the black poplar (Populus nigra), western balsam poplar (Populus trichocarpa), and gray poplar (Populus x canescens). Maple consistently comes in shades of white, cream or off-white. Birch grain patterns are similar to maple. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Birch, with its more complicated grain patterns, hides scratches better than maple. Whereas, Birchwood is a good choice for furniture too. For the average homeowner, the differences may not be significant, but when you consider cost, the variance may add up. For the average homeowner, the differences may not be significant, but when you consider cost, the variance may add up. mimic many of the same ornamental features of birch tree species. are other members of the birch family, Betulaceae. Because of innate hardness, maple and birch can be tricky to cut. Both types of birch have a hardness of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. Burns and sometimes binding can occur when you're sawing or planing the woods, due to tension released when the boards are cut. Sixty different species of birch trees (Betula spp.) Maple typically demands higher prices, and is considered more exclusive than birch. However one variety, yellow birch, is more widespread than others. Japanese alder (Alnus japonica) and gray alder (Alnus incana) attain a mature form much like birch trees.