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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Betula lenta Trade Name Sweet birch Family Name Betulaceae Common Names Birch, Black birch, Cherry birch, Sweet birch Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Boxes and crates, Building materials, Butcher blocks, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Cooperages, Core Stock, Cutting surfaces, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hardwood distillation, Hatracks, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Musical instruments , Office furniture, Organ pipes, Packing cases, Paneling , Piano keys, Pianos , Plain veneer, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Sounding boards, Stools, Veneer Environmental Profile Secure in many areas of its range Likely rare at the periphery of its range Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Distribution Overview The growth range extends from southern Maine, west to New York, New Jersey and eastern Ohio, south mostly in the mountain areas, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky to the western portions of North Carolina, the extreme northwest South Carolina, northern Georgia, Alabama and eastern Tennessee. In Canada, it is found in limited numbers in eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec. It grows best in the ancient forest loam and can almost always be found near mountain streams at the head of coves where its deep, smooth, mahogany-red bark stands out. The tree can also be found on rocky, boulder- strewn sites in spite of its need for nourishment. On poor soil, it is apt to be shrubby and have a stunted appearance. Estimated to range from Cool Temperate Moist to Wet through Boreal Moist to Wet Forest Life Zones, and to tolerate annual precipitation of ca 6 to 15 dm, annual temperature of 5 to 12°C, and pH of 4.5 to 7.5. Farther south in rich woods and heath balds. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow Purple Golden brown with a reddish cast Sapwood Color White White to yellow Light reddish brown Grain Even Generally straight Naturally beautiful figure makes it a very attractive wood for furniture. Texture Medium Coarse Fine and even Luster Low Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable not resistant to decay Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T8 - C3 (8/4) US T10 - C4 (4/4) Drying Defects Internal Honeycombing Possible Distortion Collapse Checking Warping can be expected Ease of Drying Rapidly Thick Stock Requires Care Moderately Difficult to Difficult High shrinkage Difficult Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Forest trees are reported to develop long straight boles, but trees growing elsewhere and on poor soils tend to be shrubby, with a stunted appearance Substitutes Determa (Ocotea rubra ) is equal to or superior to Yellow Birch in terms of strength properties. These species are comparable to those of Yellow birch: Black cherry (Prunus serotina ), European cherry (Prunus avium ) These are similar in appearance: Anegre (Aningeria altissima, A. dombeyi A. robusta ), Pau marfim (Balfourodendron riedelianum ) These are also good substitutes: Copal (Protium paraense, P. sagotianum , P. decandrum ) and White tabebuia (Tabebuia insignis) Comments Generally hard, heavy, strong, high resistance to shock Blunting Effect Little Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Good results Carving Fair to Good Results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Gluing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Exceptional mortising properties Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Stable Small Nailing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor nailing properties Holds nails well Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Wood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to Work Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Difficult to sand Screwing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor screwing properties Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Rotary cutting will yield a growth ring pattern of darker, reddish-brown veins Can be sliced into highly decorative veneer for cabinets Can be converted into highy decorative veneers for paneling and marquety Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fair/moderate Painting Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Hardness = medium Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very low Bending strength (MOR) = very high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9212 16562 psi Crushing Strength 461 1058 psi Hardness 1441 lbs Impact Strength 47 46 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3665 8369 psi Shearing Strength 2195 psi Stiffness 1617 2127 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 16 18 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.55 0.6 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 15 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 647 1164 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 32 74 kg/cm2 Hardness 653 kg Impact Strength 119 116 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 257 588 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 154 kg/cm2 Stiffness 113 149 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 1.12 1.26 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.55 0.6 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods -Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Flynn Jr., J.H. Betula lenta - Sweet birch. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 65-66. HMSO, 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month: American Birch - A Furniture Favorite. Wood and Wood Products, February, 1993. Page 30. Kloot, N. H. and E. Bolza. 1961. Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia. Technological Paper No. 12. Division of Forest Products, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization, Melbourne, Australia. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.