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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 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 Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Betula sp. Trade Name European birch Family Name Betulaceae Common Names Birch, English birch, European birch, Finnish birch, Swedish birch Regions of Distribution Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Sea Region, Western Europe Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Finland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom Common Uses Bobbins, Broom handles, Brush backs & handles, Cabinetmaking, Dowells, Flooring, Furniture , Joinery, Marquetry, Paneling , Plywood, Posts, Turnery, Veneer Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Europe (excluding the Mediterranean), North America, temperate Asia, and India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Heartwood Color Purple Red Brown Very light brown Sapwood Color Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Plain in appearance with no conspicuous features Texture Coarse Medium Fine and even Luster Medium Lustrous Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Perishable Non-resistant to termites Resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-durable Non-resistant to marine borers Susceptible to attack by fungi Sapwood is vulnerable to attack by furniture beetles resistant to powder-post beetle Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules UK=F (4/4) Drying Defects Splitting Checking Collapse Distortion Internal Honeycombing Possible Moderate to severe distortion Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Slowly Shrinkage Green to12% MC Rapid drying is recommended to avoid fungal attack Radial and tangential shrinkage from 4-7% Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Sapwood width is 15-20 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Bark width is 10-15 mm Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Boles of Birch trees in the British Isles are often crooked and irregular since they are usually found in mixed stands Blunting Effect Blunting effect on sawing is moderate Boring Fairly easy to very easy Worked surfaces are woolly Responds well to ordinary tools and other machining operations Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Surfaces tend to be woolly Cross-cutting and narrow bandsawing tends to be moderate Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good properties Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Stable Small Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Pre-boring recommended when nailing close to edges of material with irregular grain Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Wood tends to be woolly Requires reduced cutting angle Fair planing properties A reduced cutting angle of 15 degrees has been recommended to prevent irregular grain around knots and cross-grain from tearing Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood is permeable Perservative treatment works well for posts Heartwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Screwing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Very good Veneering Qualities Can be sliced into highly decorative veneers for paneling Steam Bending Good if free of pin knots and irregular grain Polishing Fair to Good Results Good results Staining Staining properties are good Lack of color and figure are useful for staining to match other woods Good substrate for colored stain finishes Strength Properties Heavy Hardness = medium Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = very high Strength properties are comparable to those of European beech (Fagus). Seasoned Silver birch is similar to Ash (Fraxinus) in toughness Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8472 16572 psi Density 40 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1205 lbs Impact Strength 29 40 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3594 8175 psi Shearing Strength 2027 psi Stiffness 1509 2024 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 13 18 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.61 Weight 47 40 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 595 1165 kg/cm2 Density 641 kg/m3 Hardness 546 kg Impact Strength 73 101 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 252 574 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 142 kg/cm2 Stiffness 106 142 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.91 1.26 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.61 References British Woodworking Federation. 1995. Which Wood . Published by the British Woodworking Federation, Broadway House, Tothill Street, London. 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. HMSO. 1985. Broadleaves. Forestry Commission Booklet No. 20. Text by H.E. Edlin. Revised by A.F. Mitchell. Forestry Commission, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Lavers, G.M. 1967. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50 (Spersedes Bulletin No. 45). Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California. Nairn, P.M., Editor. 1936. Wood Specimens - 100 Reproductions in Color - A Series of Selected Timbers Reproduced in Natural Color with Introduction and Annotations by H.A. Cox. The Nema Press, Proprietors of Wood, London.