Maple Lumber Beautiful Light Wood

Maple lumber is an important source of building material, veneer, furniture, floor and cabinet wood. Maple lumber is important both economically and symbolically, perhaps nowhere more than Canada. There are approximately 150 varieties of maple trees growing on earth. Of these, 13 are native to North America and 10 of these are found in Canada. One of the important economic resources of Canada and a product of sensible sustainable forest management is maple lumber.

Maple lumber falls into two broad categories, hard maple and soft maple. Hard maple includes those trees with a dense, tight grain. There are slight color differences between hard and soft maple, but for the most part the two woods are very similar in color. For some projects either hard or soft maple can be used. In fact, for some projects hard or soft can be mixed if necessary. In other projects, table or desk tops, for example, care must be given not to mix the two woods as soft maple takes a stain much more readily than hard maple. There are also significant strength, flexibility, gluing, machining and fastening differences between hard and soft maple.

Hard More Valuable Than Soft Maple

Hard maple lumber does not take a stain quite as readily as soft maple. The color it does take on will be more consistent and creamy. Hard maple is denser and therefore stronger. This is the wood that comes from rock maple or sugar maple trees and black maple trees. Hard maple is a terrific wood for fine furniture, floors and cabinets. Because of its more desirable characteristics, hard maple lumber is more valuable and is sold at higher prices than soft maple. Most people, when buying maple furniture, are expecting that it be made with hard maple lumber.

Maple lumber made from soft maple trees naturally has a slightly more grey color than hard maple. This wood takes a stain readily. When taking on stain, the graining in soft maple may exhibit a much wider range of color differences than hard maple. This is an attractive feature for some people. The coloration may be distinctly different, even with boards coming from the same log.

Maple lumber is a highly prized and desirable furniture and floor material. It is generally not used for dimension or structural lumber because of its value as a furniture wood and for hardwood maple floors. It is a much lighter wood than walnut, for example, and gives a room a much lighter, less formal appearance. When choosing wall covering, custom furniture, wood floors or woodcraft project material, consider maple lumber.