Hard Maple wood flooring has a dense and heavy grain which makes it a popular option for high traffic areas. The sapwood from Hard Maple is usually white in color and is called the heartwood, while the dark sapwood is referred to as the seedwood. The heartwood has a richer, deeper color that is often mistaken for a lighter colored grain but does not have the same durability. The heartwood is also stronger than the redwood making it a better choice for hard-floor installations.
Unlike softwoods like pine, birch, and oak, Hard Maple is a denser type of wood. This means that it has larger cells with fewer voids between them. This results in the hard maple being more durable and able to support more weight. Although it is denser than many other types of hardwood, it is still much easier to work with than some of the others. In fact, Hard Maple has one of the best warranties for any type of hardwood.
One of the reasons why Hard Maple is so ideal for flooring and installations is that it contains resins that resist moisture. It’s a well-known fact that moisture diminishes the strength of any material. If you drop a table or chair into a wet pile of snow, for instance, you’ll notice that the material sinks or becomes damaged within a short period of time. In contrast, hard maple has resins that lock moisture in its matrix. As such, the wood is able to resist damage caused by water damage or exposure to moisture which means that hard maple hardwood floors will last longer than many other types of hardwood.
Because of the durability and strength of its resins, there is little wonder that hard maple is used in the majority of North American residential and commercial construction. One of the reasons why this wood is so desirable is that it comes in a wide range of different colors and textures. One popular type of hardwood species is called soft maple. Soft maple trees are deciduous and grow to about 50 feet or about height. The branches of this tree are straight and the leaves are small.
This type of maple is quite sensitive to changes in growing conditions. It can be damaged quite easily if it is stressed in certain ways. When the humidity is reduced near the base of the tree’s leaves, the needles will tend to curl up or even fall off. This is an unfavorable growth scenario for this wood species. What is good about this wood species, however, is that it is readily available and can be grown in most climates.
● The lumber from maple trees is often referred to as white oak. It is not related to any other kind of hard maple wood species. This wood is typically used for floors and walls because of its affordability. It is also commonly found in furniture. Hardwood floors that are crafted from white oak are considered to be very valuable in the United States.
● One variety of maple hardwood species is the American Acer saccharum. Its bark has a silvery color, which fades to a lighter color when it is exposed to light. Unlike other varieties, American Acer saccharum does not branch out when growing. It grows upright and prefers moist to slightly acidic soil. It is one of the fastest-growing trees of the maple family in the United States.
● Other important hardwood species include the red maple, white maple, black walnut, European white oak, and the jack-o-lantern maple. These trees are widely available and you will surely find one that suits your needs.
These lumber varieties can also be used for crafting furniture and are available for purchase at Tropical Forest Products. Its lumber undergoes suitable treatments before it is exported, ensuring you get high-quality furniture that is sturdy, durable, and long-lasting.