Maple wood is a practical material that is appreciated by lovers of beauty and true aristocrats. It is useful and beautiful, which is why many prefer it and choose furniture, stairs and various beautiful elements made from this wood. Thanks to the unique advantages, the material will serve for a long time without losing its properties and visual appeal.
The article will discuss the properties of maple sawn material, as well as whether it is worth buying this raw material for home design or construction. It's no secret that wood is the main material for the production of quality furniture, but is maple wood suitable for frame construction? These and many other facts about maple wood, you will learn in the process of reading the article. You will receive answers to your questions and will be able to move further in the study of wood species.
Wood characteristics
In the worldthere are about one hundred and fifty species of trees and shrubs, but only twenty species are found on our territory. If we talk about the use and properties of maple wood, as in the photo below, then it is worth saying that it is most often chosen for the manufacture of furniture and other household items.
Its structure is quite hard, elastic and durable. It has a beautiful and exquisite pattern that embellishes the material, making it especially decorative.
Wood density
When buying wooden furniture, sometimes we can see that the description contains information about the density of wood. Unfortunately, not all buyers understand the meaning of the written numbers. However, this is important, because this information helps to choose the necessary pieces of furniture, depending on the type of room.
Before buying a wooden product, you should decide what density is. Why is this feature so important? The density of maple wood is the ratio of mass to volume. The heavier the cubic meter of wood, the denser it is. The density of wood is directly related to moisture content. If the same piece of wood is exposed to different operating conditions, its density will change.
Please note that European maple has a density of 0.65g/cm3 and a hardness of 3.6g/cm3. These are average values that allow maple to be used so widely in the national economy.
Its hygroscopicity and strength depend on the density of wood. Dense wood is moredurable.
Application area of maple wood
Use wood in the furniture industry, make parquet, musical instruments, skis, chess pieces and facing panels. Its use has been popular since ancient times. In the old days, wagons, baking molds, oars, cutlery and much more were constructed from this material. Maple instrument bodies sound and look great.
Maple is grown specifically for wood, as it is well processed. This is a suitable material for the manufacture of stairs and railings, even maple wood decorates the room. Wood carving enthusiasts choose maple sawing material because it has a high resistance. This feature allows you to make the thinnest cuts without the appearance of splits. Elements made from this material are distinguished from other products by the presence of charm, uniqueness and sophistication.
For many centuries, maple has been used for such arts and crafts as intarsia. Specialists select multi-colored wood and cut it into thin strips. In this case, it is necessary to remove areas with defects. The ribbons are then glued together and the mosaics are cut out to form the pattern.
Use in garden design
Maple wood, pre-treated to resist rot, ideal for gazebos, patios, railings, playground elements.
This material makes excellent garden furniture - tables, benches, stools.
It is suitable for all kinds ofdecorative crafts with which to decorate the site.
Species diversity
There are many different species of this tree in the world, but the most common of them is Norway maple. It is not difficult to meet this breed, because maple sprouts in lowland forests. It is easy to distinguish this tree from other species. Representatives of the genus grow up to thirty meters in height and have a dense crown, similar to a tent.
Among maples there are also giants, for example, velvety. It grows up to fifty meters. Slightly smaller (forty meters high) sycamore grows. This representative is found in the mountain forests of the Caucasus. Also there are such types of maple:
- Hornbeam.
- Riverside.
- Manchu.
If we talk about varieties, then there are also a lot of them, for example:
- Crimson King Holly Maple. It has a spreading crown and large leaves.
- Atropurpurea false sycamore maple. Differs in a wide cone-shaped crown and beautiful five-pointed leaves.
- Ash-leaved maple Flamingo. A tree of modest size, very beautiful with variegated leaves. It is used to create a variety of compositions.
- Wieri - picturesque, silver maple.
- Fast growing Royal Red. This is a holly maple, has a wide cocoon-like crown.
American Maple Wood Features
Many types of maple grow in the Americas. Some of this listcan be found on other continents, for example, ash-leaved maple, the wood of which is very popular. Often this species is called a "killer" because it is aggressive, inhibits the growth of other plants.
Because American maple wood is not very durable, it is used to make dishes and other household items. And from its curved and twisted branches they make details for decorating the room, a variety of flower vases, sculptures and handles for knives. In many countries, American maple wood is used to create furniture, interior doors, make parquet and bowling alleys. The color of the wood depends on where the maple grows. Most often it is light brown and has a red tint. It has a uniform texture, which is sometimes decorated with curls.
American maple wood takes a long time to dry but is easy to process. It is also well glued, polished, covered with paints and varnishes. The advantages of wood include good flexibility, wear resistance and availability.
Properties of wood
Among hardwood species, maple wood is considered the most valuable and useful. Products made from maple wood are easy to recognize, as its beautiful core beams are immediately visible. The main properties of this material:
- Flexibility.
- Beautiful color.
- Wear resistance.
- Hardness.
- Strength.
During the steaming of wood, its color changes. This is veryinteresting feature. However, drying the material requires care. It is necessary to choose the optimal mode, since the wood can dry out and deform.
Material color palette
Furniture made from maple wood has a light brown tint. Most often, large structures are made from it, such as a chest of drawers or a wardrobe. Light furniture of large sizes visually expands the space, makes it lighter and more comfortable. Light brown color goes well with dark upholstery and a variety of large elements. Maple parquet looks advantageous, as it turns out to be a pleasant shade for the eye. In addition, it is strong and durable.
The color of maple wood changes after the stained raw material dries. It brightens up over time. Natural breed always remains light and uniform.
European maple wood looks very light, but takes on a yellowish tint when varnished, and when oiled, it acquires an amber sunny hue. This cannot be said about hard maple, the whitish color of which hardly noticeably changes after processing with paintwork materials. The wood of sugar maple and red maple is highly valued. It has a light brown tint, durable, easy to process.
The use of wood in the furniture industry
Maple wood is often chosen for making furniture. From this material, high-quality and outwardly attractive furniture is obtained, since it has practically no flaws. Maple wood is used to makecabinets, beds, chairs and tables. Maple competes in the furniture industry with boxwood, but it has a fairly high density, so products from it are heavier.
Wood of different colors is used in production. Tops made from solid maple are especially appreciated, but more often it is used as a decorative veneer.
Benefits of maple wood
Maple wood is a fairly affordable material. In addition, it has several advantages:
- Strength and reliability.
- Long service life.
- Simple and easy repair in case of product breakage.
- The ability to design beautiful quality furniture and many household items.
- Sustainable and natural.
- Uniformity of color from the center of the trunk to the periphery.
- Does not form cracks or chips during operation.
- Comparatively low price.
The main advantage of wood is, of course, its environmental friendliness and naturalness. Furniture made from natural raw materials has been in great demand for many years.
Since the material is durable, this has a positive effect on the operational life. Products for the production of which high-grade wood was used are of excellent quality, they are not affected by infection by various microorganisms. Other maple wood features:
- Has excellent acoustic properties.
- Resistant tonegative effects of chemical aggressive substances.
- Low thermal conductivity.
Using wood, it is necessary to take full advantage of its positive qualities and protect the material from the negative effects of various factors.
Disadvantages of wood
In this wonderful material, experts see only one significant drawback - it is prone to decay. However, this property is not limited to maple wood. To prevent decay, the material must be treated with special protective agents before use, the most effective of which is the PSB preparation.
Maple wood is widely used in many countries around the world. It is especially popular in Canada and the USA. Thanks to its strength, beautiful shade and extraordinary beauty, maple wood has been in high demand for many years.
