Maple wood is a practical material that lovers of beauty and true aristocrats value. It is useful and beautiful, which is why many prefer it and choose furniture, stairs and a variety of beautiful elements made from this wood. Due to its unique advantages, the material will serve for a long time without losing its properties and external attractiveness.
The article will discuss what properties sawing material from maple has, as well as whether it is worth buying such an option for raw materials for home construction or construction. It's no secret that wood is the main material for the production of quality furniture, but is wood maple suitable for frame construction? These and many other facts concerning maple wood, you will learn in the process of reading the article. You will receive answers to your questions and can move forward in the study of wood species.
Wood characteristics
There are approximately one hundred and fifty species of trees and shrubs in the world, but only twenty species are found on our territory. If we talk about the application 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 items for the home.
Her structure is quite solid, elastic and strong. She has a beautiful and sophisticated pattern that adorns the material, makes 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 select the necessary items 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? Maple wood density is the ratio of mass to volume. The heavier a cubic meter of wood, the denser it is. The density of the tree is directly dependent on humidity. If the same piece of wood is under different operating conditions, its density will change.
Please note that the density of the European maple is 0.65 g / cm 3 and the hardness is 3.6 g / cm 3 . These are average values that allow the use of maple so widely in the national economy.
The hygroscopicity and strength depend on the density of wood. Dense wood is more durable.
Scope of maple wood
They use wood in the furniture industry, make parquet, musical instruments, skis, chess pieces and facing panels. Its use has become popular in ancient times. In the old days, carts, baking dishes, oars, cutlery and much more were constructed from this material. Musical instrument cases made from maple sound great and look.
Maple is grown specifically for wood, because 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 is highly resistant. This feature allows you to make the finest slices without splitting. Elements made of this material differ from other products in the presence of charm, uniqueness and sophistication.
For many centuries, the maple breed has been used for such decorative and applied art as intarsia. Specialists select multicolored wood and cut it into thin ribbons. In this case, it is necessary to remove areas with defects. Then the tapes are glued and cut out mosaics, folding the pattern.
Use in garden design
Maple wood, pre-treated against decay, is ideal for creating arbors, patios, railings, elements for playgrounds.
This material makes excellent garden furniture - tables, benches, stools.
It is suitable for all kinds of decorative crafts with which you can decorate the site.
Species diversity
In the world there are many different types of wood of this species, but the most common of them is acutifolia. It is not difficult to meet this breed, because maple sprouts in the lowland forests. This tree is easy to distinguish 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 giants, for example velvety. It grows to fifty meters. A little smaller (forty meters in height) grows sycamore. This representative is found in the mountain forests of the Caucasus. Also there are such types of maple:
- Brave-headed.
- Riverside.
- Manchurian.
If we talk about varieties, then there are also a lot of them, for example:
- Holly Maple Crimson King. Has a sprawling crown and large leaves.
- Atropurpurea False Maple. It features a wide conical crown and beautiful five-pointed leaves.
- Ashen Maple Flamingo. A tree of modest size, very beautiful with variegated leaves. It is used to create a variety of compositions.
- Wieri - a picturesque, silver maple.
- Fast-growing Royal Red. This is a holly maple, has a wide crown similar to a cocoon.
American Maple Wood: Features
Many species of maple grow on the American continent. Some of this list can be found on other continents, for example ash maple, whose wood is very popular. Often this species is called the "killer" because it is aggressive, inhibits the growth of other plants.
Since American maple wood is not very durable, it is used to make dishes and other household items. And from its curved and twisted branches make parts for decorating the room, a variety of flower vases, sculptures and handles for cold steel. In many countries, American maple wood is used to create furniture, interior doors, parquet and bowling alleys. The color of the wood depends on where the maple sprouted. 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 dries for a long time, but is easy to process. She also glues well, polished, covered with paints and varnishes. The advantages of wood include good flexibility, wear resistance and affordability.
Wood properties
Among hardwoods, maple wood is considered the most valuable and useful. Products made from maple wood are easy to recognize, because its beautiful core rays are immediately visible. The main properties of this material:
- Flexibility.
- Beautiful colour.
- Wear resistance.
- Hardness.
- Strength.
During steaming the wood its color changes. This is a very interesting 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, such as a chest of drawers or a cabinet, are made of it. 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, because it turns out a pleasant shade for the eye. In addition, it is strong and durable.
The color of maple wood changes after the drying of raw materials coated with stains. Over time, it brightens. Natural breed always remains light and uniform.
The wood of European maple looks very light, but it takes on a yellowish tint after varnishing, and when processed with oil, it acquires an amber sunny tint. This can not be said about a solid maple, the whitish color of which changes only slightly after treatment with paintwork. Sugar and red maple wood is much appreciated. It has a light brown tint, durable, easy to process.
The use of wood in the furniture industry
For the manufacture of furniture, maple wood is chosen very often. From this material, high-quality and outwardly attractive furniture is obtained, since it has practically no drawbacks. Maple wood is used to make cabinets, beds, chairs and tables. Boxwood is a competitor of maple in the furniture industry, but it has a rather high density, so products from it are more heavy.
Different colors of wood are used in the production. Countertops made from solid maple wood are especially appreciated, but they are more often used as veneers for decor.
Maple Wood Benefits
Maple wood is a fairly affordable material. In addition, it has several advantages:
- Durability and reliability.
- Long service life.
- Simple and easy repair in case of breakage of the product from it.
- The ability to design beautiful quality furniture and many household items.
- Environmentally friendly and natural.
- The uniformity of color from the center of the trunk to the periphery.
- During operation, does not form cracks and chips.
- Relatively low price.
The main advantage of wood is, of course, its environmental cleanliness 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 subject to infection by a variety of microorganisms. Other features of maple wood:
- It has excellent acoustic properties.
- It is steady against negative influences of chemical aggressive substances.
- It features low thermal conductivity.
Using wood, you must make full use of its positive qualities and protect the material from the negative effects of various factors.
Wood deficiencies
Experts see only one significant drawback of this remarkable material - it is subject to decay. However, this property is not limited to maple wood. To prevent rotting, before use, the material must be treated with special protective agents, the most effective of which is the PSB preparation.
Maple wood is widely used in many countries of the world. It is especially popular in Canada and the United States. Due to its strength, beautiful shade and extraordinary beauty, maple wood has remained in great demand for many years.