Thickness: 4/4 – 12/4

 

Grades: FAS/1F, Select & Better, 1 Common, 2 Common 

 

Other Common Names: Sugar Maple, Black Maple, Rock Maple

 

General Description: The sapwood is creamy white with a slight reddish brown tinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The amount of darker brown heartwood can vary significantly according to growing region. Both sapwood and heartwood can contain pith fleck. The wood has a close fine texture and is generally straight grained, but it can also occur as “curly”, “fiddleback”, and “birdseye” figure.

 

Distribution: Eastern USA, principally Northeastern and Lake States. A cold weather tree favoring a more northerly climate. The higher quality grades of lumber are available selected for white color (sapwood), although this can limit availability. Figured maple (birdseye, curly, fiddleback) is generally only available in commercial volumes as veneer.

 

Common Uses: Flooring, furniture, paneling, kitchen cabinets, worktops and table tops, interior joinery: stairs, handrails, moldings, and doors. The hard wearing properties and tight smooth grain make this species ideal for high traffic flooring applications, such as theatres, concert halls, gymnasiums and basketball courts.