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Common Name(s): Paper Birch Scientific Name: Betula papyrifera Distribution: Northern and central North America Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 38 lbs/ft3 (610 kg/m3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .48, .61 Janka Hardness: 910 lbf (4,050 N) Modulus of Rupture: 12,300 lbf/in2 (84.8 MPa) Elastic Modulus: 1,590,000 lbf/in2 (10.97 GPa) Crushing Strength: 5,690 lbf/in2 (39.2 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 6.3%, Tangential: 8.6%, Volumetric: 16.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.4 |
Color/Appearance: Heartwood tends to be a light reddish brown, with nearly white sapwood. Occasionally figured pieces are available with a wide, shallow curl similar to the curl found in Cherry. There is virtually no color distinction between annual growth rings, giving Birch a somewhat dull, uniform appearance.
Grain/Texture: Grain is generally straight or slightly wavy, with a fine, even texture. Low natural luster.
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; primarily radial multiples; medium pores in no specific arrangement, moderately numerous to numerous; parenchyma marginal, and sometimes diffuse-in-aggregates (faintly visible with lens); narrow rays, spacing fairly close to close.
Rot Resistance: Birch is perishable, and will readily rot and decay if exposed to the elements. The wood is also susceptible to insect attack.
Workability: Generally easy to work with hand and machine tools, though boards with wild grain can cause grain tearout during machining operations. Turns, glues, and finishes well.
Odor: No characteristic odor.
Allergies/Toxicity: Birch in the Betula genus has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include skin and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Pricing/Availability: Likely to be rather economical in most instances. Figured boards can be more expensive, but normally plain birch lumber is in the same price range as maple or oak.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Common Uses: Plywood, boxes, crates, turned objects, interior trim, and other small specialty wood items.
Comments: Birch is one of the most widely used woods for veneer and plywood worldwide. Besides regular sheets of plywood, Birch veneer is also used for doors, furniture, and paneling.
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I’m letting out to learn how to work paper birch for fine furniture since it grows abundantly where I live and with proper finishing does look rather attractive. Paper birch, however, is clearly not a substitute for yellow birch and there’s no comparison. If the dealer is reputable and the price is more than $5.00 a board foot it has to be yellow birch or they are swindling you. Rough or S1S paper birch should cost $2.50 to $4.00 a board foot. For S2S paper birch, you might go as high as $4.50, that’s it. Yellow birch is a march… Read more »
I noticed that paper birch is significantly softer and weaker than yellow birch or sweet birch. Since my hardwood dealer does not specify the kind of birch, how can I avoid buying the inferior (for my application) paper birch? I’m not sure how to distinguish paper- , sweet- , and yellow-birch.
Very much in the same boat, using birch for structural and hoping for yellow, but no way to find out what I am getting. The weights overlap so that’s not reliable.
Sure would love to find out how to separate yellow from rest.
Help?
Take a slice of paper birch with you when you go lumber shopping. Yellow birch has a denser/darker end grain than paper birch. Easy to tell when you hold them side by side.
Yellow birch has a denser/darker end grain than paper birch.