Beech Wood Properties | Its Advantages and Disadvantages

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Introduction

Beech(Fagus) is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. Beech is a common name of a certain tree species. Such as European Beech, American Beech, Japanese Beech, and many more. These are almost identical to each other.

Beech Wood Uses

  1. The Beech Wood is excellent for firewood. Because it can be easily split and burns easily.
  2. It is also used for smoke meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, and cheese. It is famous to smoke Westphalian ham.
  3. Being a hardwood, beech is also used for manufacturing musical instruments. Such as Drums and Guitar bodies. Beech has a tone between those of Maple and Birch, both are the most popular drum woods.
  4. European beech has (1,450 lbf (6,460 N)) Janka and its weight is about 720 kg per cubic meter, higher than the American beech. Therefore it is suitable for furniture framing and door construction, flooring, and engineering purposes.
  5. The timber of beech is the best option for making chalets, houses, and log cabins.
  6. The European beech (Fagus sylvatica), most commonly grown as an ornamental tree.

Beech Wood Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages 

Good Appearance:

 Due to its fine and straight grain, it gives a uniform texture.

Workability: 

Due to its medium density and hardness, it holds the nail and screw very well. Its grain holds the polish and paint well and gives a finishing look. It can be easily banded into many shapes with the steam-bending method.

Hard and Tough:

 This is a hard and tough wood material, which is better for furniture and floor. It can withstand heavy loads. Due to its good hardness, it does not easily scratch and scars. Which is better for a floor owner.

Stable Hardwood:

 It is a stable wood. But it should be completely dry. Beech can cause problems when exposed to moisture.

Sustainable:

European and American Beech is sustainable and it is not listed in the CITES Appendices.

Disadvantages

Not for Exterior:

 It cannot withstand the changing weather and dust. It starts to rot only a few years after contact with the soil and moisture. Experts say the use of beech is not suitable for exterior applications.

Crack & Warps:

 If we use beech wood without paint and polish, then it starts to crack in a few years. Moisture can be the main reason for Crack & Warps. When it starts to dry again after the moisture, then it starts to bend, which causes a lot of cracks and gaps in the wood joints.

Absorbs water:

 It absorbs moisture very fast. To prevent this, it is better to use treated beech but its price is high. You can also use pants and polish to prevent moisture, but this is extra expensive.

Expensive: 

With these properties, it is more expensive than other wood. It needs regular maintenance and care.

Types of Beech Trees

There are many true and false species in the family of beech, but here are the names of the top 5 species as follows.

  1. American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
  2. European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
  3. Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’)
  4. Japanese Beech (Fagus Crenata)
  5. Tri-Color Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Tricolor’)