The Species:

Flooring Trade Name: N. American Maple

Botanical Name: Acer, saccharum

Lumber Name: Hard Maple, Sugar Maple, N. American Maple

Grows In: North America

Products / Maple, N. American

Description:

N. American Maple is the world's premier "white" flooring wood and offers the lightest coloration of any wood flooring.

Color Range & Color Change:

Color Range: N. American Maple comes in an extreme range of color variability as the wood varies in color from the pale cream colored sapwood on through to the different tan/brown tones to dark brown colors found in the heartwood.

Color Change: N. American Maple undergoes a medium degree of color change, with slight ambering from a cream/white to a more golden cream color over time.

Hardness:

N. American Maple is 115% as hard as red oak (1450 on the Janka scale vs.1260 for red oak).

Where to Use:

N. American Maple may be used both residentially and commercially wherever the fine grained "white" look of maple is desired.

Stability:

N. American Maple is less stable than red oak and care must be taken to properly equalize solid wood flooring before installation and for engineered floors to maintain relative humidity between 35% and 65% once installed in order to minimize movement. In very dry climates Maple is prone to shrinking.

Allergic Reaction Potential:

N. American Maple has been known to cause contact dermatitis. Care should be taken when coming into contact with the saw dust. Also, wood dust in general can be a hazard.Feedback / Maple, N. American

Known Finish Issues:

There are no known finish compatibility issues with N. American Maple. However, ALWAYS test the finish you propose to use FIRST on test pieces to insure compatibility.