Maple (Sugar / Hard)

Scientific Name:

Acer saccharum

Other Names and Species:

Bird's-eye Maple
Black Maple
Curly Maple
Hard Maple
Rock Maple
Rough Maple
Sugar Maple
Sweet Maple
Thumbnail Maple

Origin:

Throughout most of North America. Commercial species are concentrated in the eastern United States and Canada, particularly in the mid-Atlantic and Lake states.

Appearance:

The sapwood of sugar maple is a lovely creamy white, while the heartwood ranges from creamy white to light reddish brown. This wood has a closed, subdued grain and a uniform texture, with medium figuring. The figuring is variously described as quilted, curly, "bird's-eye," and "fiddleback." During the grading process, interestingly figured boards are often culled from the group and sold at a premium. Due to its light color and durability, maple is a popular choice when a "contemporary" look is desired for a wood floor.

Properties:

Like black maple (B. nigrum), sugar maple is classified as a hardwood (other species of maple are considered soft). And like teak and white oak, it has a high crushing strength. It is stiff, strong, dense, and extremely tough, with excellent shock resistance. It is notably resistant to abrasive wear; and for this reason, it is the hardwood flooring of choice for such high-traffic/hard-use locations as bowling alleys, basketball courts, and other sports facilities.

Janka Hardness: 1450

Hard maple is a harder and more durable variety of wood flooring. It is over twice as hard as Douglas fir, roughly six percent harder than white oak, about eighty-nine percent as hard as wenge, twenty-four percent softer than jarrah, and close to two thirds that of santos mahogany's ranking of 2200. In comparison, black sugar maple has a ranking of 1180.