As you may have guessed by now, maple wood is strong! In fact, maple wood is second in hardness only to hickory wood. This makes it a natural choice for many, many different types of flooring. Maple is the second most popular choice for hardwood floors in the United States, just behind Oak.
That being said, maple is a slightly stronger hardwood product than oak. Maple is one of the strongest and most durable natural wood options available. It holds up well resisting significant dents or dings. We'll use the Janka scale of hardness as reference.
Both hard maple and soft maple are harvested from dicot trees, so both types are technically hardwoods. Hard maple, or sugar maple, is the most durable of the maple species with a janka value of 1,450, which makes it one of the hardest domestic woods used in furniture making.
Sensitive to Humidity and Heat – Like most hardwood varieties, maple is sensitive to extreme humidity and temperature changes. If summer humidity is an issue in your home, this wood isn't suitable as it can expand and contract, warp and split.
The higher the rating, the harder the wood species is. Maple has an impressive hardness rating of roughly 1450, while walnut measures at a still respectable 1010.
What is the hardest wood in North America? Of locally available woods, Black Ironwood is typically the strongest type of wood you can find in America. It's found in Florida and has a 3,660 lbf (16,280 N) Janka rating. Other strong North American woods include species of hickory, maples, oaks, walnuts, and beeches.
Most experts are of the opinion that the Australian Buloke, which is an ironwood tree, provides the hardest wood in the world, with a Janka hardness rating of 5,060 lbf.
Other hardwoods like oak have a natural defense against moisture and insects. Maple doesn't, and as such, it's vulnerable to wood rot, decay, and insect attack.
Note: A hardwood named Quipo (Cavanillesia platanifolia) is commonly reported as the softest known wood, with an alleged Janka hardness of 22 lbf (98 N).
Pros: Maple is affordable and ultra-durable. It can take a beating and look great for years. Because it takes dark stains well, maple is often stained to mimic a pricier wood, like cherry or mahogany (which is a controversial pick itself because of deforestation in the regions where it's harvested).
Ash, Maple, and Cherry are more abundant as they grow larger but have highly sought after aesthetics in the grain which make them less expensive than Walnut but more expensive than some hardwoods. Birch is slightly cheaper than all of these because the natural tones in the wood grain are not as even.
Hard maple can also be seen with curly or quilted grain patterns. Grain/Texture: Grain is generally straight, but may be wavy. Has a fine, even texture. Rot Resistance: Rated as non-durable to perishable, and susceptible to insect attack.
With a rating of 1450 on the Janka hardness scale, Maple is one of the hardest species of wood commonly used for flooring. Cherry, on the other hand, is one of the softest hardwoods in the flooring industry, with a Janka rating of 950.
Unlike other woods that can warp or even crack, maple can handle changes in temperature and humidity. It's also beautiful to look at.
Oak is generally slightly more expensive than Maple, the cost of the floored depends on the width and length of the floorboards, the grade of the lumber and several other factors.
Both maple and bamboo are very durable. Although, many will argue bamboo is more durable because it is harder and not as porous as maple. Usability – Sometimes, you may want to look for a specific feature, like non-slip edges that will keep your cutting board from sliding across the counter.
With its massive trunk and staggering verticality, it's difficult not to be awed while in its presence. Adding to that, it is wrapped in fire-resistant bark and it repels damaging insects, making the sequoia virtually indestructible.
Pine, fir, and spruce: cone-bearing trees make for a beautiful sight in the forest, but their wood shouldn't make up the bulk of your firewood pile, especially for indoor fires. Beneath their bark, conifers have a sticky, protective substance called pitch or resin that you won't find in trees like oak or maple.
Trees like pines, firs, or cypress have "soft" wood, which burns fast, leaves few coals, and makes a lot of smoke that can coat your chimney with soot (not a safe thing in the long run).
Which Wood Lasts the Longest? Teak wood easily lasts the longest when used for outdoor furniture or decking. When properly maintained, it can last for the entirety of your life and years after.
Maple wood kitchen cabinets are incredibly versatile! And far from outdated. They're one of the most durable woods used in kitchen cabinets, and with the right finishes, they can fit in perfectly with any look, whether it's a traditional, modern, rustic, or contemporary kitchen.
Naturally resistant woods that are commercially available include black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), teak (Tectona grandis), ipe (Tabebuia spp.), California redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). These have the highest resistance to rot over time.
African Blackwood
It is considered as the most expensive wood in the world because not only it is challenging to work with hand or machine tools, its trees are already near-threatened. But as expensive as it may seem, African Blackwood is worth the price.
The strongest and hardest timber choice, oak is an extremely popular type of wood for building timber frames in new construction. Both red oak and white oak are fast-growing and relatively abundant in North America, making it easily accessible in these areas.