Maple

Scientific Name:
Acer saccharum

Origin:
Found 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, and "bird's-eye". 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" design is desired for the floor.

Properties:
Maple is classified as a hardwood 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
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.

Principal Uses:
Maple has been called "nature's perfect flooring," and it is known to have been used as flooring for sports activities going back over 150 years. As flooring, it has been used to create a bright, cheerful, and elegant ambiance in countless homes, as well as providing a highly durable surface in gymnasiums, bowling alleys, and dance floors.