Beech

Botanical Name: Fagus grandifolia

Beech trees grow throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. The American Beech is found in North America where it generally grows in the eastern portion of the United States and in eastern Canadian provinces.

The largest production of beech trees for lumber is in the Central and Middle Atlantic states. Those trees grow until a average of 120 feet in height. They can cover an area between 50 to 70 feet. The largest trees are generally found in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys where they can live to be 300 to 400 years old.

History

Ancient peoples of Asia first used a written form of language. They carved their words into trunks of the beech tree. The writings would after be cut out of the bark and were called “bok”.

While beech wood is now generally used for flooring, in the past it has been used to make mortars, pestles, snuff boxes, toys, baskets, railroad ties, plywood, and brush handles.

Durability

The Janka scale rating is the key for determining the durability of a hardwood floor. This scale places a numerical value on the softness or hardness of a type of wood. A score of zero indicates is very soft wood while a high score of 4000 indicates the wood is much too hard for flooring.

The Janka scale rating of the beech wood is 1300, making it slightly harder than red oak and indicating that flooring made from beech lumber is perfect for hardwood floors with moderate to heavy foot traffic.

Workability

Beech lumber is very difficult to work with hand tools. Once with the evolution of technology, machinery beech lumber is much easier to work with.

Because beech lumber could shrink, it is very important to be dried carefully. After being dried, the beech is strong, heavy, and hard.

Furthermore, it is resistant to shock and quite suitable to steam bending. It wears very well once processed and is treated with preservatives.Keep in mind that it can be a bit difficult to stain. Both gluing and nailing properties are good.

Where to use

The durability of beech flooring makes it a perfect suitable almost anywhere. It is not recommended to install the beech flooring in areas with frequent exposure to moisture or to standing water (for example bathrooms). It is best to use beech flooring only if the natural color is desirable because of the difficulty staining this wood. The uniform color and texture of this flooring makes it a perfect pick for customers who want to go for a less visible delineation between the sapwood and the heartwood.

Care and Maintenance

Keep in mind that even beech wood flooring is hard and durable, it is still a wood which can be damaged.

Preventative maintenance begins with placing runners or rugs in high traffic areas such as entryways and hallways. Remember that wearing shoes with heels on the floor can damage it in time. You should place pads under the legs of furniture and chairs to limit deep gouges. People who own animals should keep the their nails trimmed in order to prevent scrapes.

Constant care is also important in maintaining the beauty of the beech floors. Sweeping on a regular basis, or vacuuming on a hardwood setting, can remove sand and dirt. Spills need to be cleaned immediately in order to prevent stains from settling into the wood.

Environmental Issues

Beech trees are the mothers of the forest because of the nutrient rich humus they provide. Beech trees produce nuts which provide food for numerous animals (for example birds, mice, chipmunks, black bears, deer, and foxes).

A significant mortality risk for the American beech tree is the deadly combination of insect and fungus. Insects attack the bark of the tree, wounding it, which makes it susceptible to the fungi.

N. coccinea var. faginata and N. galligena can infest the beech tree with spores. Those eventually kill the tree. Nowadays, the only cost effective method of preventing the spread of the fungus is cutting down the affected areas.