 Hard Maple (Acer saccharum)
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Common Name(s): Hard Maple, Sugar Maple, Rock Maple Scientific Name: Acer saccharum Distribution: Northeastern United States Tree Size:80-115 ft (25-35 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 46 lbs/ft3 (735 kg/m3) Hardness: 1,450 lbf (6,450 N) Bending Strength: 15,800 lbf/in2 (108,970 kPa) Elasticity: 1,830,000 lbf/in2 (12,620 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 4.8%, Tangential: 9.9%, Volumetric: 14.7%, T/R Ratio: 2.1 |
Color/Appearance: Unlike most other hardwoods, the sapwood of Hard Maple lumber is most commonly used rather than its heartwood. Sapwood color ranges from nearly white, to an off-white cream color, sometimes with a reddish or golden hue. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown. Birdseye Maple is a figure found most commonly in Hard Maple, though it’s also found less frequently in other species. Hard Maple can also be seen with curly or quilted grain patterns.
Grain/Pore: Has closed pores and a fine texture. The growth rings tend to be slightly darker and more distinct than in other species of Soft Maple.
Durability: Being that the sapwood of maple is used, and not the heartwood, it is non-durable to perishable in regard to decay resistance.
Workability: Fairly easy to work with both hand and machine tools, though slightly more difficult than Soft Maple due to Hard Maple’s higher density. Maple has a tendency to burn when being machined with high-speed cutters such as in a router. Turns, glues, and finishes well, though blotches can occur when staining, and a pre-conditioner, gel stain, or toner may be necessary to get an even color.
Smell: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.
Safety: Hard Maple, along with other maples in the Acer genus have been reported to cause skin irritation, runny nose, and asthma-like respiratory effects. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Price Range: Should be moderately priced, though slightly more expensive than Soft Maple. Also, figured pieces such as birdseye, curl, or quilt are likely to be much more expensive.
Comments: In tree form, Hard Maple is usually referred to as Sugar Maple, and is the tree most often tapped for maple syrup. Sugar Maple’s leaves (pictured below) are the shape that most people associate with maple leaves; they typically have either 5 or 7 lobes, with vivid autumn coloring ranging from yellow to purplish red.
Hard Maple ought to be considered the king of the Acer genus. Its wood is stronger, stiffer, harder, and denser than all of the other species of Maple available in lumber form. For more information, please see the article on the Differences Between Hard Maple and Soft Maple.
Some common uses for Hard Maple include: flooring (from basketball courts and dance-floors to bowling alleys and residential), veneer, pulpwood, musical instruments, cutting boards, butcher blocks, workbenches, baseball bats, and other turned objects and specialty wood items.
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Hard Maple (sanded) |
 Hard Maple (sealed) |
 Hard Maple (leaf) |
 Hard Maple (foliage) |
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