Beech
Beech
Fagus sylvatica
General description
Beech is a Western European species found up to an altitude of 1500 meters and up to 60 degrees northern parallel. The trees grow to 35 m in height with diameters ranging from 40 – 90 cm.
Wood description
The colour is creamy white to pale pink and gets more red due to higher drying temperatures or when exposed to steam. The heartwood is not demarcated from the sapwood. Sometimes there are reddish areas near the heart. The wood has a fine texture.
Beech is a diffuse porous timber but annual rings and rays are clearly visible. The wood is very hard and heavy with very good strength properties. Machining is well, gluing is good, nailing and screwing is good, but pre-boring is necessary.
Beech has good properties for bending in processing of bent furniture.
Common uses
Beech is one of the most important European hardwoods.
Its common uses are furniture, flooring, stairs, and bent wood for furniture.
| Physical characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Density (at 12 % moisture content) | 712 kg⁄m3 |
| Total longitudinal shrinkage | 0.3 % |
| Total radial shrinkage | 5.8 % |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 11.8 % |
| Equilibrium moisture content | |
| (20° C⁄ 37 % rel. humidity) | 7.3 % |
| (20° C⁄ 83 % rel. humidity) | 15.7 % |
| Mechanical characteristics | |
| Modulus of elasticity under bending | 16000 N⁄mm2 |
| Modulus of rupture under bending | 123 N⁄mm2 |
| Tension strength | 135 N⁄mm2 |
| Compression strength | 62 N⁄mm2 |
| Brinell hardness perpendicular to the fibres | 34 N⁄mm2 |
| Janka Hardness | 6.7 kN |
| Nail withdrawal strength in N per mm depth and mm diameter | 18 N⁄mm2 |
| Natural durability and treatability (according to en 350-2) | |
| Fungi | Class 5 not durable |
| Dry wood borers | susceptible |
| Termites | Class S susceptible |
| Treatability | 1 – easily permeable |
Natural durability is based on mature heartwood. Sapwood must always be considered as non durable against wood destroying agents.