Botanical Name Betula spp. Other Names Birch, Finnish birch, Swedish birch Origin Northern, Eastern Europe Sapwood Colour No differenciation between heartwood Heartwood Colour White grayish to light brown Grain Typically straight, plain appearance, some pin knots and irregular grain Texture Fine and even, small sugar pockets, spots Common Uses Furniture, panelling, kitchen cabinets, dowels, flooring, veneer, plywood, interior joinery, mouldings, turning Density kg/m3 643 Specific gravity - 0.61 Hardness N 5580 Bending Strength N/mm2 118.9 Stiffness N/mm2 14500 Radial shrinkage % 5 Tangential shrinkage % 8 Working Properties Stability xxx Bending xx Machining xxx Screwing xxx Gluing xxx Painting xxxx Sanding xxx Staining xxxx xxxx = excellent xxx = good xx = fair x = not good