Soft Maple Select & Better Lumber

Taking a consultative approach to best understand the needs and desires of our customers, we are committed to Delivering the Difference with our specialty hardwood lumber products. Please contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for a consultation to identify the best product for your application.

Soft Maple is an increasingly popular choice for its durability and aesthetic flexibility. Ideal for the demands of modern design, Soft Maple is known for its ability to take stain and finish well. It can be stained to appear as Walnut or Cherry at a reasonable cost and can add rich elegance to any décor. Soft Maple is most desirable with a large portion of board consisting of light, clear sapwood and little heartwood. Climate, soil conditions and light all play an important role in the amount of heartwood and sapwood in the log.

To determine the appropriate sub-species, colour specification or grade, please consult with your Sales or Specifications representative.

Why Soft Maple?

• Close grain and fine texture
• Machines and glues easily, finishes exceptionally well
• Ideal for cabinetry, millwork and mouldings
• Accepts stains and paints with ease
• Highly durable and dimensionally strong

Plain Sawn Lumber:

Cutting tangentially through the tree’s growth rings, Plain Sawn Soft Maple creates the highest yield of cuts per log while minimizing waste. The result is a grain that displays the very traditional cathedral pattern.

Select & Better Grade Lumber:

Select & Better grade includes the highest quality lumber available, ideal for projects that demand high yields of clear-cuts with stunning clarity. Select & Better Red Birch is used extensively by designers for use in furniture, veneer and kitchen cabinetry.

Select & Better has a minimum board width of 4” and length of 8’, admitting 25% odd lengths. The sapwood face is required to be clear and free of defects, with a reverse side with #1 Common minimum specifications. Slight wane is allowed on pieces 4” and 5” in width, with minor knots allowed at 6” to 10” in width.

Please consult with your Sales or Specifications Representative to guarantee you receive the product that best meets your requirements.

Colour/Appearance:

Soft Maple is a light brown, beautiful lumber species renowned for its uniform colour, tight grain and fine texture. The growth rings of Soft Maple are light brown, forming familiar and subtle cathedrals when plain sawn. Sturdy and reliable, Soft Maple continues to be an elegant choice for cabinetry and furniture.

Workability:

Soft Maple is easily workable, producing good results with both hand and machine tools. Soft Maple glues easily and takes staining very well. While called soft, Soft Maple is still quite dense compared to other hardwoods, making it a highly versatile species. For projects that require durable materials while accounting for stains, paints or adhesives, Soft Maple is an excellent choice.

Sustainability:

There are two main sub-species that are traded as Eastern Soft Maple which are considered dominant in various regions of the continent. Red Maple is generally in demand for the brighter tone of its sapwood and is found largely in Northern states and through Eastern Canada. Silver Maple grows predominantly in central and southern states. In the United States, the Soft Maple species at-large is the third most common hardwood species, representing 11.5% of standing hardwood timber. Harvest rates versus growth rates based on data from the US Forest Service show that 56% more Soft Maple timber is growing annually than is being harvested.

We recognize the importance of ethically harvested lumber. As our most valuable resource, sustainably harvested forests increase the rate of carbon sequestration and significantly cut carbon emissions. Wood is a renewable and sustainable material for the built environment, requiring less energy than alternatives like concrete or steel. From harvesting to recycling, lumber is the most carbon-efficient choice for building materials. Wood is of the few elements that can increase sustainability in a building’s life cycle, reduce waste, and create positive biophilic health benefits. Increasingly, architects and designers are calling for a return to wood as the prominent basic building material.

As an early adopter of FSC®, we recognize the importance of sustainably harvested lumber. FSC® Certified lumber is available upon request. Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information.

• Drawer Boxes
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Kitchen Cabinet Doors
• Railings
• Signage
• Vanity Cabinets
• Vanity Cabinet Doors
• Wall Paneling
• Passage Doors
• Closets
• Garage Storage
• Interior Millwork
• Treads
• Risers
• Residential Indoor Furniture
• Commercial Indoor Furniture
• Floors