Description

Use: widely used in North America for the production of furniture. Given its strength, it is used for the floors of basketball courts, dance floors and bowling alleys. The plant is also used for the production of maple syrup.  

Characteristics: very hard and durable wood with compact fibre. The sapwood varies from shades of whitish-cream to reddish-brown. The heartwood, however, tends to be darker, tending towards reddish-brown. Sometimes there are deep brown spots on the surface, called sugar spots. These can be removed through a process of evaporation or staining.

Drying: drying must be done slowly.

Surface: Sugar Maple has a tendency to burn when it is worked with vertical milling cutters. It can be stained or treated, but to obtain a uniform colour, it may be necessary to first use spot-remover gel or other similar products.

Gluing: the joints are strong.