Throughout history, the beech tree has held a special place in the hearts of mankind. Lovers look to beech trees to keep their romance alive forever. If people cut their initials into the bark of a beech tree, the bark grows around the carving, creating a sign of love that goes on forever.
But of course the use of this tree didn’t stop as declarations of love. Because of its popularity, it has been used in everything from textiles, to drums, to railroad ties, to hardwood floors.
Beech trees are highly perishable, which means that their wood fiber will break down quickly if left untreated. This means it can quickly feed back into the earth, feeding insects, moss, fungi, and also create havens for all kinds of woodland creatures like birds and mice.
Because of their easy ability to breakdown, we’ve incorporated beech into a large number of products. Beech is used as a foundation for smoked malts in some beer production. It also provides flavoring in smoked sausages and ham.
The American Beech is found on the east coast, the only native variety found in the States. It’s a fast growing tree, averaging 120 feet in height, which makes it a great choice for lumber. It’s a strong and pliable tree filled with a variety of rich wood coloring. You’ll find beech in natural light and creamy colors, sometimes accented by pink to brown contours that give it its unique look when sanded and installed. It has a straight, fine texture look that accents any décor.
Because of it’s pliability, it’s one of the easiest woods to work with. It’s simple to cut and shape both by hand and machine. It glues and finishes well. It also is a perfect choice for steam bending.
Because it’s fast growing, strong and pliable, it’s becoming a viable crop all over the world. It grows in a variety of soils and conditions, making it easy to maintain. And because of it’s flexibility and it’s ease of manipulation, it makes it a workable choice in a variety of different applications. Whether you are redoing one room or your entire home, beech wood may be the perfect choice for you.