Maple Wood Advantages And Disadvantages defines how it will behave if used for making diversified products. Maple is native species to Asia. However, some species are also found in Europe, Northern Africa, and Northern America. Maple has high usage in many different things. These are used in flooring, especially heavy-duty, which includes making bowling alleys, dance floors, kitchen cabinets, furniture, joinery, and some veneers.
Maple wood is known for its hardness. Maple wood advantages ranges from its strong strength, resistance and affordability, whereas disadvantages to its shrinkage, fading with time.
Further lets find out more about maple wood.
It has many different species, so these can be obtained from a variety of sources. The most common types of maple are tiger maple, curly maple, fiddle back maple, red maple, soft maple, hard maple, etc. The appearance of the wood differs for all these different varieties.
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Maple wood advantages and disadvantages
Maple is one the most popular type of hardwoods, especially for furniture manufacturing. Maple wood popular due to its uniform structure and also has small pores. Another great feature of maple is its versatility. It is available in both hard and softwood. Also, it is compatible with various finishes.
Related Article: Is Maple Wood Hard or Soft – Answered
However, the maple wood, despite many positive abilities, has some negative aspects as well. Before considering it to use, go through these maple wood advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages of Maple Wood
Maple wood is one of the most popular hardwoods used for flooring options. It is the first choice of every homeowner. The reason behind its fame is the numerous superior qualities it offers.
Here are some positive points of using maple wood:
Strength
Maple is popularly known to be strong and durable. Their strength makes them perfect for making furniture and other things. Despite its robust nature, maple is easy to work with. Thus, maple is ultra- durable. This strength makes it the first choice for flooring, such as bowling alleys.
Wear-Resistant
Maple wood is quite resistant to wearing out. When it comes to stability, hard maple wood can be long – lasting. It is popular as it does not show signs of wear, nor does it dent easily.
This resistance makes it a popular choice for furniture making, especially solid wood or veneer. Also, their lasting ability makes them perfect for decorative elements.
Thus, maple wood becomes the first choice of interior designers for stairs and floors as it is resistant to daily wear and tear.
Uniformity
Maple wood has a straight wood grain characteristic. This means that it has a uniform color. This color uniformity can make it a perfect choice for several uses in the interior. Although hard maple wood can be difficult to handle, but subtle grains of maple are known for their uniformity.
These grains of maple have fewer imperfections, thus giving a cleaner and homogeneous appearance.
Resistance
Maple is resistant to several factors. For instance, maple shows good resistance to decay. This ability shows that maple will not wear out or rot readily. When it comes to maple hardwood, these have some superior characteristics.
The hardwood maple is naturally resistant to dust. Thus, this maple helps control airborne contaminants, such as allergens, which can be potentially harmful to health.
Polishing
One of the qualities that guarantee the use of maple in the interior is that it polishes well. Maple wood looks quite pretty when properly finished. However, maple can be challenging to stain. Staining is challenging due to its tight grain structure, especially to form light color maple.
But with proper staining and polishing, the maple gives a smooth and uniform finish. In case of staining, it is advised to use high-
grade maple (white maple) and opt for darker dyes. A professional can use maple wood in varieties of ways through dyeing and polishing.
Decorative Uses
Maple has found great use in ornamental and decorative purposes. It is used to make art sculptures and also for carving. These properties have enabled the use of maple in children's toys. Also, the maple wood of different colors is used to create contrast.
Affordability
Maple is wear-resistant as it can survive for many years. Thus, maple is a one-time investment for many years to come. Also, it is available in abundance and is low in cost. This makes maple affordable and a great alternative to mimic more expensive woods.
Disadvantages of Maple Wood
Maple wood is a common choice of many interior designers. However, there are some downsides to using maple that you should know before considering its use. Here are some disadvantages of maple:
Shrinkage
One of the popular drawbacks of maple is that it is temperamental. For instance, when finishing is done on maple, it is vulnerable to shrinkage. This shrinking makes it smaller than the desired size.
Fades With Time
Many people are the victim of maple fading. Maple fades due to daily exposure to light, and it can turn into yellowish color over time. For instance, if the maple wood or its part is exposed to direct sunlight. In this case, it will fade very fast, and in fact, turn into dual-tone.
Weather-resistant
Another important factor to keep under consideration is that maple is vulnerable to weather. This downside makes maple suitable for indoors only. Maple wood gets damaged with weather changes such as humidity. Also, like other hardwoods, maple will get affected due to temperature changes.
For instance, maple will expand or contract if the house has drastic temperature changes, such as humidity in summer. Also, during rainy days, the maple might change or shift due to expansion or shrinking.
Deforestation
With the rise in its use, maple trees are at risk. Maple is an affordable alternative to pricier woods. This ability can cause deforestation, as more and more trees will be cut to meet such high demands.
Also, maple wood trees take a lot of time to grow again; this puts them more at risk.
Here are some of the common questions and answers about maple wood that will help you understand more about maple wood.
Maple Wood Advantages and Dis-advantages – FAQ
Is maple wood endangered?
As we know maple wood has many species. Some of them like North American Sugar Maple Wood is not endangered. But 2 of its close species are. China is the mainly the largest home to maple wood, it has around 92 of maple wood species in forest, They are becoming endangered as their rising urban demand, and forests are being cut to make more space available for urban life.
Are maple trees good for the environment?
Like all trees maple trees are an important part of our eco system. Nature has its own working contributing to the environment. Maple trees definitely provide abundance of positive contributing advantages for the environment.
Maple trees are know to be as good dirt blockers. They block dirt on their leaves. Maple trees and leaves also contribute in absorbing surrounding noise.
What is the maple tree good for?
Maple wood is used in the manufacturing of high end furniture, cabinetry, kitchen accessories and flooring. Maple wood is a popular wood used by interior designers.
Is maple a good quality wood?
Maple wood is considered as second strongest wood. This quality of maple wood makes it a number one choice for interior designers when they think of flooring options.
Does maple wood scratch easily?
All wood surfaces are vulnerable to scratches including maple wood. It does not matter how strong the wood is scratches can be made on surfaces with time and the way they are handled. For maple wood to become scratch less, it needs to be coated with lacquer and other finishes.
Is maple wood expensive?
Maple wood fall in a mid price range. Maple wood is less expensive than oak, cherry and walnut wood.
Can maple wood be painted white?
Yes, maple wood can be painted white like any other wood. In fact you can paint maple wood in any color of your choice.
What color is natural maple?
The natural color of maple wood is reddish brown.
Does maple wood change color?
Yes, over time maple wood changes color to slightly darker tone. With time maple wood color changes to warm golden honey color.
Maple wood has an overall a good rating among interior design industry. Worldwide designers prefer maple wood for a number of reasons as mentioned above. Its advantages supersedes its dis-advantages.
Final Words – Maple Wood Advantages And Disadvantages
In conclusion, maple wood has many advantages and disadvantages as it is highly versatile in use. It will not only add beauty but also style and value to your home. However, like other woods, maple has its risks and benefits.
One has to put careful consideration before using it in their interior or floors. Firstly make sure that the maple is well-seasoned and acclimatized to your environment. Proper use of maple will turn out great and also last over a long time.
Written By: Nada
