We’ve taken a close look at one of the most popular choices of species for wood flooring, outside of oak, in our previous blog: Everything You Need To Know About Maple Wood. But there are many more options to explore one of which is a personal favourite of ours, birch.

Birch has a number of subspecies which come in a variety of shades so there are many options when exploring this type of wood for your floors...

Where does birch wood come from?

Birch wood comes from the birch tree which is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree found in Canada and in North America.

Not only does this tree produce wood that can be used for hardwood floors in homes and commercial spaces but the bark of the birch tree was used by Native Americans to cover their canoe frames and shafts of the arrows and is also useful in leather tanning.

Furthermore, the sap can be used for making wine and the leaves have medicinal purposes making it one of the most functional species of tree in the world.

What does birch wood look like?

There are several sub-species of birch trees. The one most commonly used for wood flooring is yellow birch which has a reasonably straight grain yet a dramatic beauty which makes it a standout amongst other types of woods.

It has two distinct colour variations - the sapwood has yellowish, creamy tones whereas the heartwood is brown with a hint of red.

The other popular subspecies used for flooring are sweet birch whose sapwood is light brown while the heartwood is reddish dark brown, and paper birch which has a light reddish brown heartwood and nearly white sapwood.

The common theme across all types of birch is a varying depth of brown with reddish tones and the fact that it has very little grain visibility which is why it makes for a great choice of flooring in spaces that require warmth and uniformity.

What are the pros and cons of birch wood flooring?

Birch wood makes for great flooring for three main reasons; it looks beautiful, it can be easily stained which means its appearance is flexible and it’s an affordable option.

But, most importantly, though it is slightly softer than, say, oak wood, it is still strong and highly durable with a Janka rating that varies between 1260 and 1470.

Furthermore, birch wood is a more eco-friendly choice than a lot of other woods because it can rapidly grow in open grounds making it an ideal choice for preventing erosion as well.

In fact, you won’t find many drawbacks when it comes to birch wood, it’s more so a matter of whether the aesthetic appeals to you.

Where should you fit birch wood floors?

When it comes to aesthetic choices, birch wood lends itself well to rooms and spaces that require some warmth whether that be to create a certain atmosphere, like one of relaxation, or because the room has a lot of cool tones and needs lifting slightly.

Birch wood is also a popular choice for parquet flooring because of its durability and appearance so, if you are opting for that style of flooring in a particular space then birch should be considered a viable option.

All in all, birch wood can work well in any type of space and we would never advise against it as long as you are aware of the pros and cons before you move forward with installation.