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Paper birch

Betula papyrifera

U.S. hardwood · Birches · United States

Paper birch measures 910 lbf on the Janka scale, 29% softer than northern red oak.

  • Of the three birches in the handbook, none is softer or lighter, and none bends more easily or shrinks less across the face.
  • Only nine of the 155 woods have a T/R ratio closer to 1.
  • Drying hardens it more than most: from 560 lbf green, it gains 62% by 12% moisture, where the median wood gains 31%.
  • Ocote pine has exactly the same Janka figure.

Compare paper birch

U.S. hardwoodsU.S. softwoodsImported woodsNorthern red oak

Paper birch · 910 lbfCeibaBlack cherryNorthern red oakShagbark hickoryIpe01,0002,0003,0004,000 lbf← softerharder →Ceiba, 240 lbfNorthern white-cedar, 320 lbfAtlantic white-cedar, 350 lbfBlack cottonwood, 350 lbfQuaking aspen, 350 lbfSubalpine fir, 350 lbfWestern redcedar, 350 lbfBalsam fir, 380 lbfCuangare, 380 lbfEastern white pine, 380 lbfOkoume, 380 lbfSugar pine, 380 lbfEngelmann spruce, 390 lbfAmerican basswood, 410 lbfNoble fir, 410 lbfRedwood (young-growth), 420 lbfWestern white pine, 420 lbfEastern cottonwood, 430 lbfObeche, 430 lbfPacific silver fir, 430 lbfLight red meranti, 460 lbfPonderosa pine, 460 lbfIncense-cedar, 470 lbfLodgepole pine, 480 lbfRedwood (old-growth), 480 lbfWhite fir, 480 lbfButternut, 490 lbfGrand fir, 490 lbfLimba, 490 lbfCalifornia red fir, 500 lbfEastern hemlock, 500 lbfBanak, 510 lbfSitka spruce, 510 lbfBlack spruce, 530 lbfAmerican chestnut, 540 lbfWestern hemlock, 540 lbfYellow-poplar, 540 lbfHura, 550 lbfRed pine, 560 lbfJack pine, 570 lbfYellow-cedar, 580 lbfRed alder, 590 lbfTamarack, 590 lbfDouglas-fir (Interior North), 600 lbfSpanish-cedar, 600 lbfIlomba, 610 lbfCativo, 630 lbfPort-Orford-cedar, 630 lbfDeterma, 660 lbfDouglas-fir (Interior West), 660 lbfPrimavera, 660 lbfMountain hemlock, 680 lbfLoblolly pine, 690 lbfShortleaf pine, 690 lbfCucumbertree, 700 lbfSilver maple, 700 lbfDouglas-fir (Coast), 710 lbfVirginia pine, 740 lbfAmerican sycamore, 770 lbfYellow meranti, 770 lbfDark red meranti, 780 lbfParana-pine, 780 lbfMahogany, 800 lbfBlack tupelo, 810 lbfAfrican mahogany, 830 lbfAmerican elm, 830 lbfWestern larch, 830 lbfBigleaf maple, 850 lbfBlack ash, 850 lbfSweetgum, 850 lbfSlippery elm, 860 lbfLongleaf pine, 870 lbfHackberry, 880 lbfWater tupelo, 880 lbfSande, 900 lbfOcote pine, 910 lbfBlack cherry, 950 lbfRed maple, 950 lbfRoble, 960 lbfTeak, 1,000 lbfBlack walnut, 1,010 lbfAlbarco, 1,020 lbfSouthern magnolia, 1,020 lbfSouthern red oak, 1,060 lbfAvodire, 1,080 lbfManni, 1,120 lbfAndiroba, 1,130 lbfChestnut oak, 1,130 lbfOregon ash, 1,160 lbfBlack maple, 1,180 lbfOvercup oak, 1,190 lbfWater oak, 1,190 lbfGreen ash, 1,200 lbfBlack oak, 1,210 lbfLaurel oak, 1,210 lbfKapur, 1,230 lbfCaribbean pine, 1,240 lbfSwamp chestnut oak, 1,240 lbfIroko, 1,260 lbfYellow birch, 1,260 lbfKeruing, 1,270 lbfAngelique, 1,290 lbfMersawa, 1,290 lbfNorthern red oak, 1,290 lbfAmerican beech, 1,300 lbfRamin, 1,300 lbfRock elm, 1,320 lbfWhite ash, 1,320 lbfPost oak, 1,360 lbfWhite oak, 1,360 lbfBur oak, 1,370 lbfScarlet oak, 1,400 lbfSepetir, 1,410 lbfSugar maple, 1,450 lbfWillow oak, 1,460 lbfSweet birch, 1,470 lbfPin oak, 1,510 lbfSapele, 1,510 lbfAfrormosia, 1,560 lbfHoneylocust, 1,580 lbfPeroba de campos, 1,600 lbfOpepe, 1,630 lbfBlack locust, 1,700 lbfPilon, 1,700 lbfKempas, 1,710 lbfPara-angelim, 1,720 lbfPiquia, 1,720 lbfPeroba rosa, 1,730 lbfAngelin, 1,750 lbfBenge, 1,750 lbfShellbark hickory, 1,810 lbfPurpleheart, 1,860 lbfShagbark hickory, 1,880 lbfJarrah, 1,910 lbfDegame, 1,940 lbfMockernut hickory, 1,970 lbfKarri, 2,040 lbfPignut hickory, 2,140 lbfSucupira, 2,140 lbfGoncalo alves, 2,160 lbfMora, 2,300 lbfCourbaril, 2,350 lbfGreenheart, 2,350 lbfTropical oak (roble), 2,500 lbfBubinga, 2,690 lbfBrazilian rosewood, 2,720 lbfKaneelhart, 2,900 lbfMacawood, 3,150 lbfIndian rosewood, 3,170 lbfBulletwood, 3,190 lbfAzobe, 3,350 lbfManbarklak, 3,480 lbfMarishballi, 3,570 lbfIpe, 3,680 lbfPaper birch · 910 lbfNorthern red oakIpe01,0002,0003,0004,000 lbf← softerharder →

Six measures

Paper birchU.S. hardwoods medianOther woods

  • Cupping tendency

    1.3710th lowest of 155
    1.092.90
    27% below the U.S. hardwoods median

  • Shrinkage across the face

    8.6%radial 6.3%52nd highest of 155
    3.5%12.7%

  • Bending strength

    12,300 psi84.8 MPa64th weakest of 155
    4,300 psi29,900 psi

  • Stiffness

    1.59 M psi11.0 GPa66th most flexible of 155
    0.54 M psi4.06 M psi

  • Density

    0.480.55 at 12% MC71st lightest of 155
    0.250.96

  • Janka hardness

    910 lbf4,048 N76th softest of 155
    240 lbf3,680 lbf
    34th of 53 U.S. hardwoods

How much it moves

The two directions move almost alike (T/R 1.37), so flatsawn and quartersawn boards differ by only 0.14 in.

0.52 in.

off a 6-inch flatsawn board, green to oven-dry

Tangential
8.6%
Radial
6.3%
Volume
16.2%
T/R ratio
1.37 (10th most stable of 155)
6 in. green (dashed)5.48 in. dry · −8.6%
Flatsawn
6 in. green (dashed)5.62 in. dry · −6.3%
Quartersawn

End view, shrinkage drawn 3× life size.

Closest substitutes

  • Black walnut

    11% harder · 6% heavier · shrinks 0.8 points less across the face

  • Cucumbertree

    23% softer · 8% lighter · shrinks 0.2 points more across the face

  • Black ash

    7% softer · 6% lighter · shrinks 0.8 points less across the face

Compare with the first two

Among the birches

3rd hardest of 3, lbf.

Laboratory values

PropertyGreenDry, 12% MCChange when driedMetric, 12% MC
Work to maximum load16.2in-lbf/in³16in-lbf/in³−1%110.3kJ/m³
Compression parallel to grain2,360psi5,690psi+141%39.2MPa
Shear parallel to grain840psi1,210psi+44%8.30MPa
Compression perpendicular270psi600psi+122%4.10MPa
Impact bending49in.34in.−31%864mm
Modulus of rupture6,400psi12,300psi+92%84.8MPa
Modulus of elasticity1.17M psi1.59M psi+36%11.0GPa
Side hardness560lbf910lbf+62%4,048N
Tension perpendicular380psinot tested——

Wood Handbook Table 5-3b, Table 4-3. Data & method · Guides