If you are looking to build something out of plywood, then hardwood plywood is always a good option to go with. It is considered to be some of the best one out there. That said, there are different types of hardwood plywood, with two of the most popular options being maple plywood and birch plywood.
Today, we’re doing a side-by-side comparison of the two to determine which is better for specific tasks.
Maple vs. Birch Plywood: What Are the Differences?
Let’s take a closer look at the main differences between maple plywood and birch plywood.
1. Appearance
If we compare birch plywood to hard maple plywood, birch is usually slightly darker in color. Birch is usually a medium to golden brown color, whereas hard maple tends to be lighter and creamier in color. That said, because birch is already somewhat dark, it resists darkening in the sun better than maple. Hard maple may turn reddish-brown or yellowish with ample exposure to sunlight.
Birch also tends to have a looser grain structure than maple. Birch has a bit of a wilder and wavier grain structure than maple, as well as a rougher texture. Due to its smoother and finer appearance, maple plywood is a material of choice in terms of aesthetic qualities. Achieving a smooth and glossy finish with maple is a big reason why it’s often used for high-end constructions.
2. Damage Visibility
Although maple may have a softer, finer, and more relaxed grain structure, as well as a more aesthetically pleasing appearance overall, birch does have one specific advantage in this category.
Because the grain structure of birch is a bit wilder, wavier, and more uneven than that of maple, it’s a lot harder to see damage on it. Maple is fairly smooth and has a more relaxed appearance than birch, and this, therefore, makes it much easier to see the damage.
As you will see below, while maple plywood is stronger and more resistant to damage than birch plywood, if maple plywood gets damaged, the damage is far more visible than on birch plywood.
3. Strength and Hardness
One of the things that make maple and maple plywood so popular is their great strength and resilience.
For instance, if we compare these two kinds of wood on the Janka hardness scale, maple comes in at around 1450, whereas birch comes in at 1260. This means that maple plywood is a fair bit harder and denser than birch. This is of course in reference to solid lumber, but that said, this strength difference does also translate to when both types of wood are turned into plywood.
As far as structural purposes go, maple plywood is the better of the two.
4. Cost
Another notable difference between maple and birch plywood is their cost.
Many people prefer the appearance of maple plywood, it’s stronger and more resistant to damage, and it is less readily available than birch. For all of these reasons, maple and maple plywood is more expensive than birch and birch plywood. The cost of maple plywood is not significantly higher than birch plywood, although you can count on it being a few dollars more expensive for the same size of sheet.
5. Varieties
One interesting thing worth noting about these types of plywood is that maple plywood does come in more varieties than birch plywood. While maple is definitely a type of hardwood, there are different types of maple trees out there. Technically speaking, there are both hard maples and soft maples, and yes, plywood can be made out of both.
However, although birch does also come in some variety, it generally only comes in the hard variety. In terms of hardness and density, your average birch plywood will be about as hard and dense as soft maple plywood, although not even close to hard maple plywood.
6. Staining and Finishing
Another notable difference is that maple plywood doesn’t stain or paint as nicely as birch plywood. Maple plywood is great if you want to keep that natural wooden appearance, but it doesn’t stain well. When maple and maple plywood are stained, they tend to look uneven and slightly blotchy.
This is generally not a problem that you have to deal with when working with birch plywood. It’s much easier to stain and to achieve an even appearance.
7. Moisture, Rot, Fungus, and Insect Resistance
Because maple plywood is much harder and denser than birch, it is also more resistant to moisture, fungi, and insects. Insects and moisture have a far harder time penetrating the dense surface of maple than birch.
When to Use Maple Plywood?
Most people would use maple plywood for higher-end applications. Making floors, interior walls, and high-end furniture and cabinets are best done with maple. If you need something super hard, durable, resistant to the elements, aesthetically pleasing, as well as structurally sound, then maple plywood is the way to go.
Maple plywood is a material of choice for fine and high-end furniture. Its hardness and ease of workability also make it a prime choice for things like butcher’s blocks, cutting boards, bowling pins, and other such things. Albeit maple plywood is the more expensive of the two.
When to Use Birch Plywood?
If you need a more cost-effective and lightweight type of plywood, particularly for furniture and cabinet making, then birch plywood is the way to go. Birch plywood is also commonly used for making walls and ceilings, fascia, and cladding.
Moreover, in case you didn’t know, birch plywood is also known as aircraft plywood, as it is often used for making aircraft. Birch plywood is used for many of the same applications as maple plywood, although it is cheaper, less durable, and less resistant to the elements.
Alternatives to Maple and Birch Plywood
Let’s take a quick look at some great alternatives to maple and birch plywood:
- If you’re looking for the strongest and most moisture-resistant plywood, it’s marine plywood that you want to go with.
- Both maple and birch plywood are not ideal for exterior use. For exterior sheathing and constructions, it’s exterior plywood that makes for your best choice.
- If you are building walls that will not be visible, or for shed building, then structural plywood is the way to go.
- If you are looking for cost-effectiveness, it’s MDF or particle board that you want to go with.
Summary
Now that you know what makes maple and birch plywood different, you can choose between the two.