- Beech stairs
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Beech wood is white with a yellowish or reddish tint.
The annual layers are clearly visible.
On a radial section, wide shiny stripes are visible - these are the medullary rays; on a tangential section, they look like lentils, brown in color, which create a characteristic dotted pattern. Mature wood from old trees can sometimes have a reddish-brown color. But this does not in any way affect the quality of the wood; on the contrary, mahogany craftsmen highly value such trees, however, they are not found so often. Thanks to a special steaming method, beech wood
turns out to have a brighter, more pronounced red-brown color.
Features of beech wood
Beech wood comes in a variety of shades from pure white to light pink and has a variegated pattern.
The material is particularly flexible to bending, which is very important if it is necessary to create bent furniture elements. Sometimes beech wood is called “capricious” because of its ability to actively absorb water from the atmosphere. Therefore, the use of beech implies the need to treat it with special varnishes or other protective agents. The tree is comparable to oak in terms of resistance to deformation, and also holds metal fasteners perfectly. The high wear resistance of beech makes it a successful candidate when choosing a material for assembling stairs.
Industrial use
Beech wood is practically odorless, so it can be used to make dishes, baskets, and cutting boards. Widely used for furniture and flooring. The wood is also suitable for making musical instruments.
Beech wood kitchen
The ash from its combustion is used in glass making, tar and creosote are extracted from it. Wood is an excellent raw material for making paper and detergents. There is no best firewood for burning fireplaces, and branches, sawdust and small wood chips are considered the best smoking materials in some regions.
Chemists obtain raw materials for medicines, acetone, and methyl alcohol from beech wood. The sugar substitute xylitol is also a beech wood product. Such a wide range of applications!
Appearance of beech wood
Color
Beech is white, or can be shaded with yellow or red. Quite rarely found, and, moreover, valued by specialists, is ripe wood of a reddish-brown hue, formed in old trees. To obtain a more saturated color of such wood, a special steaming method is used.
Color parameters (average):
- color tone – 582.7 NM;
- purity – 41.6%;
- lightness – 35.0%.
The texture of the wood is variegated, which is why it is sometimes steamed for almost three days to obtain a uniform color.
Texture
The grain of beech wood is rich in structure with noticeable annual layers. The radial system of medullary rays is well developed in the form of wide shiny stripes, while in tangential view they form a dotted pattern of darker colored brown lentils.
Among the indicators of the macrostructure: the number of annual layers in one centimeter of the cross section is 4.5 pieces, the volume of late wood occupies 30%. Beech is a disseminated vascular species. During surface treatment of wood, irregularities ranging in size from 30 to 100 microns are formed.
Solid shades
Beech is in demand due to its high physical and technical properties, moderate cost and, of course, variety of shades. The trunk of this tree does not have a pronounced core; the entire surface visually looks uniform in color. The attractiveness of the color is emphasized by the pattern of the wood, on the cross section of which wavy growth rings are visible. Special processing (steaming and painting) allows you to get an interesting set of shades. These can be both light and saturated colors with all transitional forms. In design, the following shades of beech are especially popular:
- light;
- white;
- bleached;
- pink;
- Country;
- Bavaria;
- smoky;
- Elmau;
- Nevsky;
- sound
To add originality and emphasize a certain style, the surface is coated with either transparent varnish or paint with an intense color. Light beech is often treated with gold or silver tinting. In this case, the surface takes on an unusual appearance while maintaining the natural pattern.
Beech shades fit perfectly into any style, as they are compatible with almost all primary colors in the interior.
Physical properties
Humidity and degree of dryness
The moisture content of freshly cut beech wood is approximately 80%, which can increase to 120% when water is absorbed.
Beech is a highly drying species. The shrinkage of the volume of the annual layer in the tangential direction is higher than that of most rocks, and amounts to 11.4% in the early zone, and 11.8% in the late zone. Shrinkage rates (average):
- radial – 0.17;
- tangential – 0.32;
- volumetric – 0.47.
Unlike oak wood, beech wood is less likely to crack and warp when drying out.
Density
Beech is a medium-density species. Density indicators, on average, are:
- under standard humidity conditions – 680 kg/m';
- dry material – 650 kg/m'
- basic – 560 kg/m'.
Air permeability indicators are an order of magnitude higher than for oak wood.
Mechanical properties
The strength characteristics of beech wood are comparable to those of oak. According to averaged data (with a humidity standard of 12%), the mechanical properties of beech are manifested by the following indicators of tensile strength:
- for static bending – 104 MPa;
- for stretching along the fibers – 124 MPa;
- for stretching across the fibers – 2.5 MPa;
- for compression along the fibers – 53 MPa;
- when shearing along a radial plane - 12D MPa.
The modulus of elasticity at static bending is 14.1 GPa.
Interior decor
Let's consider what kind of room decoration, decor and wallpaper will best highlight the beauty of a beech interior:
- Professional designers recommend combining accessories, decor and wall decoration in natural or pastel shades with beech. So, the milky colors of the walls will harmonize perfectly with beech. At the same time, it will be possible to use rich and rich details in the interior as bright spots: colorful paintings, panels, bright pillows on sofas, interesting curtains. Such contrasting colors will create a stylish and modern atmosphere in any room - be it in the bathroom or in the living room.
- If you use dark wall coverings and an equally dark floor, then such a frame will also be a good contrast for light natural beech. This combination will look especially good in the living room, as it gives the atmosphere solemnity and an elegant, “expensive”, respectable look.
- In a children's room, you need the furnishings to harmoniously match the primary colors of the walls, floor and ceiling. Therefore, wallpaper in delicate pink, light green, and light beige colors is perfect. Bright, cheerful accessories will dilute the monochromatic interior of the nursery, and cute wallpaper for the walls will lift the child’s spirits.
- As for curtains and other textiles in the interior, the rich color of textile materials harmonizes perfectly with beech furnishings in natural shades: blue, burgundy and green shades are best suited. An excellent solution is to choose textiles and curtains to match the color of the wall covering. It is not necessary that the colors and patterns be repeated one to one. It is enough, for example, that the curtains have a pink stripe of the same exact shade as the wallpaper, etc. - you get an excellent combination.
Gray-beige beech furniture in the bedroom
Classic beech furniture in the office
Beech wall and coffee table
Dining table and chairs made of beech and glass
Beautiful beech dining room furniture
Beech bed and wall in the bedroom
Beautiful beech parquet in the living room with fireplace
White carved beech bed
White classic beech office furniture
Beech wardrobe
Technological and operational properties
The main indicators of the technological and operational properties of beech wood are comparable to the values for other species:
- impact strength is 7.6 kJ/m2;
- end hardness is 65.1 N/mm2, radial – 53.2 N/mm2, tangential – 49.5 N/mm2;
- microhardness of the early zone – 57.0 MPa, core rays – 84.2 MPa;
- impact hardness is 0.96 J/cm2;
- wear resistance, or abrasion, in the cross section is 0.10 mm, in the radial section - 0.17 mm, in the tangential section - 0.14 mm.
According to European standards, beech is an unstable species, compared to the resistant oak and moderately resistant pine. According to the Russian resistance scale, where the resistance of linden sapwood is taken as one, the following values are derived for beech:
- mature wood – 3.3;
- sapwood – 2.5.
Regarding susceptibility to rot, beech heartwood is medium resistant, and sapwood is low resistant. Beech wood is more likely to be affected by fungi than oak wood.
Crafts
Beech wood lends itself well to processing with a variety of tools and is therefore widely used in the manufacture of various crafts. The ease of self-production of beech wood products by experts in most cases is rated four points. It is easier to work with this type of wood for those craftsmen who already have sufficient experience in processing wooden blanks. Steamed wood is easier to process.
Beech wood makes wonderful wooden toys and souvenirs. They are odorless, and due to the special arrangement of the fibers they do not splinter. Wooden blanks made of beech are easily glued together, and this also influences the choice of this wood for the manufacture of various boxes, small containers, and musical instrument cases.
Application area of beech
Beech wood has long been actively used in furniture production. Solid beech furniture probably owes its rise in popularity to the Austrian manufacturer Michael Thoneth. He created the famous Viennese beech chair from bent elements, copies of which in the amount of fifty million were distributed throughout the world.
Beech has a rich texture and pleasant warm tones, which is why it is readily used in interiors. Beech parquet is distinguished by its elegance and nobility, which is why it is especially popular in Europe. The pleasant appearance of the wood makes it suitable for making small items such as tool handles, or for the production of special sliced veneers. Due to its strength and unique bending properties, beech wood can be used in the production of barrels. In addition, beech is a good raw material for producing charcoal or other wood chemical products.
Beech is not recommended for exterior finishing work due to its ability to actively absorb water from the atmosphere. In other situations, it is covered with varnishes, paints or other protective agents; The material can be easily processed.
Where does the tree grow
Beech is a deciduous tree and mainly grows in the wild in Western and some parts of Eastern Europe. Eastern beech is widespread in Crimea and the Caucasus Mountains. European beech grows in our country in the Kaliningrad region.
Not only the wood of this tree is used, but also nuts, which are distinguished by their nutritional value and special taste. Five species of beech grow in Japan and China. The environmental friendliness of areas with beech forests is rated five points. Deciduous trees actively purify the air and increase the humidity of the area.
Selecting the optimal color palette
First you need to figure out how you can use each of the shades offered in the store.
"Light Ash" is a beautiful cream tone with discreet woody veins. This is the lightest shade from the natural palette.
Pine. This is yellow with gold; some manufacturers produce products with colors as close as possible to orange. This tone can be found often. A bedroom set made of pine can add harmony and completeness to the bedroom interior.
Karelian birch. It is easily recognized by its characteristic round eyes. Its shade belongs to a calm range.
Light beech. It is appreciated by scrupulous customers with refined taste. The delicate beige shade contains echoes of pink.
Oak. Here there is brown in all variations - the choice is very large. Furniture items made from expensive oak wood will be needed to emphasize the status of its owner
Alder. This is a combination of beige and red. It creates a fun atmosphere and is perfect for decorating a child's room.
Cherry. The deep shade of the red palette evokes pleasant associations.
Nut. Dark brown, considered the most popular in furniture production, looks noble.
Red tree. Reminds me of a cherry tone, but darker.
Ebony. This is the darkest color scheme.
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