Wood Wars, Week XIV: Cherry vs. Maple
December 28, 2010Welcome back to Wood Wars, everybody! We hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season. We sure are!
Okay, enough chit-chat. Let’s get down to brass tacks: this week’s fight. If you’re like most people, the holiday season means an endless parade of sweets and treats. Well, far be it for Wood Wars to break a tradition! This week’s match pits delicious Cherry wood with syrupy Maple wood. I hope you brought your appetite, because this match is going to be SWEET!
Cherry
Cherry Hardwood Flooring
Hardness: 950 pounds
Modulus of Rupture: 12,330 psi
Modulus of Elasticity: 1,490 1000 psi
Density: 544 KG/m3
Tangential Shrinkage: 7.1%
Radial Shrinkage: 3.7%
Maple
Maple Hardwood Flooring
Hardness: 1,450 pounds
Modulus of Rupture: 10,700 psi
Modulus of Elasticity: 1,450 1000 psi
Density: 755 KG/m3
Tangential Shrinkage: 9.9%
Radial Shrinkage: 4.8%
Strength and Durability
Maple is not the hardest of domestic hardwood floors, but it certainly beats Cherry. However, the MOR of Maple just smokes the Cherry wood. With pretty even MOEs, this round is neck-and-neck. In cases such as these it’s best to go with the harder of the two species, since hardness directly relates to wear-and-tear. This round definitely goes to Maple.
Movement in Service
This round belongs to Cherry, hands down. Not only is Cherry’s tangential and radial shrinkage lower, but the differential is very low compared to Maple.
Looks
While Maple hardwood flooring is bright and attractive, it doesn’t compare to the versatile beauty of Cherry. Cherry wood features reddish brown colors with deep tones and a dark, dramatic grain pattern. This round goes to Cherry.
Conclusion
They both put up a good fight, but this match goes to Maple, for its hardness and dimensional stability. Well done, sir! Come back next time for another exciting edition of Wood Wars!
