Hard Maple Prime Sap & Better Lumber

Taking a consultative approach to best understand the needs and desires of our customers, we are committed to Delivering the Difference with our specialty lumber products. Please Contact your Sales or Specification Representative for a consultation to identify the best product for your application.

Climate, soil, seasons and growth region all play an important role in the color and texture of the wood. As a result, to determine the appropriate color for your application, it is important to consider region, mill, sort and specifications. More information about Maple grading can be found in the Specifications tab.

Why Prime Hard Maple?

• Highly durable and strong lumber
• Minimum grain variation
• Machines well, finishes and glues easily
• Ideal applications include flooring, cabinetry, millwork or furniture
• Accepts stain and paints well
• Great sound quality effectively used in musical instruments and as acoustic paneling

Benefits of Plain Sawn Lumber:

The plain sawn cutting pattern optimizes the clear sapwood in Hard Maple, while also minimizing waste and increasing yield. The clear wood on the outer most faces of the log is what yields the prime grade. This cut generates the traditional cathedral grain pattern.

Lumber is a living product, responding to its environment as a tree does to its forest. Humidity, age, area and cut will slightly alter the appearance of the lumber product. The product images on this page are a sample of this species, not an exact depiction of the product you will receive.

Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information on how to configure Hard Maple for your project.

Prime Grade:

Using the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) Grading standard, Prime Lumber is a premium grade. Developed for the European export market, Prime captures grades within the Select and Better and FAS 1Face and better grades that have been prepared to the highest standard to meet the demands of that market.

Prime grade includes a range of boards with minimum yield from 83 1/3% clear-wood cuttings on the best face. It allows boards 4” and wider before kiln drying and 6’ and longer in length. 6” before kiln drying by 7’ option available.

Color Grading Sap & Better:

Sap & Better is the combination of three NHLA color grades. The mix between these color grades depends on which geographic region the material originates from. Logs with smaller hearts will yield a higher number of boards in the bundle which would be considered white 2 face. The three color grades are:

• Sap 1 Face: specifies sapwood is only required on 1 Face of the board within the cuttings. The opposite face has no restriction and can be all heartwood.
  • #2 White: specifies that one face should be white within cuttings (like Sap 1 Face), but the opposite face should be a minimum 50% sapwood in the cuttings. This is a better board than a Sap 1 Face board.
    • #1 White: specifies that both faces of the board need to yield White 2 Faces within the cutting. This is the better board, with more sapwood than both #2 White and Sap 1 Face. A bundle of White Maple then will contain a mixture of boards who individually fall into one of the three above color grades.
• Hard Maple color grading is highly dependent on region, mills, thicknesses, veneer logs and kiln schedule.
  • • Region: Climate, soil, seasons and humidity effect Hard Maple color quality. The best growing regions are recognized around the Great Lakes region for higher yields of white sapwood. Lower regions and warmer climates will have higher yields of heartwood boards.
    • Mills and Thicknesses: When a sawmill processes multiple thicknesses, 4/4 are considered a secondary product to a higher value thick cut. When available, a sawyer will select to take a thicker cut of clear white material from a log, producing high quality 8/4 or 6/4 thicknesses and lesser quality 4/4.
    • Veneer Logs: Premium logs are generally sold to the veneer industry. Sawmills which incorporate veneer logs into their lumber production have a higher percentage of #1 White in their mix and less Brown.
    • Kiln Technology: Modern kilns with higher airflow and tightly controlled temperature schedules produce brighter white tones. Some kiln drying schedules will result in a Brown Maple.
• When specifying for Brown Maple, consult your Sales or Specifications Representative to ensure your product meets the color and character requirements for your project.

Workability:

• Hard Maple produces good results with hand and machine tools. It glues well and is often accompanied by a stain or paint finish. Woodworkers report mixed results when staining Hard Maple. As a result, some may prefer to use Soft Maple. Because the wood is considerably dense and hard, pre-drilling screws may be necessary.

Sustainability:

• Hard Maple is primarily harvested in the Northeastern regions of North America. In the United States, Hard Maple is the fifth most abundant hardwood species, representing 7% of standing hardwood timber. Harvest rates verses growth rates based on data from the US Forest Service census show that 46% more Hard Maple is growing annually than is being harvested. Hard Maple is a sustainably harvested domestic lumber.
• We recognize the importance of ethically harvested lumber. As our most valuable resource, sustainably harvested forests increase the rate of carbon sequestration and significantly cut carbon emissions. Wood is a renewable and sustainable material for the built environment, requiring less energy than alternatives like concrete or steel. From harvesting to recycling, lumber is the most carbon-efficient choice for building materials. Wood is of the few elements that can increase sustainability in a building’s life cycle, reduce waste, and create positive biophilic health benefits. Increasingly, architects and designers are calling for a return to wood as the prominent basic building material.
• As an early adopter of FSC®, we recognize the importance of sustainably harvested lumber. FSC® Certified lumber is available upon request. Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information.

• Drawer Boxes
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Kitchen Cabinet Doors
• Kitchen Counters
• Railings
• Vanity Cabinets
• Vanity Cabinet Doors
• Wall Paneling
• Passage Doors
• Closets
• Garage Storage
• Interior Millwork
• Treads
• Risers
• Residential Indoor Furniture
• Commercial Indoor Furniture
• Floors