There is a variety of woods that are used to make furniture, cabinets, and floorings. Each wood has some pros and cons. For making furniture, cabinets, or flooring oak and birch woods are very popular options all over the world. These two kinds of wood have distinctive characteristics which make them different from each other.
Oak vs Birch
The main difference between oak and birch is that oak wood is less hard compared to the birch wood. Oak belongs to the beech family, on the other hand, birch is harder than oak and belongs to the Betulaceae family. Though both oak and birch need less maintenance, oak needs less maintenance compared to the birch wood.
Oak refers to a hardwood tree that is very popular for its sturdy wood. There are almost 600 species of oak which are both evergreen and deciduous. Oakwood has been used for thousands of years. In modern days, oak wood is used in furniture, firewood, wine barrels, flooring, and homewares.
Birch refers to a hardwood, thin-leaved tree. Birch is common in the Northern hemisphere, like in Europe, the US, Russia, Japan, China, and The Middle East. The majority of the birch woods are located within Asia and Europe, specifically, in Japan, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Birchwood is lightweight but is durable and strong.
Comparison Table Between Oak and Birch
| Parameters of Comparison | Oak | Birch |
| Genus name | Quercus | Betula |
| Colour | Red oak woods have reddish and pinkish hues and white oak woods are beige through brown. | Pale white to yellow or reddish-yellow. |
| Hardness | Oakwood is less hard compared to the birch wood. | Birchwood is harder than oak wood. |
| Grain | Fine straight grain | Aesthetic grain. |
| The furniture looks | Traditional look. | Modern and more contemporary look. |
| Special characteristics | It is very useful in the tannery industry. | In making plywood. |
What is Oak?
Oak refers to a shrub or plant that belongs to the beech family, can grow to forty m in height, and live up to 1000 years but generally lives to two hundred years. In many cultures, oak is seen as a symbol of knowledge and strength for this reason.
There are almost five hundred species of oak trees.Oak trees are seen widely in Northern America, especially in Mexico. In this country, almost 160 species of oak trees grow. In North America, there are hundreds of oak species growing. Mainly oak trees are categorized into two types- red oaks and white oaks. Red oaks have pointed lob leaves with little bristles. White oaks have broad, rounded leaves smoother than leaves of red oaks.
English oak is considered to be the most popular species of oak tree that is used for making modern European furniture. English oak is very popular for its attractive light and dark rings and durability. This type of oak can be found in most parts of North America and Europe.
Timber made from this tree is considered to be one of the most durable and hardest timbers on the earth. Oakwood is almost 5 times as robust as Scots pine and for this reason, Romans used to call it “Robur”, which means “strength”. For thousands of years oak timber has been used in construction and it is used widely even today. For the toughness of oakwood, it is used to build coffins and burial caskets.
What is Birch?
Birch is another hardwood tree that belongs to the Betulaceae family. There are almost sixty types of birch species that grow all over the world in temperate climates. Birch trees need enough sunlight, enough moisture, and well-drained soil for growth. Birchwoods are generally seen to grow near rivers and lakes.
It is a medium-sized hardwood tree that can grow thirty to fifty feet in height. Some species of birch can grow to 80 feet. It has elliptical or oval green leaves. Birch barks can be yellow, black, silver, or grey. Young birch trees possess a smooth bark.
The root of this tree is shallow and can affect roads and sidewalks in the urban area. The fruit of the birch tree is known as “samara” which gives almost one million seeds every year. Bark and seeds of the birch tree are a great source of food for forest animals like birds, rabbits, and deer.
The birch woods are highly flammable and can catch fire even in the wet. For these characteristics of birch wood, it is widely used as firewood. Birchwood is also widely used in manufacturing doors, furniture, canoes, and toys.
Birch barks contain some substances like betulinic acid and botulin that are widely used in the medical industry. Birch bark is widely used as a folk remedy for curing stomach pain. The soaked birch barks are used as a cast for setting the broken arms.
Main Differences Between Oak and Birch
- The genus name of oak is Quercus, on the other hand, the genus name of birch is Betula.
- Red oak woods have reddish and pinkish hues and white oak woods are beige through brown, on the contrary, Birch has pale white to yellow or reddish-yellow wood.
- Oakwood is less hard compared to birch wood.
- Oakwood gives furniture a traditional look, whereas birch gives a modern and more contemporary look to the furniture.
- Oakwood is very useful in the tannery industry, on the other hand, birch wood is very popular in making plywood.
Conclusion
Both oak and birch wood are very popular types of wood and they are widely used in making furniture, cabinets, and flooring as these two wood plants provide strong, durable, and hardwoods. Oakwood is considered to be very durable and has a distinctive look for its wavy grain. Birchwoods have straight attractive grains.
The oak woods are perfect for making interior trim, veneer, flooring, furniture, and cabinetry. It is also good for paneled walls. The birch wood is perfect for making veneer and plywood. If you are thinking of making furniture, cabinets, or flooring both of these woods will be good choices. You can choose between them according to the given characteristics.
References
- https://www.ajevonline.org/content/35/2/77.abstract
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135223100200417X