Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis · hardwood · Eastern North America · high movement
- Janka hardness 1,260 lbfred oak ≈ 1,290 lbf
- Density ≈ 43 lb/ft³specific gravity 0.62 at 12% MC
- Shrinkage — tangential 9.5%flatsawn width, green → ovendry
- Shrinkage — radial 7.3%quartersawn width
- T/R ratio 1.3 : 1higher = more cupping in flatsawn stock
Shop notes Dense, fine, and strong — most "birch" plywood faces. Takes a glassy finish but blotches under stain; movement is high in both directions.
Seasonal movement at a glance
Width change for yellow birch across a typical indoor year — 6% moisture content in the heated winter to 12% in a humid summer:
| Board width | Flatsawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 1/8″ (0.122″) | 3/32″ (0.094″) |
| 12″ | 1/4″ (0.244″) | 3/16″ (0.188″) |
| 24″ | 1/2″ (0.489″) | 3/8″ (0.375″) |
| 36″ | 23/32″ (0.733″) | 9/16″ (0.563″) |
Run your own numbers
Different width, different climate swing — the calculator below is preset to yellow birch:
Typical swings:
Yellow Birch questions
How much does yellow birch move with the seasons?
A 12″-wide flatsawn yellow birch board moves about 1/4″ across a typical indoor swing from 6% to 12% moisture content; quartersawn, about 3/16″. Its tangential shrinkage is 9.5% and radial 7.3% (green to ovendry) — a high-movement wood.
How hard is yellow birch?
Yellow Birch rates about 1,260 lbf on the Janka scale — in red oak’s hardness neighborhood (red oak is roughly 1,290 lbf). Density runs about 43 lb/ft³ at indoor moisture levels.
Is yellow birch good for wide panels and tabletops?
Yes, with normal precautions: its 1.3:1 tangential-to-radial ratio is unusually balanced, so panels stay flatter than most. Still fasten solid tops so they can move across their width.
Similar species
Iroko · Northern Red Oak · American Beech · Black Oak · White Ash · Green Ash
Shrinkage, specific gravity, and hardness from the Wood Handbook, FPL-GTR-282 (2021 edition), USDA Forest Products Laboratory (public domain). Values are species averages — individual boards vary with growth conditions and how they were dried.