Green Forest

Birch

The greatest distribution and value have two kinds: a birch beautiful (B. pendula) or warty (B. verrucosa) - European silver birch, named so because of warts on young runaways, and a birch fluffy (B. pubescens) - Pubescent birch, received the name because of downy runaways and leaves. The area of distribution of both kinds is wide (1/2 areas of all deciduous woods of Russia and the near abroad).

From Far East kinds it is possible to note a birch yellow, or ridge (B. costata); a birch stone (B. ermanii) - Erman birch; a birch black, or red (B. dahurica) - Red birch; a birch iron (B. schmidtii).Birch breed. Wood white with a yellowish or reddish shade. Year layers are appreciable badly.

The central beams are visible only on strictly radial cuts (splits). For wood of a birch drooped rather high durability, hardness, impact strength, but small firmness to rotting are characteristic.

Wood of a birch iron on density and durability in 1,5 times, and in 2,5 times surpasses wood of a birch in hardness beautiful and fluffy. Wood of a birch yellow, black and stone also has higher indicators of physicomechanical properties.

Wood of a birch beautiful and fluffy finds diverse application (an interline interval for plywood, gun beds, skis, building details, plates, cellulose, a parquet, raw materials for dry distillation other). Wood of the Karelian birch is used as a decorative material. Wood of a birch iron is applied in mechanical engineering.

Unlike other breeds of wood the birch has no essential differences in properties of a radial and tangential cutting, but is very subject to moisture influence, for what experts carry it to so-called "whimsical" breeds. Birch wood is perfectly painted, opening almost unlimited possibilities for design. At drying, the tree can be bent. Wood after drying smooth, with matte shine and its surfaces get off light. Well maintains pasting, screws and nails, but preliminary drilling of apertures is recommended.

The basic application of a birch is plywood manufacture, joiner's and furniture manufacture. The yellow Karelian birch and a red birch is most valuable. The birch ordinary differs the high durability, a homogeneous structure and colour, in average density and hardness. Its wood is unstable against rotting; it is used basically for manufacturing of plywood, an interline interval, plates, plastic; It is applied in furniture manufacture and in general in joiner's business.

The birch easily is processed and gets off, at soaking is well painted under more valuable breeds. Wood in the steamed out condition well bends. Birch outgrowths (outgrowths on a trunk) give very valuable material for mosaic works. Thanks to uniformity, viscosity and hardness of wood, a birch apply and to manufacturing of carved products. Lacks of this breed: long dries up, it is easily pricked, strongly bursts, it is subject ageing.