Hard Maple

Scientific Name: Acer Saccharum

Other Common Names: Sugar Maple, Rock Maple

Hard Maple is a highly regarded hardwood from both the Glacial and Appalachian regions, renowned for its hardness, strength, and the light-reflecting beauty of its fine grain. Its pale, creamy hue, occasionally tinged with reddish-brown, contributes to a clean, uniform aesthetic.

Hard Maple is valued for its exceptional durability and shock resistance, well-suited for high-traffic flooring, cabinetry, and various sporting venues including basketball courts and bowling alleys. Its fine grain takes a high polish and stains to emulate pricier woods, offering design flexibility across budgets. Available in various thicknesses and grades, it’s a favored choice for both bespoke craftsmanship and manufacturing.

Machining
Sanding
Finishing
Gluing
Fastening

Screwing/Nailing

Quick Fact:

Hard Maple’s fine grain and ability to absorb stains uniformly allow it to replicate the appearance of more expensive woods, offering aesthetic versatility for upscale designs at a more accessible cost.

What’s Hard Maple Used For?
  • Flooring
  • Cabinetry
  • Furniture
  • Paneling
  • Tool Handles
  • Cutting Blocks
  • Sports Flooring
  • Bowling Pins
  • Baseball Bats
Why Hard Maple?
  • Fine texture and straight grain
  • Beautiful with a clear finish
  • Hard and durable
  • Dent-resistant longevity
  • Stable workability
  • Easy to finish

NWH Glacial is available as PEFC certified, FSC Mix Credit, FSC Controlled Wood or PEFC Controlled Sources.

How Does Hard Maple Compare To Other North American Hardwood Species?

Lumber
(12 % moisture content)
MachiningSandingFinishingGluingFastening/
Nailing/
Screwing
Weight
per bdft
Specific
Gravity
(Density)
Hardness
(Janka)
Bending
Strength
(MOR)
Bending
Stiffness
(MOE)
Dimensional
Movement
(Shrinkage)
R (%)
Dimensional
Movement
(Shrinkage)
T (%)
Alder101010972.45.415909,8001,3804.47.3
Ash9109863.56.611,32015,0001,7404.97.8
Basswood10109882.50.374108,7001,4606.69.3
Beech8810883.69.641,26014,9001,7205.511.9
Cherry10910973.07.5295012,3001,4903.77.1
Hickory377334.14.671,82013,7001,7304.98.9
Hard Maple9810943.73.641,45015,8001,8304.89.9
PC Maple9910952.74.5085010,7001,4503.77.1
Soft Maple8910953.19.5595013,4001,6404.08.2
Red Oak (Northern)10109973.64.631,22014,3801,7614.08.6
Oregon White Oak999884.34.721,64010,2001,0904.29.0
White Oak (Eastern)9109773.94.681,35014,3801,7624.48.8
Poplar9810962.81.4354010,1001,5804.68.2
Walnut989773.36.561,01014,6001,6805.57.8
Yellow Birch10810823.53.621,26016,6002,0107.39.5

Grades Available

NWH’s proprietary grades are designed to maximize yield and deliver consistent performance by controlling key structural and dimensional characteristics to optimize cutting structure and maximize your profits.
7 Grades Available
Hard Maple Superior White yields a minimum 83-1/3% clear face cuttings on the best face and reverse ...
Applications
  • Cabinets
  • Casegoods
  • Furniture
  • Millwork
Hard Maple Select White is our highest yielding grade, pulled specifically for white color. Yielding...
Applications
  • Cabinets
  • Entry Doors
  • Furniture
  • Millwork
Hard Maple Superior Brown is a high yielding grade, yielding a minimum of 83-1/3% clear face cutting...
Applications
  • Cabinet and Entry Doors
  • Casegoods
  • Millwork
Hard Maple CAB White is designed for the cabinet door industry and pulled specifically for white col...
Applications
  • Cabinets
  • Furniture
  • Panels
Hard Maple CAB Brown grade is designed specifically for the cabinet door industry. CAB Brown yields ...
Applications
  • Cabinets
  • Furniture
  • Components
  • Millwork
Rustic Hard Maple is a high end #3A & #3B. 75% of the Rustic Hard Maple board includes the natur...
Applications
  • Rustic Cabinets
  • Furniture
  • Flooring
  • Millwork
  • Specialty Wood Products
Hard Maple #2A White is designed to yield shorter cuttings with the best face yielding 50% clear-fac...
Applications
  • Panels
  • Drawer Fronts
  • Flooring
  • Picture Frames
  • Toys
  • Table Legs