Expert: Jamie Yocono - 10/16/2010

Question
I haven't bought birch furniture before.  Someone in the store offered me a birch hutch/cabinet for storage in my kitchen at a pretty good price.  Was wondering if birch is quality wood? Will it last - will it be marked if bumped into.  I plan on having it painted black with a bit of rubbing for a worn look on the corners.  Thanks for your advise.

Answer
Hi Jen,

Birch is actually a very nice wood for furniture. It has a decent hardness, is fine-grained, and is durable, too. My only beef with Birch is that it can get very blotchy when you stain it. So if you plan on painting it and then "age" a bit, it would be a perfect wood for what you're looking to achieve.

Here's a link for more information:

http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/birchinfo.htm

As long as the piece that you're considering is well made, you should be fine with it being made of birch. Another plus is that in the spectrum of lumber, birch is on the lower end, pricewise, so you should be able to save some money with your purchase.

I hope this helps! Write back if you have more questions.

Jamie in Vegas
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Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com