A true native of the English countryside is Beech (Fagus Sylvatica). It surrounds us, with plenty of beech wood planted between the 1940s and 1960s in expectation of the booming furniture trade. Though beech is widely used for furniture, the uptake is not quite as high as expected at this time, meaning we have acres of beech woodland awaiting a real use.

Timber merchants in West Sussex, W L West & Sons work with all types of common and exotic woods and Beech is one that is rising in popularity across the UK. Here are some four snapshot facts about Beech and how it can be used today.

1. Strong and durable, with a unique finish

Beech wood is stiffer and stronger than oak in compression and tension. It can resist impact well – in fact, some mallet heads and other tools are made out of beech wood. It also machines finishes well, making it a popular choice for moulding/CNC work though pre-drilling is required.

The natural colour of beech is white, with a pinkish-reddish heart called ‘Kern’. There can be some interesting mineral streaks in the timber, giving it a unique character. Spalted beech is also beautiful – which you can read about more here.

2. Beech trees provide more than just wood

Despite being bitter to taste with a high tannin content, beech tree nuts are edible, as are the leaves and flowers.

The nuts are often found very high in the tree, making them the perfect snack for local squirrels! If sourced by humans, beech tree nuts can be pressed into beech seed oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Beech seed oil is becoming a popular oil in the beauty industry, ‘plumping strands and rejuvenating brittle, lifeless locks.’

Further, in the spring time, young beech tree leaves can be steeped in gin as a spring alternative to sloe gin. Find out how to make ‘Beech Leaf Noyau’ here.

3. Beech wood is non-toxic

Beech wood is non toxic, meaning it is brilliant for household and kitchen items. For example, Beech wood is commonly used for large household projects such as worktops in kitchens, but also for smaller items such as chopping boards and even lolly sticks.

4. Like Ash wood, it’s brilliant for steam bending

Steam bending is the process of soaking wood in hot water, at boiling point, within a ‘steam box’, resulting in softer fibres and a more pliable, stretchier wood. In changing the properties of the wood in this way, the timber can be bent to the desired shape.

Beech wood is almost the perfect steam bending hardwood. This is because it bends really well,  is easy to dry and holds its shape. This makes it a popular choice for many furniture items.

With this in mind, it’s worth noting that beech wood cannot be used outside and is an internal timber only, this is because it’ll perish quickly if used externally.

WL West Timber is a family-owned sawmill & timber merchant in West Sussex with over 155 years’ industry experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.

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For entirely finished products, timber supplies or woodworking tools, have a look at our online shop.

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