When choosing the wood species for your acoustic wall and ceiling applications, selecting the right species can bring warmth, character, and longevity to your space. Below, we highlight the unique characteristics of some popular wood species.
When comparing wood species, you’ll often come across the terms heartwood and sapwood. Heartwood is the dense inner core of a tree trunk, while sapwood refers to the softer outer layers found between the heartwood and the bark. In some species, these layers have noticeable color differences, making natural variation more apparent.
Type: Softwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood is light reddish brown. Sapwood may be slightly lighter in color but usually isn’t distinguished from the heartwood. Occasionally contains dark streaks caused by bark maggots.
Grain & Texture: The wood is generally straight-grained, fairly even in texture, and somewhat lustrous.
Pricing & Availability: Low to Moderate. Vertical Grain available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Mixed Grain, Vertical Grain
Common Veneer Options: Vertical Grain
Type: Softwood
Color & Characteristics: Douglas Fir can vary in color based upon age and location of tree. Usually, a light brown color with a hint of red and/or yellow, with darker growth rings. In quartersawn pieces, the grain is typically straight and plain.
Grain & Texture: The wood is generally straight grained, although there is sometimes a tendency for wavy or spiral grain to be present.
Pricing & Availability: Low to moderate, with Vertical Grain available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Mixed Grain, Vertical Grain
Common Veneer Options: Vertical Grain
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with an olive cast. Paler sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns. Rift cutting reduces ray fleck significantly.
Grain & Texture: Grain is straight, with a coarse, uneven texture.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate to premium, with Rift Cut available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rift Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rift Cut, Quarter Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: The heartwood is a light to medium brown color. Sapwood can be very wide and tends to be a white, beige or light reddish-brown; not always clearly or sharply demarcated from heartwood.
Grain & Texture: Grain is generally straight but may be wavy. Has a fine, even texture.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, with Quarter Cut available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rotary Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rotary Cut, Quarter Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: The sapwood is creamy white and may be streaked, and the heartwood varies from pale yellowish-brown to olive green. The green color in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposure to light and turn brown. Can also be seen in mineral stained colors ranging from dark purple to red, green, or yellow, sometimes referred to as Rainbow Poplar.
Grain & Texture: The wood has a medium-to-fine texture and is straight-grained. Low natural luster.
Pricing & Availability: Low to moderate. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut)
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rotary Cut
Type: Softwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood is pinkish–or reddish brown to dark chocolate–brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown areas. Narrow sapwood is pale yellowish white/blonde and isn’t always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. On exposure to light, the color becomes more uniform.
Grain & Texture: The wood is generally straight-grained; has a uniform but medium coarse texture.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, with Vertical Grain available at a premium. Varying availability based on season.
Common Solid Options: Mixed Grain, Vertical Grain
Common Veneer Options: Vertical Grain
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood is a light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to a medium reddish brown with time and upon exposure to light. Wide sapwood is a pale yellowish color.
Grain & Texture: The grain is usually straight, except for figured pieces with curly grain patterns. Has a fine, even texture with moderate natural luster.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, with Quarter Cut available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut, Rotary Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Red alder tends to be a light tan to reddish brown; color darkens and reddens with age. There is no visible distinction between heartwood and sapwood. Small sound knots and large aggregate rays appear as occasional small streaks on the face grain that are not considered as defects in the wood.
Grain & Texture: The wood has fairly straight grain and is fine-grained and even-textured.
Pricing & Availability: Low to moderate. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut)
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut, Rotary Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with a reddish cast. Paler sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quarter cut sections display prominent ray fleck patterns. Rift cutting reduces ray fleck significantly.
Grain & Texture: Grain is straight, with a coarse, uneven texture. End grain is very porous.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, with Rift Cut available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rift Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rift Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Beech is typically a pale cream color, sometimes with a pink or brown hue. Veneer tends to be slightly darker colored, as slicing the veneer usually requires the wood to be prepared with steam, which gives the wood a more golden tone. Flat Cut surfaces tend to be very plain, while Quarter Cut surfaces exhibit a silvery fleck pattern.
Grain & Texture: Grain is straight, with a fine to medium uniform texture. Moderate natural luster.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, with Quarter Cut available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: The heartwood is a light to medium brown color. Sapwood can be very wide and tends to be a beige or light brown; not always clearly or sharply demarcated from heartwood.
Grain & Texture: Has a medium to coarse texture similar to oak. The grain is almost always straight and regular.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, with Quarter Cut available at a premium. Readily Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Type: Softwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood is a light yellow. Sapwood is a similar whitish/pale yellow and isn’t distinct from the heartwood. Color tends to darken with age upon exposure to light.
Grain & Texture: The wood is generally straight-grained and has a fine, even texture.
Pricing & Availability: Moderate, availability varies by season.
Common Solid Options: Mixed Grain
Common Veneer Options: N/A
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood tends to be a light reddish brown, with nearly white sapwood. Occasionally figured pieces are available with a wide, shallow curl like the curl found in Cherry. There is virtually no color distinction between annual growth rings, giving Birch a somewhat dull, uniform appearance.
Grain & Texture: Grain is generally straight or slightly wavy, with a fine, even texture. Low natural luster.
Pricing & Availability: Low to moderate. Readily available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rotary Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Rotary Cut
Type: Hardwood
Color & Characteristics: Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Color can sometimes have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow–gray to nearly white. Figured grain patterns such as curl, crotch, and burl are also seen. Walnut may lighten over time to a golden-brown color with exposure to light.
Grain & Texture: Grain is generally straight but can be irregular. Has a medium texture and moderate natural luster.
Pricing & Availability: Premium. Reasonably Available.
Common Solid Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Common Veneer Options: Plain Sawn (Flat Cut), Quarter Cut
Each wood variety offers distinct characteristics to suit different design needs, from contemporary straight grains to rustic natural textures. By carefully selecting a wood type that aligns with your vision, you can create a truly unique space.
Reach out to your local rep for samples or more information.
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