While looking for furniture or wooden products, you might have come across acacia woods and birch woods. These woods are used to manufacture high-end wood products with great quality. You might wonder what the difference between acacia and birch woods is. In this article, we will discuss Acacia vs birch wood in detail with all the features, pros, and cons of each wood.
All about Acacia Wood
Origin
Acacia is a type of hardwood originally found in Africa. It is also found in Australia and South Asia. It has over 1200 different species.
Appearance
Acacia wood is dark brown or golden. There is also a small touch of honey color. Its color can be lightened or darkened upon the need after finishing.
Hardness
According to Janka Hardness Scale, it requires a force of 2300 pound-force to embed a 0.44-inch steel ball half of its diameter into the surface of acacia wood. This scale determines resistance against scratches. Acacia wood has a density of 45 pounds per cubic foot.
Durability
The hardness scale indicates that acacia wood is very durable because a great amount of force is needed to scratch its surface, let alone break the wood. Acacia wood is pretty good for long-term uses because of its durability and strength.
Maintenance
Acacia wood is pretty low on maintenance. Acacia wood has high oil content, making it resistant to water and termites. Being water-resistant, it can hold its shape for longer. Acacia wood also does not rot quickly. This resistance is useful in boats and ships where high water resistance and rot resistance are required. Due to this reason, acacia wood maintenance is very low. In furniture also, Acacia is stain-resistant because of its high oil content.
Eco-Friendliness
Acacia trees are very eco-friendly because they grow in great numbers and are easy to grow. Moreover, after harvesting wood, acacia trees regrow on their own. This process does not damage the trees or soil.
Cost
Acacia wood is not found everywhere, and their harvesting requires great costs, so acacia woods are not cheap. Acacia wood can cost from 7 to 10 dollars per square foot.
Uses
Acacia wood is resistant to water and termites. Also, it is known for its strength and durability. Its common uses are:
Pros and Cons of Acacia Wood
Acacia wood is undoubtedly one of the best woods that provides great strength and durability. But there are some negatives. Along with the positives here, we have discussed the pros and cons of acacia wood.
Pros
- It is highly durable due to its great strength
- Acacia wood is very low on maintenance
- It offers resistance against moisture, termites, and rot
Cons
- It is very expensive
- Acacia planks are shorter, so there is a size limit
- It is denser and heavier compared to other woods
All about Birch Wood
Origin
Birchwood is also a type of hardwood grown in Asia, North America, and Europe. It needs moist soil for proper growth. Its trees can grow up to 100 feet in length when grown fully.
Appearance
Birchwood is light yellow-tan, generally light blonde. It is generally lighter in colour than acacia wood.
Hardness
According to the Janka hardness scale, for the same procedure mentioned above, a 1260 pound-force is required. The density of birch wood is 40 pounds per cubic foot.
Durability
Janka hardness scale ranks birch woods as one the hardest kinds of wood. Janka’s ranking of birch wood shows that it is very durable.
Maintenance
Birch is not at all water-resistant and termite resistant. Termites are more attracted to the birch wood. So, its maintenance is quite high. When used in furniture, its care is needed to be done. It would be best if you preserved it from moisture and termites. Also, Birchwood picks up stains pretty easily.
Eco-Friendliness
Birchwood needs to be replanted after harvesting, and its harvesting causes changes in the environment and soil. So, birch wood is lesser eco-friendly.
Cost
Birchwood can be commonly grown everywhere, and their harvesting needs a lot less effort and money. Birchwood is very cheap.
Uses
Birchwood is known for its strength, but it is weak against moisture and termites. Due to this reason, its uses are limited. Some uses are:
- Papermaking
- Indoor Furniture
- Firewood
- House frames
Pros and Cons of Birch Wood
Birchwood is greatly used in the wood industry. Birchwood is strong and durable, but this wood has some weaknesses.
Pros
- It is highly durable due to its great strength
- Birchwood is attractive naturally
- It is easier to polish
- Grows to 100 feet, so there is no size limitation
- It is lighter.
Cons
- It is a little expensive
- Sensitive to water and attractive to termites
Comparison Between Acacia and Birch Wood
It is difficult for people to decide whether to choose Acacia or Birchwood. Here we will discuss Acacia and Birchwood differences in tabular form.
| Categories | Acacia | Birchwood |
| Appearance | Attractive pattern but lesser attractive compared to Birchwood | More attractive pattern compared to Acacia |
| Hardness and weight | Harder and heavier | Hard but lesser than Acacia and Lighter than Acacia |
| Maintenance | Easy to maintain | Great maintenance is required |
| Eco-friendliness | Harvesting is greatly Eco-friendly | Lesser Eco-friendly |
| Cost | Expensive | Cheaper as compared to Acacia |
| Carving-friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Workable | Yes | Yes |
You may read the acacia wood comparison below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is acacia wood better than birch wood?
Acacia wood and Birchwood are great when the requirement is strength and durability. In terms of strength, there is no big difference. But acacia wood is better when the user is in a moist or watery environment because of its water resistance. Birchwood is cheaper and lighter. So, the betterment of either wood depends on the type and environment where they are to be used.
Is acacia wood the strongest?
Acacia is undoubtedly one of the strongest woods you can get. But it is not the strongest wood. The strongest wood is lignum vitae, with 4500 pounds force rating on the Janka Scale, twice that of Acacia.
Summing Up
Both Acacia and Birchwood are strong and durable. Both kinds of wood are excessively used in the wood industry. There are some differences between the woods. One can be chosen over the other for a certain use. In this article, we discussed Acacia vs birch in detail while discussing all the woods’ positives and negatives and their comparison. For more knowledge and expert advice, visit our website.