Western NC's Unique Growing Environment
What makes Western North Carolina special for hardwood production? The answer lies in our region's remarkable similarities to the Northeast's growing conditions.
Our area benefits from a perfect combination of elevation, climate, and soil composition that creates ideal growing conditions for premium hardwoods. The higher elevations of Western NC mirror the cooler temperatures of the Northeast, producing slower, more consistent tree growth. This slower growth creates tighter grain patterns and more uniform color development—qualities that discerning manufacturers seek.
The rich, well-drained soils of the Appalachian mountains provide the perfect foundation for hardwood species to develop distinctive character and strength. These conditions, combined with our region's rainfall patterns, create an environment where Cherry, Hard Maple, and Soft Maple thrive with exceptional quality.
Cherry & Maple: The Appalachian Advantage
1. Cherry
Western North Carolina Cherry offers several distinctive qualities that set it apart:
- Rich, deep color development with consistent heartwood formation
- Exceptional workability with less tendency for tear-out during machining
- Superior finishing characteristics that highlight the wood's natural luster
- Consistent density that allows for predictable performance in manufacturing
Many customers are surprised to discover that our Appalachian Cherry exhibits color characteristics and stability comparable to Northeast Cherry, making it perfect for high-end furniture, cabinetry, and architectural millwork.
Ideal Applications for Cherry:
- Fine furniture with traditional or contemporary designs
- High-end cabinetry and kitchen installations
- Architectural millwork and paneling
- Interior doors and trim
- Musical instruments, particularly piano cases and quality stringed instruments
- Decorative veneers for luxury applications
The natural aging process of Cherry, which darkens and deepens to a rich reddish-brown over time, makes it particularly valued for heirloom-quality pieces that improve aesthetically with age.
2. Hard Maple
Our Hard Maple stands out with:
- Brilliant white sapwood with minimal color variation
- Tight, uniform grain patterns that create a smooth surface for finishing
- Exceptional hardness and wear resistance
- Consistent machining properties ideal for precision manufacturing
The growing conditions in Western NC produce Hard Maple with the bright, clean appearance sought after for premium applications like flooring, furniture, and cabinetry.
Ideal Applications for Hard Maple:
- Kitchen countertops and cutting boards (food-safe properties)
- Hardwood flooring in high-traffic commercial and residential spaces
- Basketball courts and bowling alleys (superior impact resistance)
- High-end furniture requiring structural integrity
- Specialty millwork requiring precise machining
- Commercial fixtures that must withstand heavy use
Hard Maple's exceptional wear resistance makes it the industry standard for applications where durability cannot be compromised, while its clean appearance allows for versatile finishing options.
3. Soft Maple
Western NC Soft Maple offers:
- Greater uniformity in color than many other regions
- Excellent stability with minimal movement
- Superior finishing characteristics
- Versatile workability that makes it ideal for a wide range of applications
Our Soft Maple provides an excellent alternative to Hard Maple when a slightly softer wood is desired, while maintaining exceptional appearance and consistency.
Ideal Applications for Soft Maple:
- Painted cabinetry and furniture (excellent paint adhesion)
- Mid-range furniture with both traditional and modern designs
- Interior molding and trim work
- Veneer production for architectural panels
- Stair components and railings
- Children's furniture and toys (easier to work with while maintaining durability)
Soft Maple offers approximately 75% of the hardness of Hard Maple, making it easier to work with while still providing excellent durability for most applications. Its value-to-performance ratio makes it increasingly popular for projects where Hard Maple might be overengineered.
The Art of Custom Grading
At Select Hardwoods, we go beyond standard NHLA grading rules to create custom sorts for specific customer requirements. This approach is particularly valuable for species like Hickory, which presents unique challenges under standard grading systems.
Our custom grading ensures that each customer receives exactly the material they need for their specific application. By understanding the end-use requirements, we can provide:
- Color-sorted selections that maintain consistency throughout large projects
- Character-marked grades for rustic or distinctive appearances
- Clear grades for applications requiring minimal natural variation
- Width and length sorts to maximize yield and minimize waste
This tailored approach often results in higher-value material that performs better in manufacturing processes, creating a win-win for both our customers and our sustainable forestry practices.
Featured Product: Rift & Quartered White Oak
Among our premium offerings, Rift & Quartered White Oak stands as a flagship product. This specialty cutting method produces lumber with straight grain patterns and distinctive ray fleck appearances that are highly prized in high-end applications.
What makes R&Q White Oak special:
- Exceptional dimensional stability that minimizes movement
- Distinctive ray fleck appearance prized in decorative applications
- Straight, consistent grain patterns that create a formal, elegant appearance
- Superior finishing characteristics that highlight the wood's natural beauty
Our decades of experience in producing Rift & Quartered White Oak ensures consistent quality that meets the exacting standards of the most demanding applications.
Hickory: The Challenge and Opportunity
Hickory presents unique challenges under standard NHLA grading rules, yet offers exceptional qualities for specialty applications. While it can be more difficult to market using conventional approaches, our custom grading process transforms Hickory into a premium product for discerning customers.
What Makes Hickory Special:
- Unmatched strength-to-weight ratio among domestic hardwoods
- Distinctive character with dramatic color variation between heartwood and sapwood
- Exceptional shock resistance making it ideal for tool handles and sporting equipment
- Unique grain patterns that create distinctive appearances in rustic designs
Ideal Applications for Hickory:
- Rustic cabinetry and furniture where character is desired
- Flooring in high-traffic areas requiring exceptional durability
- Tool handles and sporting goods requiring impact resistance
- Decorative architectural elements highlighting natural wood character
- Kitchen implements like cutting boards and butcher blocks
Our approach to Hickory involves working directly with customers to understand their specific requirements, then creating custom sorts that highlight the wood's desirable characteristics while minimizing challenges in manufacturing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Appalachian Hardwoods
Q: How does Western NC Cherry compare to Cherry from the Northeast?
A: Western NC Cherry offers comparable color development, grain consistency, and working properties to Northeast Cherry due to similar growing conditions. Many customers find our Cherry provides exceptional value with equivalent or superior quality for fine furniture and cabinetry applications.
Q: What makes your custom grading process different from standard NHLA grading?
A: Our custom grading goes beyond standard NHLA rules to create specifications tailored to each customer's end-use requirements. This includes color sorting, character mark limitations, and dimensional specifications that maximize yield in manufacturing while ensuring aesthetic consistency.
Q: Why is Rift & Quartered White Oak more expensive than plain-sawn?
A: Rift & Quartered sawing methods yield less usable lumber per log, but produce material with superior stability and distinctive appearance. The additional processing and reduced yield contribute to higher costs, but the exceptional performance and appearance justify the investment for premium applications.
Q: How do your drying methods affect the quality of the lumber?
A: Our conservative drying schedules and advanced kiln technology ensure that lumber is dried evenly with minimal stress. This results in material with superior stability, fewer defects, and better machining characteristics compared to lumber dried using more aggressive methods.
Q: What sustainability practices do you employ in your hardwood production?
A: Our forestry operations follow sustainable harvesting practices that ensure forest regeneration and long-term resource availability. We utilize 100% of harvested material, with bark becoming landscaping mulch, sawdust used for agriculture and energy production, and chips directed to engineered wood products.
Experience the Select Hardwoods Difference
While many assume the Northeast is the only source for premium Cherry and Maple, Western North Carolina's unique growing environment produces hardwoods of exceptional quality that deserve recognition. Our four generations of expertise in hardwood production, combined with our state-of-the-art processing facilities, allow us to showcase the natural beauty and quality of these remarkable Appalachian treasures.
We invite you to discover the Select Hardwoods difference. Contact our team to learn more about our premium Appalachian hardwoods and how they can enhance your next project.
Ready to experience the quality of Western NC hardwoods? Contact our sales team:
Rick Rufo - Domestic Sales: (336) 928-5213
John Linn - Export Sales: (336) 566-8350
Or visit our dry kiln facility at:
5056 Boone Trail Road
Millers Creek, NC 28651