American Cherry

Handloggers’ Opinion
A universal favorite, cherry has a wonderful wavy grain you can’t help but want to reach out and touch. Newly sanded, the floor will be quite pale in color but as time goes on, it will turn a deep, rich reddish brown color. We try to make sure our samples are old enough to reflect this color change.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is light to dark reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
Grain: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. Distinctive flake pattern on true quartersawn surfaces. Texture is satiny, with some gum pockets.
Variations within species and grades: Significant color variation between boards.
Properties
Hardness/Janka: 950; 26% softer than Northern red oak.
Dimensional Stability: Above average (change coefficient .00248; 33% more stable than red oak).
Durability: Strong, moderately hard; excellent shock resistance. Usually considered too soft for an entire floor — mostly used for borders and accents.
Workability
Sawing/Machining: Good machining qualities.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily.
Nailing: Good holding ability.
Finishing: No known problems.
Comments: High in bending strength. Light-sensitive; strong color change upon exposure to light.

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"Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring, publication A200, ©1994" provided with permission and courtesy of the National Wood Flooring Association.