COLOR: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood color is great; some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
GRAIN: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories and persimmon; but pores are smaller in size.
HARDNESS (JANKA): 1010; 22% softer than Northern red oak.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent (change coeffi�cient .00274; 26% more stable than red oak).
DURABILITY: Moderately dense, very strong, good shock resistance. Not as dent-resistant as oak.
IMAGE FINISH:Top portion is finished with water-base urethane; bottom with oil-modified polyurethane.
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