When selecting European wood for your projects, beech is a classic choice, characterized by its hardness and fine grain. Within the Total Timber range, lightly steamed beech is a popular choice, specifically because of its improved stability and the subtle color shift brought about by the steaming process.
We are proud of our lightly steamed beech CND quality. This selection guarantees a robust and uniform wood species whose specific properties make it ideal for various interior applications. It's the ideal base for projects requiring a solid finish, emphasizing structural integrity and wide, knot-free sections.
A focus on quality is essential. That's why we ensure that this beech not only meets the high standards of the CND specification, but also that the wood is responsibly sourced and dried with the utmost precision. We understand that you're looking for reliable material that's ready to work. With our lightly steamed beech, you're bringing a wood species into your home that meets the strictest requirements for moisture content, grading, and sustainability.
Steaming beech wood is a traditional method with a clear purpose. Beech naturally tends to have excessive internal tension, making it vulnerable to warping. By lightly steaming the wood in special chambers, these tensions are significantly reduced. This results in a more stable end product that is less likely to crack or warp. For you as a woodworker, this means greater reliability and less waste during processing.
A side effect of this steaming process is a slight discoloration of the beech wood. The creamy white beech takes on a warmer, more uniform pinkish hue. This is where the term "steamed beech" comes from. For the CND quality we supply, this steaming is strategically applied to deepen the color of the wider planks, reducing the contrast between the naturally occurring color nuances between the different planks. This is a subtle but important distinction compared to unsteamed beech.
The abbreviation CND stands for a specific, strict quality selection aimed at delivering wide sections free of knots or other visual imperfections. This makes it the perfect candidate for structures and surfaces intended for a solid finish, such as paint or lacquer. Although color nuances can be present in this grade, they are of secondary importance for solid finishes.
CND quality guarantees solid, wide planks, which speeds up processing and reduces the number of glued joints in your work. This is a significant advantage in the production of furniture bodies, cabinets, and interior components that will later be painted or upholstered.
However, if your project requires a clear or transparent finish where an exceptionally even color is crucial, our 1A grade might be a better choice. This emphasizes the importance of the correct grading for the intended application. At Total Timber, we are happy to advise you on the most suitable grade for your specific needs, whether it's the more uniform appearance of 1A or the cost-effective width and stability of the CND selection.
Thanks to its combination of stability, hardness, and excellent workability, lightly steamed beechwood in CND quality is widely used in the furniture industry and general interior construction.
It is a favorite for the construction of:
Its reliability and consistent supply make it a logical and economical choice for large-scale projects. This wood accepts glue well and is excellent for working with both hand tools and machining, provided the sharpness of the tool is guaranteed by its hardness.
One of the critical factors for successfully working with wood is moisture content. Freshly sawn beech has a very high moisture content that must first be reduced in a controlled manner. At Total Timber, our lightly steamed beech is carefully placed in drying rooms upon arrival. Here, the wood is dried to a maximum of 8 to 12 percent KD (Kiln Dried). This is the ideal moisture content for interior applications, allowing the wood to be processed immediately without the risk of shrinkage or expansion after installation.
We consider it our duty to perform this inspection meticulously. Therefore, we systematically perform multiple moisture measurements on each bundle. This way, we guarantee that every plank that arrives to you delivers the promised quality and stability. This precision drying process is a crucial pillar of our unique selling point: you're buying guaranteed quality, not risk. This directly contributes to the robustness and longevity of your final product.
Our lightly steamed beech, CND quality, is available in a wide range of sizes to meet the specific requirements of your project. We supply both S2S (pre-planed on both sides) and unfinished.
Available thicknesses are: 27 millimeters, 34 millimeters, 41 millimeters, 47 millimeters, 52 millimeters, 65 millimeters and 80 millimeters.
We offer both standard and fixed widths, depending on your preference. Lengths range from 900 millimeters to 5000 millimeters. Custom sizes are always available upon request.
Prefer beech panels ? We also have that wood in our extensive range .
