Cherry wood is highly valued for its warm, elegant color, and distinctive grain patterns, which make it a popular choice for furniture and home decoration pieces. But is cherry a hardwood that can withstand harsh elements?
In this article, our expert woodworkers prepared an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of Cherry to help you determine if it’s the right wood for your project.
The Hardness of Cherry Wood
Cherry is one of the most sought-after hardwoods among woodworkers due to its durability and workability. It’s an excellent choice for various woodworking projects that require durability and stability. In fact, cherry is considered one of the most durable hardwoods like maple and oak.
It has exceptional strength and hardness, with a Janka rating of 995 lbf, which means it’s highly resistant to humidity, temperature variations, and wear and tear. Due to this, cherry has become one of the top choices for furniture, flooring, and cabinetry.
However, its hardness can vary depending on the specific species of the Cherry tree, as well as other factors, such as growing conditions and the age of the tree.
But generally, cherry wood is a stronger and more resilient hardwood that can withstand harsh elements compared to most hardwoods.
Here are some comparisons of cherry wood’s hardness to that of other common hardwoods based on their Janka score:
Hardwood Species | Hardness Rating |
Brazilian Walnut | 16,390 N (3,684 lbf) |
Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry | 10,500 N (2,350 lbf) |
Turpentine, Red Mahogany | 12,000 N (2,697 lbf) |
Hickory, Satinwood, Pecan | 8,100 N (1,820 lbf) |
Golden Teak | 10,400 N (2,330 lbf) |
White Oak | 6,000 N (1,360 lbf) |
Sugar Maple, Hard Maple | 6,400 N (1,450 lbf) |
American Beech | 5,800 N (1,300 lbf) |
White Ash | 5,900 N (1,320 lbf) |
Northern Red Oak | 5,700 N (1,290 lbf) |
Teak | 5,140 N (1,155 lbf) |
Baltic Birch, Yellow Birch | 5,600 N (1,260 lbf) |
Black Walnut | 4,500 N (1,010 lbf) |
Imbuia, Black Cherry | 4,200 N (950 lbf) |
Cherry | 4,230 N (950 lbf) |
Red Maple | 4,200 N (950 lbf) |
Yellow Pine | 3,870 N (870 lbf) |
Larch | 3,690 N (830 lbf) |
Douglas Fir | 3,158 N (710 lbf) |
Hemlock | 2,402 N (540 lbf) |
Silver Maple | 3,100 N (700 lbf) |
Cypress | 2,269 N (510 lbf) |
Black Spruce | 2,313 N (520 lbf) |
Redwood | 1,868 N (420 lbf) |
Engelmann Spruce | 1,735 N (390 lbf) |
Basswood | 1,823 N (410 lbf) |
Sugar Pine | 1,690 N (380 lbf) |
Aspen | 1,557 N (350 lbf) |
White Pine | 1,690 N (380 lbf) |
White Cedar | 1,423 N (320 lbf) |
As shown above, cherry wood falls in the middle of the range of hardwoods in terms of hardness. This means that cherry has a medium density compared to other common hardwoods.
While cherry is not as hard as some of the denser hardwoods like walnut or mahogany, it is still a strong and durable wood that is suitable for a wide range of woodworking projects.
Characteristics Of Cherry Wood
Cherry wood has been favored by craftsmen for centuries for its natural beauty and versatility, making it a highly valued hardwood. It’s a popular material for carving decorative objects due to its medium density, making it easy to carve, saw, and sand.
Since Cherry wood is not too hard compared to most hardwoods, it’s easier to create fine details and intricate designs on its straight-grain pattern. Also, it has great stability, so it will not shrink or warp as it dries, preserving your carved designs over time.
Unlike most hardwoods, cherry wood is easier to stain due to its smooth, tight-grained surface that accepts finishes well. Its uniform grain structure allows finishes to be applied evenly and smoothly.
Additionally, its beautiful reddish-brown color brings timeless elegance to your home as it darkens with exposure to light. This results in a warm and rich tone that adds character and richness to the wood’s appearance.
Most importantly, it contains natural oils, which provide protection against moisture and humidity, extending its lifespan. Below are cherry wood’s outstanding qualities:
- High durability
- Medium density
- High resistance to decay
- Soft hardwood
- Excellent workability
- Accepts finishes well
- Moisture-resistant
Meanwhile, below are cherry wood’s main characteristics:
- Hardness: 950 lbf
- Density: 0.50 kg/m3
- Stiffness: 1.49 Mpsi
- Color: Reddish brown / Pinkish brown
- Applications: Furniture, flooring, cabinetry
Cherry Wood’s Pros and Cons
Like any other type of hardwood, Cherry wood has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the key points you must consider when using Cherry wood for your project:
Pros
- Versatile hardwood
- High durability
- Appealing color
- Fine and straight grains
- Excellent workability
- High stability
- Rot-resistant
- Has no distinct or strong odor
- Easy to carve and shape
- Accepts all types of finishes
- High availability
- Great sustainability
Cons
- Softer than most hardwoods
- Only medium density
- Becomes darker over time
- Can be more expensive than most hardwoods
Uses of Cherry Wood
Cherry is one of the most versatile hardwoods that you can use in your various projects. While Cherry wood is highly regarded for furniture making and indoor applications, it can also be used for various exterior projects.
Although its color may change over time, especially when exposed to direct sunlight and other harsh elements. But most woodworkers find it more aesthetically appealing when its color darkens. Therefore, do not hesitate to use them for outdoor applications as well.
Here are some common projects where you can use Cherry wood:
- Furniture: Cherry wood is a popular choice for unique and high-end furniture including cabinets, tables, dressers, bed frames, and chairs due to its strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
- Cabinetry: Cherry wood is often used for kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom cabinets since it’s highly resistant to wear and tear.
- Flooring: Cherry wood is a popular option for residential and commercial floorings due to its warm natural color and durability.
- Decorative items: Cherry wood is a top choice in creating decorative objects including vases, picture frames, and bowls since it's easier to shape and carve.
- Millwork: Cherry wood is suitable for molding, trimming, and building baseboards, due to its stability and workability.
- Decks: Cherry wood is ideal for decking due to its durability and resistance to weather variations.
- Shingles: Cherry wood is suitable for shingles on roofs or siding due to its high resistance to decay.
- Panels or Exterior trim: Cherry wood is ideal for exterior trim, such as window casings and door frames, due to its resistance to moisture, humidity, and insect infestation.
How Strong Is Cherry Wood?
Cherry has medium strength compared to some hardwoods. However, it has excellent shock resistance and dimensional stability, allowing it to withstand heavy loads and stress.
Essentially, it has remarkable bending or flexural strength and compressive strength, meaning it can withstand pressure without splitting or breaking.
- Cherry wood's compressive strength: 7,110 psi
- Cherry wood's bending or flexural strength: 12,300 psi
Cherry has higher compressive strength and bending or flexural strength compared to some popular hardwoods like Oak, Aspen, Soft Maple, Basswood, Poplar, Sycamore, and Sweetgum. Therefore, it is stronger and more durable for various applications.
Is Cherry Wood Harder Than Oak?
Essentially, Cherry has a lower Janka score than Oak. This means that cherry wood is relatively softer compared to Oak. Below are the Janka hardness scores of Oak and Cherry wood:
Hardwood Type | Hardness Rating |
Cherry | 950 lbf |
White Oak | 1,360 lbf |
Red Oak | 1,290 lbf |
Is Cherry Wood Harder Than Maple?
Cherry and Maple are both categorized as hardwoods, but they have different durability and strength. Although Soft Maple and Cherry have the same Janka hardness, Hard Maple is stronger than Cherry wood.
However, Cherry has better resistance to environmental elements, making it more durable than Maple. Below are the Janka hardness scores of Maple and Cherry wood:
Hardwood Type | Hardness Rating |
Cherry | 950 lbf |
Soft Maple | 950 lbf |
Hard Maple | 1,450 lbf |
Is Cherry Wood Harder Than Mahogany?
Generally, mahogany and Cherry have equal strength and density. However, Cherry has a higher resistance to decay, making it more suitable for outdoor applications compared to mahogany.
Additionally, Cherry wood has higher Janka hardness than mahogany. Therefore, Cherry wood is stronger and more durable than Mahogany. Below are the Janka hardness scores of mahogany and Cherry wood:
Hardwood Type | Hardness Rating |
Mahogany | 800 lbf |
Cherry | 950 lbf |
Is It Difficult To Cut Cherry Wood?
Generally, Cherry wood is easier to cut, as it has a moderate density and hardness that makes it relatively easy to work with using common woodworking tools. Due to its excellent workability, many woodworkers opt to use it for their wood carving projects.
With the use of simple tools, you can easily cut and shape Cherry wood without the risk of chipping, splitting, and cracking. So, even if you’re a beginner or a DIYer [1], you will find Cherry wood easier to work with.
Conclusion
Overall, Cherry is a hardwood that is stronger and more durable to resist weather variations, moisture, humidity, insects, molds, and other harsh elements.
Aside from its durability and strength, its distinctive grain pattern and reddish-brown hues that darken with age make it highly valuable and one of the most sought-after hardwoods. If properly cared for and maintained, your cherry wood pieces can last for many years.
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