Great for Painting or Clear Finish
Soft Maple
Soft Maple is best known for displaying its brilliant red foliage in Autumn. It is also one of the first plants to flower in the spring. Like its Hard Maple cousin, Soft Maple is able to grow to old age and can be a significant component in Old Growth forests.
Soft Maple is actually medium in density and durable. Its smooth grain makes it an excellent wood for painting - similar to Birch. In the Select grade, it has a nice blend of soft white and soft grey colors. In the Premium and Rustic grades it shows its mineral heart center with more colors, including brown/black. It is an excellent choice for Paneling with Trim.
Grades of Wood
Select
Elegant selection with consistent grain, minimal small knots, and overall smooth character. Excellent choice for a more refined look.
Premium
Varying amounts of excellent tight characteristics including medium size knots, streaks, bark pockets, and grain variation. This grade is excellent for a higher character look than Select, but not entirely Rustic either.
Rustic
This exciting grade provides the highest degree of character, with a wide range of knot sizes, streaks, a few holes and torn knots, and occasional heavy bark deposits. Rustic grade can appear a bit "loose" when unfinished, but with Prefinish applied the character holds together beautifully and really pops. This grade continues to grow in popularity, even in high end applications.
MTM is able to mix the grades in any combination to give you the exact look you are after. Some species (such as Elm) are limited in quantity and are only offered as a full mix of grades. A few species are unavailable in Select grade due to the natural characteristics of the tree (Tamarack).