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Specialised Decking

AFRICAN MAHOGANY KHAYA NYASICA

Also known as Acajou, Umbaua, Grand bassam
and distributed from central and east Africa !"e
wood is medium "ard and of medium weig"t and
ranges between #$%&'($ kg)m% a*eraging +'%
kg)m% w"en green It is pink w"en fres"l, cut,
darkening to a reddis"&brown, wit" pale golden&
brown -ones, on e.posure !"e grain is
sometimes straig"t, but generall, interlocked,
gi*ing a c"aracteristic stripe figure in /uarter
sawn stock !"e te.ture is medium to coarse, but
e*en !"e timber works fairl, easil, wit" bot"
"and and mac"ine tools and is suitable for
furniture and general carpentr,

IROKO CHLOROPHORA EXCELSA

!"e 0igerian name Iroko "as been uni*ersall,
adopted as t"e trade name on t"e international
market alt"oug" it is known as 1*ule in 2ast
Africa !"e timber is somew"at *ariable in
colour, from pale&,ellow to medium&brown w"en
fres" but soon darkening to a uniform brown
colour 3n e.posure to t"e weat"er, as s"ips
decking, garden furniture etc, it bleac"es like
teak !"e timber is somew"at coarse&te.tured,
wit" an interlocked and sometimes rat"er
irregular grain, and of medium densit,, seasoned,
w"ic" is about t"e same as teak Iroko "as a
superficial resemblance to teak but is readil,
distinguis"ed b, its coarser te.ture, and lacks t"e
c"aracteristic greas, feel and leat"er&like smell of
teak W"en free of stone, Iroko presents little
difficult, in working wit" "and or mac"ine tools
Dulling of cutting edges is muc" less t"an wit"
teak, unless stone is present, w"en it can become
se*ere Iroko can be nailed and screwed fairl,
well and takes stain but its coarse, open te.ture
re/uires filling before polis" ing It is not usuall,
painted but can be if desired, using a t"in primer
As for "ow it is used, in t"e countries of origin
Iroko is regarded as t"e local e/ui*alent of teak,
being outstanding in its lasting /ualities and
stabilit,, and not undul, "ard or "ea*,, wit"
good all&round strengt" properties and a pleasing
appearance In 2urope and 0ort" America its use
"as been de*eloped largel, as an alternati*e to
teak4 it "as t"e ad*antage of being considerabl,
less e.pensi*e It is used, for e.ample, in s"ip
and boat building, for "ig"&class joiner, in public
buildings, for laborator, benc"es, draining&
boards, garden furniture and flooring

KIAAT PTERACARPUS ANGOLENSIS

3t"er names include 5"odesian Walnut, 1ninga
6!an-ania74 Ambila 61o-ambi/ue74 1ukwa
68ambia and 5"odesia74 9iaat, 9ajat, 9jaten"out
6Sout" Africa7 !"e timber resembles ot"er
species of t"e :terocarpus genus 6padauk from
;urma, Andamans and Africa7 but lacks t"e
reddis" colour of padauk, being brown wit"
irregular reddis" streaks It is also softer and
lig"ter in weig"t about +<=kg)m% w"en dried
!"e sapwood, w"ic" is rat"er wide, is oatmeal in
colour4 t"e grain is straig"t to interlock, and t"e
te.ture is medium !"e timber "as e.cellent
dr,ing properties, bot" in air and kiln dr,ing,
alt"oug" it dries slowl, !"ere is onl, t"e
slig"test tendenc, for surface c"ecking to occur
3wing to t"e *ar,ing grain, e*en in t"e same log,
its strengt" is generall, lower on a*erage t"an t"e
*alues for padauk, being about %= percent
inferior in stiffness, but it is about (= percent
more resistant to s"ock loads, and about e/ual in
bending strengt" As for working /ualities, it is
eas, to saw and work, alt"oug" t"ere i s a
tendenc, for interlocked grain to pick up in
/uarter sawn surfaces4 a cutting angle of (=
degrees is t"erefore necessar, !"e wood turns
well, "as good nailing and screwing properties,
and takes a good polis" 9iaat is an attracti*e
timber, suitable for paneling, "ig"&class joiner,
and furniture It makes a first&class floor wit" a
moderate resistance to wear, and is a good timber
for decorati*e *eneer

OBECHE TRIPLOCHITON SCLEROXYLON

!"e 0igerian name 3bec"e and t"e G"ana name
Wawa "a*e been adopted as alternati*e ;ritis"
Standard names for t"e timber of t"is species4
3bec"e is t"e usual trade name in ;ritain !"e
names A,ous and Samba refer to timber
originating in >ameroon and t"e I*or, >oast,
respecti*el, !"e wood "as an e*en grain and is
not resistant to deca, or fungi and is *er, liable
to be damaged Alt"oug" it cannot be described
as "ard, t"e wood is firm under t"e tool, and e*en
in te.ture It works *er, easil, wit" "and and
mac"ine tools, and does not blunt cutting edges
of tools *er, /uickl, In end&grain working, t"e
timber ma, s"ow a tendenc, to crumble, unless
t"e tools are kept s"arp, and edges are not
allowed to become t"ick It can be turned but is
rat"er soft for t"is t,pe of use as centres are apt to
sink in ?or jointed work, gluing is preferable to
nailing or screwing, e.cept for *er, lig"t work It
stains and polis"es well 6t"e grain needs to be
filled7 !"e wood takes paint well wit" normal
primers 3bec"e is u sed in t"e manufacture of
lower&priced domestic cabinet work and kitc"en
furniture, and for interior joiner, and similar
purposes w"ere American w"itewood or joiner,&
grade softwood were formerl, specified4 also for
bo.es and packing cases w"ere a good
appearance is re/uired, since less wastage occurs
in con*ersion It s"ould ne*er be used wit"out
preser*ati*e treatment in e.posed or damp
situations

PANGA PANGA MILLETTIA STUHLMANNII

Also known as :artridgewood or :atr,s"out
:anga :anga grows in t"e dam e*ergreen tropical
forests of 2ast Africa !"e largest concentrations
are found in 1o-ambi/ue4 sparser populations
e.ist in sout"ern !an-ania !"e dark to black&
brown core wood is clearl, differentiated from
t"e ,ellowis", approsimatel, # cm 6(in7 t"ick,
sapwood A series of lig"t and dark la,ers gi*e
t"e wood a notable and *er, decorati*e
appearance :anga :anga is often erroneousl,
sold as Wenge, a similar tree from t"e same
famil, 6Wenge is more darkl, coloured7 It is a
*er, "ard and "ea*, wood t"at possesses good
mec"anical and p",sical properties, and is
fle.ible, durable and weat"er& and insect&
resistant !"e woodglues poorl,, alt"oug" t"is
condition ma, be ameliorated b, first filling up
t"e pores :anga :anga is *er, popular in t"e
*eneer industr,, w"ere it is used for decorati*e
furniture Intensi*e steaming must be performed
prior to *eneer processing !"e woods
durabilit, andoptical elegance make it a good, if
som ew"at costl,, solution for flooring needs
;ecause of its "ig" price, :anga :anga is no
longer used as construction timber

RHODESAIN TEAK BAIKIAEA PLURIJUGA

!"is timber is called 5"odesian, or 8ambian teak
because of its outstanding strengt"s, durabilit,
and stabilit, In 5"odesia and 8ambia 6formerl,
0ort"ern 5"odesia7 it is a local e/ui*alent of
teak !"is specie is limited to t"e relati*el, dr,
region drained b, t"e upper 8ambesi and
3ka*ango ri*ers, an area including t"e western
parts of 8ambia and 5"odesia and adjoining
portions of Angola, Sout"&West Africa and
;otswana A "andsome wood of distincti*e
appearance@ !"e surface of fres"l, manufactured
timber is lig"t&brown marked wit" irregular black
lines or flecks 3n e.posure to lig"t it soon
c"anges to reddis"&brown, and after some ,ears
t"e red component disappears, lea*ing a beautiful
dark&brown colour !"e te.ture is fine and e*en,
gi*ing a smoot", "ard surface4 t"e grain is
straig"t or slig"tl, interlocked !"e a*erage
densit, is about =A 6#+ ib)ft%7, ie appreciabl,
"arder and "ea*ier t"an true teak B5"odesian
teakB dries slowl,, but wit" t"e minimum of
degrade It is dimensionall, stable under * ar,ing
conditions of atmosp"eric "umidit,, being
similar to ma"ogan, in t"is respect, but less
stable t"an true teak It is well known for its
outstanding durabilit, under tropical conditions,
and is resistant to termites !"e timber is difficult
to work and "as a fairl, se*ere blunting effect on
cutting edges A clean finis" is usuall, obtained
in planning It s"ould be pre&bored for nails, to
pre*ent splitting It is t"e most important
indigenous timber tree e.ploited commerciall, in
8ambia and 5"odesia w"ere it is largel, used for
railwa, sleepers, construction work and furniture
!"e e.port trade is practicall, limited to flooring
blocks manufactured form offcuts

ROSE GUIBOURTIA COLEOSPER

Also known as ;ubinga, 9e*an-ingo, 1a-aule,
5"odesian >apalwood, 1uscti, >ssingang and
c"iefl, from t"e >ameroon, and Gabon, also
from 8aire !"e "eartwood is a medium reddis"&
brown or purplis"& brown wit" darker *eining,
similar to some t,pes of rosewood wit" a fine
te.ture It is of t"e same order of densit, as
;ra-ilian rosewood, between =C and =A+ in t"e
seasoned condition !"e grain ma, be straig"t or
interlocked but some logs "a*e *er, irregular
grain w"ic" gi*es a "ig"l, decorati*e figure to
rotar,&cut *eneer It is moderatel, durable but
liable to common furniture beetle attack
Alt"oug" relati*el, "ard and dense t"e timber is
reported to saw wit"out difficult, t"oug" t"e
power consumption is fairl, "ig" It takes a fine,
clean finis" 5osewood "as been used mostl, in
t"e form of *eneer for decorati*e purposes, and
would seem to "a*e furt"er possibilities for "ig"&
class furniture and cabinetwork, and fanc,
turner, suc" as knife "andles and brus" backs

ZEBRA WOOD MICROBERLINIA
BRAZZAVILLENSIS

Also known as 8ebrano, originating from West
and 2ast Africa It "as a "ig"l, decorati*e, lig"t
gold colour, wit" narrow streaks of dark brown to
black, *isible b, /uartering Dea*, and "ard, it
can be polis"ed to a "ig" luster, but is rat"er
coarse in te.ture and "as an unpleasant odour
w"en working it

MATUMI

MAHOGANY BLONDE


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Specialised Decking

AMERICAN ASH FRAXINUS
AMERICANA

As" is of t"e oli*e tree famil, and
grows t"roug"out t"e eastern part of
t"e United States American as" is a
ring porous "ardwood and is fairl,
"ard, "ea*,, and *er, toug" wit"
e.cellent bending and finis"ing
/ualities It is great for mac"ining
and offers good resistance to
splitting in nailing and remarkable
resistance to splitting in screwing,
w"ile it is good for gluing It can be
used for furniture, panelling,
flooring, fi.tures, woodwork,
bending stock, "andles and sporting
goods

CHAMFUTTI AFZELIA
QUANZENSIS WELW

3t"er names@ 1a"ogan,4 5ed
1a"ogan,, 5"odesian ma"ogan,,
>"amfuta, 1ussacossa, >"anfuta,
1atende, 1ecombe, 1oco,
1ugengema, 1uoco, >"emnen,
1upapa !"e "eartwood is reddis"&
brown in colour and t"e sapwood is
,ellow !"e te.ture is coarse and
e*en and it "as an interlocked grain
Durabilit,@Eer, durable Uses@
Foiner,&counter top, fittings in
banks and buildings, door frames,
window frames, sills, flooring&
"ea*, dut,, stairs, furniture,
turner,

POPLAR IMPORTED POPULUS


3t"er names include American
w"itewood, cottonwood and
>anadian aspen Distributed from
0ort" and Sout" America
and>anada !"e wood is fairl, soft
and lig"t and is usuall, of plain
appearance apart from a growt"&
ring figure on flat&sawn or rotar,&
cut material, gre,is"&w"ite to lig"t
gre,is"&brown sometimes wit" a
reddis" tinge !"e grain is usuall,
straig"t, t"e te.ture fine and e*en
!"e wood is odourless and tasteless
w"en well seasoned ;eing soft and
lig"t, poplar "as a low strengt"
rating, similar to basswood and
spruce, but ranks comparati*el,
"ig" in toug"ness and resistance to
s"ock and wears e*enl, under
abrasion It is unsuitable for steam
bending All species of poplar are
non&curable under damp conditions

BEECH EUROPIAN FAGUS
SYLVATICA

!"e timber@A general utilit,
"ardwood of plain appearance,
usuall, straig"t grained and of fine,
e*en te.ture Strengt"@In t"e
seasoned condition beec" is
superior to oak in bending strengt",
stiffness, "ardness and resistance to
impact and splitting Working
/ualities@ ;eec" works fairl, readil,
and finis"es well in most "and and
mac"ine operations, particularl, in
turning Uses@It is t"e most widel,
used wood in t"e furniture industr,,
particularl, for c"airs As flooring,
beec" is suitable for "ea*,
pedestrian traffic and for t"e lig"t
industrial t,pe of factor,

BEECH PINK FAGUS
GRANDIFOLIA

!"e timber "as reddis"&brown
"eartwood wit" t"in w"ite sapwood
and straig"t&grained pattern and is
eas, to paint, stain or bleac" It is a
"ard, strong, close&grained wood
t"at is e.cellent for mac"ining and
offers a fair resistance to splitting in
nailing and screwing w"ile it is also
good for gluing ;eec" is a *aluable
timber suitable for furniture,
flooring, "andles, woodenware,
bending stock and to,s

CHERRY PRUNUS AVIUM

!"e wild c"err,, or gean, fre/uentl,
occurs wit" oak, beec" and ot"er
"ardwoods in mi.ed woodlands
w"ere it is conspicuous in spring for
its w"ite blossom !"e timber is of
medium densit,, wit" a fairl, fine,
e*en te.ture, generall, straig"t
grained e.cept in t"e neig"bor"ood
of large knots and near t"e butt !"e
timber seasons fairl, readil, but
wit" a pronounced tendenc, to
warp Its mo*ement in ser*ice is
classed as medium It is a toug"
timber, comparable to oak in
strengt", and is good material for
steam bending in t"e same class
as beec", as", oak and elm >"err,
is not sufficientl, resistant to insect
and fungal attack to be used out of
doors wit"out preser*ati*e
treatment, and is liable to attack b,
t"e common furniture beetle It
works and finis"ed fairl, well in
most mac"ine operations, turns
well, gi*es e.cellent results wit"
polis"ing, and presents no difficult,
in staining and gluing >"err, is a
"ig"&grade cabinet timber w"ic"
would probabl, be more "ig"l,
appreciated and find greater us e if
supplies were more plentiful In t"e
form of furniture it is often seen in
anti/ue countr,&made pieces !"e
good working /ualities and
attracti*e appearance of t"e timber
make it suitable for interior joiner,
w"ere large widt"s are not re/uired
?or paneling it is obtainable in t"e
form of *eneer A relati*el, large
proportion of t"e timber a*ailable is
of small dimensions, suitable for
fanc, goods and turner,, including
wood&wind musical instruments
suc" as recorders

CHERRY COMSELS

JELUTONG DYERA COSTULATA

Distributed from Sumatra and
;orneo, including Sarawak and
Saba" !"e timber is a plain wood,
uniforml, w"ite or straw&coloured
t"roug"out, alt"oug" sometimes
discoloured b, staining fungi !"e
grain is straig"t and t"e te.ture fine
and e*en Felutong is a lig"t
"ardwood, a*erage densit, about
=,<+, ie, about t"e same weig"t as
poplar Its appearance is marred b,
t"e presence of slit&like late. traces
3n a*erage it is from (#&<=G
weaker t"an lig"t&red 1eranti in
bending strengt", compression,
stiffness and s"ock resistance
Felutong is rated non&durable w"en
e.posed to fungal attack It is
particularl, susceptible to termite
attack and t"e sapwood, alt"oug"
not *isuall, distinct from t"e
"eartwood, is *er, liable to stain
and to damage b, wood&boring
insects !"e timber presents no
difficult, in working wit" eit"er
mac"ine or "and tools It "as little
dulling effect and pro*ided t"at
cutting edges are kept s"arp it takes
an e.cellent finis" It nails and
screws well and can be glued
satisfactoril, ;, reason of its fine,
e*en te.ture, good working
properties and stabilit,, Felutong
"as been found acceptable, as an
alternati*e to t"e more e.pensi*e
,ellow pine, for engineers
patterns and drawing boards It is
popular for model making and
"andicraft work and "as been used
for joiner,

MAHOGANY SOUTH
AMERICAN

MAHOGANY BURMOG

MAHOGANY SAPELE

MERBAU

MAPLE ACER SACCHARUM

1aple is pri-ed for its cream to
w"ite coloured sapwood and lig"t
red&brown "eartwood It is diffuse
porous wit" a subtle grain pattern
"ig"lig"ted b, c"aracteristic
springwood !"e wood is "ea*,,
strong and stiff 1aple works well4
stains and finis"es nicel, and is
e.cellent for mac"ining and "as a
fair resistance to splitting in nailing
It is good for gluing and "as a good
resistance to splitting in screwing It
can be used for furniture, cabinets,
flooring, interior decoration
including stairs and panelling,
musical instruments, to,s, bowling
alle,s and pins, and woodenware

MAPLE SOFT

MAPLE BIRD EYE

RED OAK QUERCUS RUBRA

Distributed from 2astern USA !"e
timber "as a c"aracteristic ring
porous grain pattern4 t"e wood is
"ea*,, "ard and stiff !"e
"eartwood of 5ed 3ak ranges in
colour from w"eat to a lig"t
"one,, sapwood is lig"t off&
w"ite es It is e.cellent for
mac"ining, good w"en it comes to
resistance to splitting in nailing and
gluing and e.cellent w"en it comes
to resistance to splitting in
screwing It is pri-ed in t"e
manufacturing of furniture,
cabinets, and interior decorati*e
items especiall, flooring, stairs,
and mouldings

WHITE OAK QUERCUS ALBA

Also known as Sta*e 3ak W"ite
oak, like 5ed 3ak, grows broadl,
across t"e eastern "alf of t"e United
States, just in smaller /uantities
t"an 5ed 3ak W"ite 3ak is a ring
porous specie wit" a c"aracteristic
strong grain and ra,s t"at are more
pronounced and longer t"an t"ose
in t"e 5ed 3aks It is e.cellent for
mac"ining, good w"en it comes to
resistance to splitting in nailing and
gluing and e.cellent w"en it comes
to resistance to splitting in
screwing It can be used for
furniture, cabinets, cooperage,
windows and e.terior doors,
interior decoration including
flooring, mouldings and
wall)ceiling panelling

WALNUT JUGLANS REGIA

Distribution from Western 2urope
!"e tree is generall, grown in t"e
open w"ere it ma, reac" a "eig"t of
$C&(#m wit" large spreading
branc"es4 t"e bole rarel, e.ceeds
+m in lengt" and $m in diameter
!"e colour of t"e "eartwood is
*ariable wit" a gre,is"&brown
background and contrasting
irregular dark streaks 3n wide
boards t"ree distinct -ones are seen4
t"e true "eartwood in t"e middle,
darker t"an t"e rest4 t"e sapwood on
t"e outside4 muc" paler4 between
t"em an intermediate -one, often
slig"tl, pinkis"&brown in colour
W"en e.posed to strong sunlig"t
t"e colour fades, e*entuall,
becoming a dirt, gre, unless
protected ;lue&black stains ma,
de*elop on t"e wood if in contact
wit" iron or steel under damp
conditions !"e ornamental
c"aracter of t"e "eartwood is often
accentuated b, a natural wa*,
grain ?renc" walnut tends to be
somew"at paler and gre,er t"an
2nglis", w"ile t"e Italian wood is
c"aracterised b, its elaborate figure
and dark, streak, coloration
Walnut is uni/ue in its combination
of moderate densit,, good working
and finis"ing properties, toug"ness
and resistance to splitting
/ualities w"ic" make it unsurpassed
for gun and rifle stocks and certain
kind of wood car*ing It seasons
well, t"oug" rat"er slowl,, wit"
relati*el, little s"rinkage and a
moderate amount of mo*ement in
ser*ice It is classed as *er, good
for bending !"e "eartwood is
moderatel, resistant to insect and
fungal attack Walnut is now too
scarce to be used in t"e furniture
industr, in t"e solid form for an,
but "ig"&/ualit, cabinet work and
c"airs and small parts suc" as
"andles and fittings Walnut
*eneers are widel, used for cabinet
work, paneling, s"opfitting and
"ig"&class joiner, ?or t"e solid
parts of *eneered walnut furniture it
is general practice to use ot"er
timbers suc" as African walnut,
beec" and abura, stained if
necessar, to matc" t"e *eneer
3t"er used include fanc, goods,
especiall, turner,, sports goods
mainl, for decorati*e purposes
and musical instruments

MERANTI SHOREA

Lig"t& to medium&weig"t S"orea
timbers wit" predominantl, ,ellow
or ,ellow&brown "eartwood are
known as ,ellow meranti in 1ala,a
and Sarawak and as ,ellow sera,a
in Saba" !"e onl, species of t"is
group in t"e :"ilippines, known
locall, as kalunti, is classed as
,ellow lauan for trade purposes
Distributed from t"e sout"ern tip of
!"ailand, t"roug" 1ala,a, Sumatra
and t"e island of ;orneo to
1indanao in t"e :"ilippines ;eing
a mi.ture of species, t"e
commercial timber is *ariable in
colour, weig"t and te.ture
Deartwood is t,picall, a dull&
,ellow or ,ellow&brown, darkening
somew"at on prolonged e.posure4 it
is liable to discoloration in contact
wit" iron under moist conditions
!"e grain is s"allowl, interlocked
and t"e te.ture moderatel, coarse,
alt"oug" somew"at finer t"an t"at
of red meranti Like ot"er t,pes of
meranti t"e timber is somew"at
*ariable in strengt" 3n a*erage, it
is of t"e order of $=&$#per cent
superior to lig"t&red meranti)sera,a
in stiffness and resistance to
bending, and about (# p er cent
toug"er, "arder and more resistant
to s"ear and splitting Deartwood is
rated moderatel, durable wit"
regard to deca,, but is not resistant
to termite attack Logs are
susceptible to ambrosia 6pin"ole
borer7 beetle damage and, on
dr,ing4 sapwood is liable to attack
b, powder&post beetles Deartwood
is e.tremel, resistant to
preser*ati*e treatment e*en under
pressure !"e timber works easil,
wit" all "and and mac"ine tools and
"as onl, a slig"t blunting effect A
good finis" is obtained pro*ided
tools are used, alt"oug" to a*oid
tearing w"en planning /uartered
surfaces, a cutting angle of twent,
degrees is recommended ?or rip
sawing, satisfactor, results are
obtained wit" saws "a*ing #< teet"
and a (# degree "ook !"oug"
slig"tl, "arder and "ea*ier t"an
lig"t&red meranti, ,ellow meranti
can be used for similar purposes,
namel, joiner,, lig"t structural
work w"ere some *ariation in
colour, grain and te.ture is
permissible, and for pl,wood

OREGON PINE

IMBUIA

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BLACKWOOD DALBERGIA MELANOXYLON

!"e "eartwood is dark purplis"&brown wit"
black streaks w"ic" usuall, predominate so t"at
t"e general effect is nearl, black It is
e.ceptionall, "ard and "ea*,, densit, about $(,
seasoned, wit" a fine, e*en te.ture and a
slig"tl, oil, nature !"e timber dries *er,
slowl, and tends to split in dr,ing, especiall, in
t"e log !"e application of a moisture&retardant
paint to t"e ends of t"e timber at e*er, stage is
ad*ised to minimi-e splitting 3nce seasoned,
"owe*er, it is slow to absorb moisture
>onsidering its densit,, African blackwood "as
e.ceptionall, good working /ualities4 it cuts
smoot"l, and e*enl,, taking an e.cellent finis"
from t"e tool, as in turning and boring, and can
be tapped for screw t"reads almost like metal It
is generall, considered t"e best timber for
ornamental turner,, being superior to ebon, for
t"is purpose ?or wood&wind instruments, also,
it is preferred to ebon, because of its oil, nature
and resistance to climatic c"anges Wit" t"e
e.ception of cocuswood no ot"er timber "a s
been found w"ic" e/uals African blackwood for
reliabilit,, working /ualities and t"e tone of t"e
finis"ed instrument !"e wood is also used for
turned goods suc" as brus" backs, knife
"andles, pulle, blocks and c"essmen

CEDAR CUPRESSACEAE

!"e timber@!"e wood is lig"t, soft and
aromatic !ec"nical properties@ It can be easil,
split and resists deca, Uses@It is used to make
furniture, indoor and outdoor panelling, and
fence posts

IRONWOOD OLEA CAPENSIS (IRON WOOD)

Also known as Hster"out, ;lack Ironwood,
Small Ironwood, 2ast African 3li*e, 2lgon
3li*e, Loliondo, 1us"argi, 1ut"arage and
1ut"aragi Iron wood is widespread in Africa,
ranging west to >ameroon nort" to Sudan and
Somalia, east to t"e Indian 3cean, and sout" to
Sout" Africa !"e wood of t"e tree is *er, "ard,
fine grained, and "ea*,, t"us difficult to work
wit" It is widel, used for art and artefacts

YELLOW WOOD PODOCARPUS
LATIFOLIUS

!"e real ,ellowwood grows naturall, in
mountainous areas and forests in t"e sout"ern,
eastern and nort"ern parts of Sout" Africa,
e.tending into 8imbabwe and furt"er nort" It is
also found on rock, "illsides and mountain
slopes but does not get as tall w"ere it is
e.posed as it does in t"e forests !"e wood is
,ellow and /uite similar to : falcatus, t"e
3uteni/ua ,ellowwood, alt"oug" not as dark or
of t"e same /ualit, !"e bark is gre,is" and
smoot" w"en ,oung but s"ows t"e
c"aracteristic longitudinal fissures as it matures
!"e bark peels off in strips !"e real
,ellowwood "as apparentl, been used more
t"an an, ot"er Sout" African timber ?loors in
t"e old >ape "omesteads were made of t"is
wood !"e soft ,ellow colour of t"e wood
contrasts beautifull, wit" t"e dark&coloured
stinkwood 6 3cotea bullata 7 and t"ese two
timbers were often used toget"er to make
furniture !"e real ,ellowwood was used a lot
for tables and cupboards, as it polis"es up *er,
well !"e Sout" African 5ailwa,s used to use
t"e timbe r to make railwa, sleepers In t"e old
da,s it was used to make wagon bo.es >offins
were often made of it too An unusual use was
t"at of a butc"erBs block because t"e wood is
"ard and did not c"ip easil, It also "as no
scent, so it did not taint t"e meat

CYPRESS

!"e wood is lig"t, soft and aromatic, it can be
easil, split and resists deca, Uses include
furniture, indoor and outdoor panelling, and
fence posts

PINE

HARDE PEER

JAKARANDA

SALIGNA

SERING

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local Wood

BALAU DIPTEROCARPACEAE

5ed ;alau is a "ig"l, durable 1a"ogan, from
Indonesia, also known as ;angkirai !"is
"ardwoodBs natural resistance to s"rinkage,
splintering or c"ecking "a*e make it an ideal and
beautiful decking material !"is managed&
growt", plantation grown "ardwood from
Indonesia is twice as "ard as normal 1a"ogan,
wit" less color *ariation t"an ot"er "ardwoods


It is an e.tremel, dense, tig"t&grained wood,
deep red wit" a minor amount of fine brown
lines ?our times "arder t"an 5edwood it is
also naturall, resistant to rot or deca, !"e
colour will fade from a reddis"&brown to a
weat"ered sil*er gra, if left untreated, or retain
its ric" colour, if treated wit" a "ig" /ualit,
penetrating oil

GARAPA APULEIA LEIOCARPA

Garapa is a Sout" American decking product
wit" a ric" "one, color ItBs c"aracteristics are
similar to Ipe wit" a fraction of t"e cost Grain
is usuall, fine and straig"t wit" some wa*,
c"aracteristics in certain pieces Eer, "ard and
durable, Garapa would be a fine c"oice of ,our
deck, lasting for man, man, ,ears to come

IPE TABEBUIA SPP

Also known as ;ra-ilian Walnut, Ironwood or
:au Lope Ip 6pronounced e&pa,7, is widel,
recogni-ed as one of t"e "ardest and most
durable timber species in t"e world ;ecause of
its densit, it also "as a "ig" fire resistance rating
6!"e same fire rating as concrete7 Ip is
naturall, resistant to rot and deca, !"e color
ranges from dark brown to oli*e&brown and
sometimes almost blackis" tones and can *ar,
widel, in grain

1an, uses include residential and commercial
decking, docks, park benc"es, etc Great for use
w"ere ,ou need a /ualit, product t"at will stand
up to "ig" traffic, pro*ide structural integrit,,
look beautiful and of course, be functional

CUMARU DIPTERIX ODORATA

Also known as ;ra-ilian teak>umaru is a
;ra-ilian species is similar to Ipe It is used in
bot" residential and commercial applications
!"e grain "as a pronounced interlocked
appearance US ?orest :roducts Lab rates
>umaru as *er, durable 5esistance to deca,,
rot, insect damage and itBs fire rating make it a
perfect wood for long&life e.terior applications
It is estimated t"e >umaru will carr, a (# ,ear
life span>umaru is "ar*ested form managed
forest projects It is naturall, seasoned and kiln
dried to pre*ent s"rinkage Used for residential
and commercial decking, boardwalks, bridges,
benc"es, e.terior construction

MASSARANDUBA MANILKARA BIDENTATA

Also known as ;ra-ilian 5edwood >ommon
0ames include@ Acana, Aus, Ausabo, ;alata,
;alata franc, ;alata gomme, ;alata rouge,
;eefwood, ;olletri, ;olletrie, ;ulletwood,
>"ico-apota, 1acaranduba, 1aparajuba,
1assarandu, 0ispero, :amas"to, :araju, Iuinilla
colorada, and 5ed balata

Source 5egion@ ;ra-il, >olombia, Dominican
5epublic, ?renc" Guiana, Gu,ana, 1e.ico,
:anama, :eru, Suriname J Eene-uela
1assaranduba is a dark red wood w"ic" will
fade to a sil*er gra, if left untreated !o retain
t"e ric" color, we recommend an oil based finis"
wit" ultra*iolet in"ibitors 5egular cleaning and
reapplication of finis" will ensure t"at t"e wood
retains its beaut, for man, ,ears!"e "eartwood
is lig"t to dark reddis" brown in color !"e color
"as also been described as dull plum red,
somew"at resembling raw beef !"e grain is
straig"t, sometimes slig"tl, wa*, or interlocked
wit" a *er, fine te.ture

SALIGNA

RHODESIAN TEAK