Balau are of two types Yellow Balau and Red Balau.

Yellow Balau Heartwood is of a yellow brown to reddish brown colour.

Red Balau Heartwood is of wood light to dark brown or purplish red brown to grey brown.

Balau Hardwood is a very dense hardwood used mainly for heavy construction. It is a heavy, extremely strong and dense timber with high resistance to wear. Balau Hardwoods can be painted, stained, and polished.

Balau Hardwoods are generally used for heavy industrial uses, bridge construction, marine decking, ship building etc.

As per British Standards Balau Hardwood is classified as Grade D70.