HARDWOODS AVAILABLE
BALAU
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.
IROKO
The heartwood is pale yellow to yellow, darkening on exposure to yellowish or greenish brown or sometimes to chocolate brown.
Due to its strength, durability, stability and Teak like appearance, Iroko is used as a substitute for Teak.
Iroko is used for a wide range of applications, it is used for construction work, shipbuilding, marine carpentry, framework, outdoor and indoor joinery, stairs, doors, frames, cabinet work, panelling, flooring and profile boards for decorative and structural uses. As it is resistant to acids and bases, it is used for tanks and barrels for food and chemical products and for laboratory benches.
Iroko is also known as African Teak, Mvule and African Oak.
As per British Standards Iroko Hardwood is classified as Grade D40.
OPEPE
The heartwood is orange or golden yellow, darkening upon exposure.
Opepe hardwood is suitable for heavy construction including bridges, harbor works, underground construction.
It is also used in heavy flooring, joinery, interior trim, boat building, railway sleepers, poles, hydraulic works, bridges, ship planking. It is suitable for use in Marine Environment. It has a high durability with an expected service life of up to 50 years.
Opepe is also known as Bilinga.
As per British Standards Opepe Hardwood is classified as Grade D50.
DABEMA
The heartwood is pale brown to golden brown, occasionally dark brown, with an attractive stripe pattern on quarter-sawn surfaces, the wood has an unpleasant ammoniac smell when freshly cut. The wood is moderately heavy.
Dabema is used for truck and wagon flooring and for structural applications as a substitute for Oak. It is strongly advised to use only thick dimensions, since small dimensions are unstable and crack appearances are likely seen.
It is recorded as durable in fresh water.
Dabema is also known as African Greenheart and Redwood.
PADAUK
The heartwood is bright red when freshly cut, becoming orange-red on exposure and darkening to purple-brown. The wood has a faint aromatic scent when freshly cut. Wood is moderately heavy.
Padauk is moderately heavy, strong, and stiff, with exceptional stability. It is often used for facades (interior and exterior), door and window frames. Furthermore it is also used for joinery, parquet, floors and stairs.
AFRORMOSIA
The heartwood is yellowish brown to greenish brown with darker streaks, wood resembles to that of Teak.
Rated as very durable regarding decay resistance, and is also resistant to termites and other insects. In nearly all regards, Afrormosia is easy to work with both hand and machine tools.
Afrormosia is sometimes referred to as “African Teak,” though it is not closely related to genuine Teak. Afrormosia does look somewhat similar to Teak, has similar working and mechanical properties, and is extremely durable in outdoor applications; for these reasons, it’s used with a fair degree of success as a substitute for Teak.
KEMPAS
Kempas tends to be an orangish-brown, with an overall mahogany-like appearance.
Kempas is considered to be a difficult timber to work on account of both its density and its interlocked grain. The wood accepts stains and finishes well.
Kempas is used for Flooring, heavy construction, railroad crossties, plywood, and pallets.
As per British Standards Kempas Hardwood is classified as Grade D60.
MERANTI
The colour of Meranti heartwood varies sharply from dark red to light red-brown and from pale pink to pink red.
Here in the UAE market Fresh cut logs are generally not available and hence air dried Meranti timber planks are only available in limited sizes and lengths.
Red Meranti typically easy to work with, it is suitable for joinery, high class interior finishing, flooring, decking, panelling, doors, door and window frames.