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Here at MTS we specialise in the manufacturing of Hardwood and Softwood Mouldings, Cladding and Weatherboarding, iDeck Decking and other Hardwood and Softwood Components for a variety of markets.
All of our products are available in numerous specialised Timber Species from around the globe. We can also source other Timber Species upon request.
Please click on any of the selected Timber Species listed on this page for more detail on the characteristics and qualities of each species and to find out which is most suited to your individual needs.
Our expert staff can offer full technical advice for all your requirements, from design to choice of Timber Species. For further information contact us at info@woodcomponents.ie.
Iroko
AKA: odum (Ghana and Ivory Coast), mvule (East Africa), kambala (Zaire), bang (Cameroons), moreira (Angola), tule, intule (Mozambique)
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as LR – Lower Risk (near threatened): close to being classed as Vulnerable. Also meets CITES Appendix II criteria [Information courtesy of Timbmet Ltd] |
| Distribution | M. excelsa has a wide distribution in tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone in the west, to Tanzania in the east. M. regia is confined to West Africa, where it occurs from Senegal to Ghana. There does not appear to be any significant difference between the timber of the two species. |
| The Tree | M. excelsa attains very large sizes, reaching 45m or more in height and up to 2.7m in diameter. The stem is usually cylindrical and mostly without buttresses. It occurs in the rain, and mixed deciduous forests. |
| The Timber | When freshly cut, or when unexposed to light, the heartwood is a distinct yellow colour, but on exposure to light it quickly becomes golden-brown. The sapwood is narrow, being about 50mm to 75mm wide, and clearly defined. The grain is usually interlocked and the texture is rather coarse but even, and the wood weighs on average 660 kg/m3 when dried. Large, hard deposits of calcium carbonate called ‘stone’ deposits, are sometimes present in cavities, probably as a result of injury to the tree. They are often enclosed by the wood and not visible until the time of sawing, though the wood around them may be darker in colour, thus giving an indication of their presence. |
| Drying | The timber dries well and fairly rapidly, with only a slight tendency to distortion and splitting. |
| Strength | Iroko has excellent strength properties, comparing well with teak, though weaker in bending and in compression along the grain. |
| Working Qualities | Medium to Difficult |
| Durability | Durable |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Low to Medium |
| Chemical Properties | Occasional deposits of stone may occur |
| Use(s) | Bridge construction, Exterior joinery, Interior joinery |
| Colour(s) | Yellow brown |
Oak, European
AKA: European oak, English oak, French oak, Slovanian oak, Polish oak
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | The genus Quercus with more than two hundred separate species produces the true oaks. Most of these are found in the northern hemisphere where, in temperate regions they may form pure stands, or may be dominant species in mixed wood lands, while in warmer countries they tend to occupy the mountain areas. Most of the true oaks are trees but some are shrubs, the trees, on the basis of wood structure, falling into three groups, the’red oaks, the white oaks, and the evergreen oaks or live oaks; the red and white oaks are deciduous. Descriptions of the species that occur within Europe are as follows. European oak Quercus petraea Liebl. (Q. sessiliflora Salisb.) and Q. robur L. (Q. pedunculata Ehrh.) known also as English, French, Polish, Slavonian, etc oak, according to origin. |
| Distribution | Q. petraea produces the sessile or durmast oak, while the pedunculate oak is produced by Q. robur: both species occur throughout Europe including the British Isles, and extend into Asia Minor and North Africa. |
| The Tree | Both species reach a height of 18m to 30m or a little more depending upon growth conditions which also affect the length of the bole. When drawn up in forests at the expense of their branches, this may be 1 5m or so in length, but in open situations, the tree branches much lower down. Diameters are about 1.2m to 2m. |
| The Timber | There is no essential difference in the appearance of the wood of either species. The sapwood is 25mm to 50mm wide and lighter in colour than the heartwood which is yellowish-brown. Quarter-sawn surfaces show a distinct silver-grain figure due to the broad rays. The annual rings are clearly marked by alternating zones of early-wood consisting of large pores, and dense late- wood. Conditions of growth accordingly govern the character of the wood to a great extent; for example, in slowly grown wood the proportion of dense late-wood is reduced in each annual growth-ring, thus tending to make the wood soft and light in weight. The growth conditions in the various countries which export oak, vary considerably. Baltic countries, including northern Poland, produce oak which is generally hard and tough, but further south in Poland the growth conditions become more favourable to the production of milder, more uniformly-grown oak, the rich black soil of south-east Poland producing the famous Volhynian oak, the character of this type of wood changing but little in countries in Central Europe such as Czechoslovakia and Hungary, but being generally a little milder in character in Yugoslavia, from whence Slavonian oak is shipped. The weight of oak varies according to type; that from the Baltic area, western Europe, and Great Britain being about 720 kg/m3 and that from Central Europe about 672 kg/m3 on average after drying. So-called brown oak is the result of fungus attack in the growing tree. The fungus, Fistulina hepatica, causes the wood first to assume a yellow colour, then a richer brown or reddish-brown. A yellow-coloured streak sometimes appearing in oak is the result of another fungus, Polyporous dryadeus, but since very few tree diseases persist after the tree is felled, dried timber is no different from normal coloured wood, indeed, brown oak is often preferred for its decorative appeal. |
| Drying | Oak dries very slowly with a marked tendency to split and check, particularly in the early stages of drying, and there is considerable risk of honeycombing if the drying is forced, especially in thick sizes. End and top protection must be provided to freshly sawn stock exposed to sun and drying winds, and sticker thickness should be reduced to about 12mm for stock piled in the open air during early spring and onwards until winter. |
| Strength | Both the sessile and pedunculate oaks have well known and high strength properties, and those hybrid oaks developed from both types and common throughout Europe, are similar in their strength properties. * MECHANICAL PROPERTIES Note: In BS 5268-2: 2002, there is a discrepancy between Tables 7 and 15 regarding characteristic density and Strength classes for use in joint design. The values quoted here should be used, rather than those included in the 14 March 2002 edition of the Code. |
| Working Qualities | Medium to Difficult |
| Durability | Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Abrasions | Very Good |
| Density(mean,Kg/m3) | 720 |
| Density Text | Density can vary by 20% or more |
| Texture | Medium to Coarse |
| Availability | Variable |
| Price | Medium to High |
| Chemical Properties | Iron staining may occur in damp conditions, similarly corrosion of metals |
| Use(s) | Heavy structural use, Cladding, Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Furniture, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | Yellow brown |
Larch, European
AKA: European larch
| Wood Type | Softwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | The natural habitat of larch is the mountainous areas ascending to great elevations, generally from the Bavarian to Swiss Alps, through western Poland and the Moravian Heights to the Carpathians. It has also been extensively planted elsewhere in Europe including the UK where it was introduced early in the seventeenth century. |
| The Tree | Larch attains a height of 30m to 45m and a diameter of 1m or slightly more. and in favourable situations with a long, clean, cylindrical bole for two-thirds of its length. Essentially a natural tree of the mountains, it requires long, really cold winters for its best development; it is deciduous, and appears to depend upon a long winter rest for the ripening of its wood. In the UK the winters are either short or mild, and neither provide ideal growth conditions. For this reason, English larch is generally inferior to that grown naturally in the mountains. |
| The Timber | The heartwood is pale reddish-brown to brick-red in colour, sharply defined from the narrow, lighter-coloured sapwood. It is a very resinous wood, with clearly marked annual rings, a straight grain, and a fine, uniform texture. It is rather heavy, weighing 590 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Dries fairly rapidly with an inclination to distort and for knots to split and loosen. |
| Strength | A hard tough timber, it is about 50 per cent harder than Scots pine and slightly stronger in bending and toughness; in other strength categories it is about the same as for Scots pine. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Small |
| Density(mean,Kg/m3) | 550 |
| Texture | Fine |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Low |
| Use(s) | Cladding, Trim |
| Colour(s) | Reddish brown (Pale) |
Ash, American
AKA: American Ash (America), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), white ash, Canadian ash (Fraxinus americana), brown ash (Fraxinus nigra), red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | The natural order Oleaceae includes a number of species of the genus Fraxinus or ash, whose timber is characterised by good strength elasticity, toughness, stiffness and hardness, allied to relatively light weight. The following are the principal species found in North America: Black ash Fraxinus nigra Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica White ash Fraxinus americana |
| Distribution | BLACK ASH An eastern species; it occurs mainly from the Gulf of the St Lawrence to Manitoba. GREEN ASH Found in fairly limited quantities from south-eastern Quebec throughout southern Ontario to eastern Saskatchewan and also in the southern states of America to the Mississippi River. WHITE ASH Occurs in Canada from Nova Scotia to south-western Ontario, and in America from New England, the Middle Atlantic and Central States. |
| The Tree | BLACK ASH A slender, medium sized tree reaching a height of 18m to 21 m growing in swamps and by rivers. GREEN ASH A small tree, some 12m to 15m in height. WHITE ASH The tree reaches a height of 15m to 18m or a little more, and a diameter of about 0.75m. |
| The Timber | BLACK ASH The timber is greyish-brown to brown in colour, darker than that of white ash, (F. americana} and inferior to that timber in general strength properties and lighter in weight, about 560 kg/m3 when dried. A certain amount of this species is used for interior trim and fittings It takes a good finish. GREEN ASH Produces timber similar to American white ash in appearance, but inferior to that timber in hardness, strength and toughness. It weighs about the same as white ash, about 670 kg/m3 when dried and is used for similar purposes as white ash, except for striking tool handles. WHITE ASH The sapwood is almost white in colour and the heartwood varies from light brown to reddish-brown rather similar to European ash. but a little lighter in weight, about 670 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Durability | Not Durable |
| Treatability | Easy |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 670 |
| Density Text | Density can vary by 20% or more |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Tool Handles, Trim, Interior Joinery |
| Colour(s) | Grey(Brown) |
Oak, American (Red, White)
AKA: American white oak (Q. alba), chestnut oak (Q. prinus, Q. montana), overcup oak (Q. lyrata), swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii), American red oak ( ), northern red oak (Q. rubra, Q. borealis) ( ), southern red oak (Q. falcata) ( ), Spanish oak (Q. falcata) ( ), swamp red oak (Q. falcata, Q. pagodaefolia) ( ), cherrybark oak (Q. falcata, Q. pagodaefolia) ( ), shumard red oak (Q. shumardii) ( )
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | The Fagacae family includes some fifty species of the genus Quercus, producing the true oaks of North America, but many of these are so small in size or found in such limited quantities that they are of no commercial importance. Some twenty species are important but since it is difficult to distinguish between the wood of individual species it is common practice to group them either as red or white oak.
Red oak timbers are characterised by the small, late wood pores larger and less numerous than in white oak. Large pores of the early-wood mostly open and free from tyloses. White oak group timbers are characterised by the small, late-wood pores fine and numerous, not easily distinguished without a magnifying glass. Large pores of the heartwood filled with tyloses in heartwood. |
| Distribution | Red – Eastern Canada and USA. In Canada it is more abundant than white oak, and covers a wider range.
White – From southern Quebec and Ontario to eastern Minnesota and Iowa, extending eastward to the Atlantic and southward through the lower western slopes of the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains. |
| The Tree | Red – The trees vary according to species but average about 18m to 21 m in height with a diameter of 1.0m.
White – The trees vary in size and form according to species and soil conditions, some are unsuitable for timber production. But others vary in height from 15m to 30m, well-grown specimens having a clear cylindrical bole of up to 15m with a diameter of about 1.0m. |
| The Timber | Red – The timber varies in colour from pink to pale reddish-brown, there is usually a reddish cast to the wood although sometimes it approaches white oak in colour. The large rays do not produce such an attractive figure as they do in white oak, and generally speaking, the wood is coarser in texture. The quality of red oak depends greatly on growth conditions, northern red oak. With its comparatively slow rate of growth, compares favourably with northern white oak, while red oak from the southern States is generally of faster growth, and consequently more coarse and open in texture. Red oak weighs about 790 kg/m3 when dried.
White – Although generally resembling European oak, American white oak is more variable in colour, ranging from pale yellow-brown to pale reddish-brown, often with a pinkish tint. The multi-seriate rays are generally higher than those of the red oaks producing a more prominent and attractive silver-grain figure on quarter-sawn surfaces. The grain is generally straight, and the texture varies from coarse to medium coarse. As with the red oaks, the quality depends greatly on the conditions of growth; slowly-grown northern white oak usually being lighter in weight and milder, than that from the southern states. The Appalachian Mountains used to provide beautiful mild white oak greatly esteemed for furniture and cabinet-making, but much of this forest area has been destroyed in recent years due to open-cast coal mining activities. Southern white oak is typically fast grown, and with its wide growth-rings is relatively coarse and more suited to constructional use. White oak weighs about 770 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Durability | Red – Slightly Durable.
White – Moderately Durable |
| Treatability | Red – Difficult.
White – Extremely Difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | Red – 790.
White – 770. |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Chemical Properties | Iron staining may occur in damp conditions, similarly corrosion of metals |
| Use(s) | Red – Interior joinery, Veneer, Furniture, Flooring.
White – Heavy structural use, Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Veneer, Furniture, Flooring. |
| Colour(s) | Red – Pink/Pale Red, Reddish Brown
White – White/Cream, Yellow Brown, Pale Yellow to Mid-Brown |
Oak, European
AKA: European oak, English oak, French oak, Slovanian oak, Polish oak
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | The genus Quercus with more than two hundred separate species produces the true oaks. Most of these are found in the northern hemisphere where, in temperate regions they may form pure stands, or may be dominant species in mixed wood lands, while in warmer countries they tend to occupy the mountain areas. Most of the true oaks are trees but some are shrubs, the trees, on the basis of wood structure, falling into three groups, the’red oaks, the white oaks, and the evergreen oaks or live oaks; the red and white oaks are deciduous. Descriptions of the species that occur within Europe are as follows. European oak Quercus petraea Liebl. (Q. sessiliflora Salisb.) and Q. robur L. (Q. pedunculata Ehrh.) known also as English, French, Polish, Slavonian, etc oak, according to origin. |
| Distribution | Q. petraea produces the sessile or durmast oak, while the pedunculate oak is produced by Q. robur: both species occur throughout Europe including the British Isles, and extend into Asia Minor and North Africa. |
| The Tree | Both species reach a height of 18m to 30m or a little more depending upon growth conditions which also affect the length of the bole. When drawn up in forests at the expense of their branches, this may be 1 5m or so in length, but in open situations, the tree branches much lower down. Diameters are about 1.2m to 2m. |
| The Timber | There is no essential difference in the appearance of the wood of either species. The sapwood is 25mm to 50mm wide and lighter in colour than the heartwood which is yellowish-brown. Quarter-sawn surfaces show a distinct silver-grain figure due to the broad rays. The annual rings are clearly marked by alternating zones of early-wood consisting of large pores, and dense late- wood. Conditions of growth accordingly govern the character of the wood to a great extent; for example, in slowly grown wood the proportion of dense late-wood is reduced in each annual growth-ring, thus tending to make the wood soft and light in weight. The growth conditions in the various countries which export oak, vary considerably. Baltic countries, including northern Poland, produce oak which is generally hard and tough, but further south in Poland the growth conditions become more favourable to the production of milder, more uniformly-grown oak, the rich black soil of south-east Poland producing the famous Volhynian oak, the character of this type of wood changing but little in countries in Central Europe such as Czechoslovakia and Hungary, but being generally a little milder in character in Yugoslavia, from whence Slavonian oak is shipped. The weight of oak varies according to type; that from the Baltic area, western Europe, and Great Britain being about 720 kg/m3 and that from Central Europe about 672 kg/m3 on average after drying. So-called brown oak is the result of fungus attack in the growing tree. The fungus, Fistulina hepatica, causes the wood first to assume a yellow colour, then a richer brown or reddish-brown. A yellow-coloured streak sometimes appearing in oak is the result of another fungus, Polyporous dryadeus, but since very few tree diseases persist after the tree is felled, dried timber is no different from normal coloured wood, indeed, brown oak is often preferred for its decorative appeal. |
| Drying | Oak dries very slowly with a marked tendency to split and check, particularly in the early stages of drying, and there is considerable risk of honeycombing if the drying is forced, especially in thick sizes. End and top protection must be provided to freshly sawn stock exposed to sun and drying winds, and sticker thickness should be reduced to about 12mm for stock piled in the open air during early spring and onwards until winter. |
| Strength | Both the sessile and pedunculate oaks have well known and high strength properties, and those hybrid oaks developed from both types and common throughout Europe, are similar in their strength properties. * MECHANICAL PROPERTIES Note: In BS 5268-2: 2002, there is a discrepancy between Tables 7 and 15 regarding characteristic density and Strength classes for use in joint design. The values quoted here should be used, rather than those included in the 14 March 2002 edition of the Code. |
| Working Qualities | Medium to Difficult |
| Durability | Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Abrasions | Very Good |
| Density | 720 |
| DensityText | Density can vary by 20% or more |
| Texture | Medium to Coarse |
| Availability | Variable |
| Price | Medium to High |
| Chemical Properties | Iron staining may occur in damp conditions, similarly corrosion of metals |
| Use(s) | Heavy structural use, Cladding, Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Furniture, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | Yellow Brown |
Pippy Elm
AKA: European elm (Europe), smooth leaved elm, wych elm, English elm
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Various species of the genus Ulmus occur in Europe, western Asia, North America and Japan. The following are those whose timber is found in Europe. Ulmus procera Salisb. produces the English elm found mainly in England and Wales. Ulmus hollandica Mill. var hollandica Rehd. produces Dutch elm found throughout the British Isles, and introduced from the Netherlands. U. laevis Pall. produces European white elm found from Central Europe to western Asia. U. carpinifolia Gleditsch. (U. nitens Moench U. foliacea Gilib.) produces smooth-leaved elm found in Europe including Britain. U. stricta Lindl. produces the Cornish elm found not only in the west of England but also in Brittany. U. glabra Huds. produces the wych elm of northern Europe including Britain. English and Dutch elm are similar in their general characteristics. |
| The Tree | The trees grow to a height of 36m to 45m and a diameter as great as 2.5m but since large-diameter trees are frequently unsound in the centre, a diameter of 1 m or slightly more is better commercially. |
| The Timber | The heartwood is a dull brown colour, clearly defined when green from the lighter-coloured sapwood. The irregular growth rings together with the cross-grained character of the wood gives it an attractive appearance, but the large early-wood pores produce a rather coarse texture. The timber of these species when grown on the Continent is generally of more even and uniform growth with straighter grain. English elm weighs about 560 kg/m3 and Dutch elm about 580 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Although releasing its moisture fairly rapidly, there is a very marked tendency for the wood to distort, and there is some liability for collapse to occur in thick sizes. Care is therefore needed; sticks should be properly aligned, and tops of piles weighted down. |
| Strength | Both English and Dutch elm have similar strength properties, and in general are some 30 per cent below the strength of oak, although Dutch elm is appreciably tougher than English elm, and it is also a much better wood for bending. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 560 (Density can vary by 20% or more) |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Light brown (sapwood), Medium brown |
Elm, European
AKA: European elm (Europe), smooth leaved elm, wych elm, English elm
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Various species of the genus Ulmus occur in Europe, western Asia, North America and Japan. The following are those whose timber is found in Europe. Ulmus procera Salisb. produces the English elm found mainly in England and Wales. Ulmus hollandica Mill. var hollandica Rehd. produces Dutch elm found throughout the British Isles, and introduced from the Netherlands. U. laevis Pall. produces European white elm found from Central Europe to western Asia. U. carpinifolia Gleditsch. (U. nitens Moench U. foliacea Gilib.) produces smooth-leaved elm found in Europe including Britain. U. stricta Lindl. produces the Cornish elm found not only in the west of England but also in Brittany. U. glabra Huds. produces the wych elm of northern Europe including Britain. English and Dutch elm are similar in their general characteristics. |
| The Tree | The trees grow to a height of 36m to 45m and a diameter as great as 2.5m but since large-diameter trees are frequently unsound in the centre, a diameter of 1 m or slightly more is better commercially. |
| The Timber | The heartwood is a dull brown colour, clearly defined when green from the lighter-coloured sapwood. The irregular growth rings together with the cross-grained character of the wood gives it an attractive appearance, but the large early-wood pores produce a rather coarse texture. The timber of these species when grown on the Continent is generally of more even and uniform growth with straighter grain. English elm weighs about 560 kg/m3 and Dutch elm about 580 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Although releasing its moisture fairly rapidly, there is a very marked tendency for the wood to distort, and there is some liability for collapse to occur in thick sizes. Care is therefore needed; sticks should be properly aligned, and tops of piles weighted down. |
| Strength | Both English and Dutch elm have similar strength properties, and in general are some 30 per cent below the strength of oak, although Dutch elm is appreciably tougher than English elm, and it is also a much better wood for bending. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 560 (Density can vary by 20% or more) |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Light brown (sapwood), Medium brown |
Walnut, American (Black)
AKA: American walnut, black walnut
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Black walnut is widely distributed throughout North America from south Ontario southward to Texas, and in the east from Maine to Florida, but it is not plentiful, firstly because its growth is scattered, and secondly, because of the clearing of ground for cultivation and the demands for the timber have exhausted the supply in many areas. |
| The Tree | Under favourable conditions, the tree attains a height of 30m and a diameter of 1.5m or more, the bole often being clear for 15m to 18m. |
| The Timber | The sapwood is usually narrow, and pale brown in colour, the heartwood varying in colour from rich chocolate-brown to a purplish-black. The wood has a fine even texture and a rather coarse grain, and weighs about 660 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Dries rather slowly with a tendency to honeycombing. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Moderately Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Abrasions | Very Good |
| Density | 660 |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Variable |
| Price | Medium to High |
| Use(s) | Sports goods, Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Dark Brown/Black (Rich Dark Brown) |
Cherry, American
AKA: American cherry, Black cherry, Cabinet cherry
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Occurs in the deciduous forest areas from Ontario to Florida and from the Dakotas to Texas, but only in small quantities or as scattered trees. |
| The Tree | A medium-sized tree, 18m to 21m tall, with a diameter of 0.5m. |
| The Timber | The timber is hard, with a fine, straight, close grain, the heartwood varying in colour from reddish-brown to rich red, the narrow sapwood being pinkish. Fine, narrow, brown-coloured pith flecks, and small gum pockets are a common feature of the wood, which weighs about 580 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Moderately Durable |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 580 |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Interior joinery, Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Reddish brown, Red |
Beech, European
AKA: European Beech
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Europe, especially central Europe and Britain. |
| The Tree | Beech has been called the mother of the forest, since without it in mixed broad-leaved forests, other hardwood timber trees would have greater difficulties for survival. The rain drip from beech destroys many soil-exhausting weeds, its shade prevents over-evaporation of moisture from the soil, and its heavy crop of leaves provides humus to the soil. In close forest, it can reach a height of 45m with a clear bole of 1 5m but on average this is usually about 9m with a diameter averaging 1.2m occasionally more. |
| The Timber | Normally, there is no clear distinction by colour between sapwood and heartwood, the wood being very pale brown when freshly cut, turning reddish-brown on exposure, and deep reddish-brown under the influence of steaming treatment commonly applied in parts of the Continent before shipment. Some logs show an irregular, dark reddish-coloured kern or heart, caused it is believed, by the effect of severe frosts, and occurring more frequently in Continental beech. The wood is typically straight grained, with a fine, even texture, but varying in density and hardness according to the locality of growth.Thus beech from central Europe, notably that from Yugoslavia (Slavonian), and that from Romania is milder and lighter in weight, about 672 kg/m3, than beech from Britain, Denmark and northern Europe, which weighs about 720 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Although it dries fairly rapidly and fairly well, beech is moderately refractory, tending to warp, twist, check and split, and shrink considerably. It therefore requires care both in air drying and kiln drying. |
| Strength | Green beech has general strength properties roughly equal to those of oak, but after drying, most values increase, and beech is stronger than oak in bending strength, stiffness and shear by some 20 per cent, and considerably stronger in resistance to impact loads. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Not Durable |
| Treatability | Easy |
| Moisture Movement | Large |
| Density | 720 |
| Texture | Fine |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Low to Medium |
| Chemical Properties | Excellent bending properties |
| Use(s) | Interior joinery, Furniture, Plywood, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | Pink/Pale Red, Reddish Brown (after steaming), White/Cream |
Maple, American
AKA: rock maple, hard maple, sugar maple, black maple
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | The Aceraceae family includes some ten species of the genus Acer found in North America, but of these, only about five species are important sources of maple timber; two of these produce rock maple and these are given below. Acer saccharum Marsh. produces rock maple, hard maple or sugar maple. A. nigrum Michx f. produces black maple, rock or hard maple. |
| Distribution | Found generally in Canada and eastern USA. |
| The Tree | A. saccharum and A. nigrum grow to a height of 27m or more and a diameter of 0.5m to 0.75m. |
| The Timber | Hard maple is strong, heavy, hard, straight-grained and fine textured. The heartwood is light reddish-brown with deeper-coloured late-wood bands. The sapwood is white in colour, and furnishes the white maple prized for certain uses. It differs mainly from the soft maples in its greater density and firmer texture. |
| Drying | All types dry without undue difficulty but rather slowly, particularly rock maple. |
| Strength | Compared with European beech, rock maple is about equal in bending strength and in compression along the grain. and some 1 5 to 20 per cent superior in hardness, resistance to shock loads and resistance to splitting. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Abrasions | Very Good |
| Density | 740 |
| Texture | Fine |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Chemical Properties | High resistance to abbrasion |
| Use(s) | Sports goods, Furniture, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | White/cream |
Birch, American
AKA: hard birch (Canada), American Birch (UK), betula wood (Canada), Canadian yellow birch, Quebec birch, red birch, white birch (Canada), paper birch, yellow birch
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | Of the nine or more species of Betula found in North America, only two or three are considered commercially important. The timber is diffuse porous and is hard, heavy, strong and tough. The principal species producing North American birch are described below. PAPER BIRCH Betula papyrifera Marsh. YELLOW BIRCH Betula alleghaniensis Britt. Syn B. lutea Michs. (principally) and B. lenta L. Note: North American specifications sometimes refer to selected and unselected. These refer to the colour and not grade and means the timber has or has not been selected for uniformity of colour. Thus sapwood might be called white birch (sometimes confused with Betula papyrifera) and the heartwood red birch. |
| Distribution | PAPER BIRCH It has a very wide range from the Yukon to Hudson Bay and Newfoundland, spreading to the eastern parts of the USA. YELLOW BIRCH It is found from the Maritime Provinces of Canada westward to the east side of Lake Superior, and from the west end of this lake to the Lake of the Woods, extending southwards over the border into USA reaching Long Island, northern Delaware and Tennessee. |
| The Tree | PAPER BIRCH Although the tree may reach a height of 21m with a diameter of 0.5m it is more commonly 1 5m to 18m tall with a diameter of 0.3m usually with a clear cylindrical bole. YELLOW BIRCH The largest of the North American birches, reaching a height of 30m and a diameter of 1 m on favourable sites, but more often it is from 18m to 24m tall with a diameter of 0.75m having a clear bole with moderate taper. |
| The Timber | PAPER BIRCH The wood is creamy-white in colour, with a fine, uniform texture, weighing about 710 kg/m3 when dried. YELLOW BIRCH The sapwood is light yellow in colour and the heartwood a distinct reddish-brown, with the growth-rings marked with a narrow line of darker colour. There is a wide range of colour differences in unselected parcels, but yellow birch is one of the few woods which when finished with a medium or dark coloured stain will not show a marked difference between sapwood and heartwood, hence there is a saving in cost in using unselected stock as opposed to selected white or red birch.The wood is straight-grained, and the texture is fine, and even. The weight is about 710 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Dries slowly, but with little degrade. |
| Strength | PAPER BIRCH A medium-hard timber with general strength properties some 10 to 20 per cent inferior to those of yellow birch. YELLOW BIRCH Yellow birch is a stronger and harder wood than European birch, being about 60 per cent harder when dry, and about 15 per cent stronger in compression along the grain and stiffer in bending. It equals European ash in toughness and in resistance to shock loads. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Not Durable |
| Treatability | Moderately Easy |
| Moisture Movement | Large |
| Density | 640 |
| Texture | Fine |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Low |
| Use(s) | Furniture, Plywood, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | Reddish brown (heartwood), White/cream (sapwood) |
Poplar / Tulipwood, American
AKA: American yellow poplar (UK), American whitewood, tulip tree (UK and USA), canary wood (UK), canary whitewood (UK)
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | Note: the recommended name for this timber in the UK is American yellow poplar. There are other, unrelated species which are also called tulipwood. |
| Distribution | Eastern USA and Canada. |
| The Tree | A large tree attaining a height of 37m or more, and a diameter of 2m or more. |
| The Timber | The sapwood is white, and in second-growth trees, very wide; the heartwood is variable in colour, ranging from olive green to yellow or brown, and may be streaked with steel-blue. The annual growth terminates in a white band of parenchyma giving a subdued figure to longitudinal surfaces. The wood is’ straight-grained. fine-textured, fairly soft and light in weight about 510 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Dries easily and well, with little degrade. |
| Strength | Similar to idigbo (Terminalia ivorensis) in general strength properties. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 510 |
| Texture | Fine |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Interior joinery, Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Yellow Brown |
Pitch Pine
AKA: European elm (Europe), smooth leaved elm, wych elm, English elm
| Wood Type | Softwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | Pinus caribaea is the principal coniferous species found in the Caribbean area; Formerly considered the same as slash pine of the south-eastern USA, it was discovered that minor morphological differences necessitated separation of the species and United States slash pine has now been given the distinctive name Pinus elliottii Engelm. |
| Distribution | Pinus caribaea grows in the Bahamas, western Cuba, the Isle of Pines, and in Central America from Belize to eastern Guatemala, northern Honduras and north-eastern Nicaragua |
| The Tree | The size of the trees vary somewhat according to location, but usually they grow to a height of about 30.0m with a diameter of 1.0m and are free from branches for about 15.0m to 21.0m |
| The Timber | The wood closely resembles American pitch pine ; the heartwood is reddish-brown, the depth of colour varying with the amount of resin present and the sapwood, which is 50mm to 75mm wide, is pale yellowish-brown. The wood is coarse in texture with a more or less pronounced resinous odour, and the grain is typically straight. Growth zones of dark tissue produce conspicuous bands on all surfaces. |
| Drying | Pitch pine air-dries rather slowly with a tendency for end splitting in thick stock to occur. It also kiln dries slowly, and care is needed to avoid checking, splitting and distortion |
| Strength | Caribbean pitch pine is a hard, dense, resinous timber of high strength properties resembling those of the densest grade of American pitch pine when dried, but some 15 per cent more resistant to shock loads and to splitting, and about 45 per cent harder. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Moderately Durable |
| Treatability | Moderately Easy |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 720 |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Use(s) | Heavy structural use, Bridge construction, Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Flooring, Structural |
| Colour(s) | Reddish brown (Heartwood. Colour depth varies depending on resin), Yellow brown (Sapwood) |
Pine, Southern Yellow
AKA: American pitch pine, Gulf Coast pitch pine, long leaf pitch pine (UK, USA), southern yellow pine (USA), southern pine (USA), long leaf pine, short leaf pine, loblolly pine
| Wood Type | Softwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | The structural species mix ‘Southern pine’ comprises longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). The mechanical properties quoted are for this species mix. |
| Distribution | P. palustris ranges from south-east Virginia to Florida and Texas occurring along the coasts of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico in a forest belt some 200 kilometres deep. P. elliottii occurs in the same area but is more restricted, ranging from South Carolina to Florida and along the Gulf to eastern Louisiana. |
| The Tree | Both species attain a height of 30m and a diameter of 0.75m or slightly more. |
| The Timber | The sapwood is narrow in the better grades, sometimes up to 50mm wide, lighter in colour than the heartwood which is yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. Both species are typical of the hard-pine class, being resinous, with the growth-rings usually well-marked by the contrast between the light-coloured early-wood, and the dense, darker-coloured late-wood, which produces a rather coarse texture in the wood, especially in fairly rapidly grown material with its wide growth-rings. The timbers weigh about 670 kg/m3 on average when dried. The lower density material of P. palustris and P. elliottii together with other species termed southern yellow pine, is lighter in weight, coarser in texture, inferior in strength, and usually has a wider sapwood, sometimes as wide as 1 50mm. |
| Drying | All these species dry well with little degrade. |
| Strength | The general strength properties of P. palustris and P. elliottii compare closely with those of ‘Douglas fir”. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 670 |
| DensityText | Density can vary by 20% or more |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Chemical Properties | Denser material also known as longleaf pitch pine |
| Use(s) | Heavy structural use, Exterior joinery, Interior joinery |
| Colour(s) | Reddish Brown |
Alder, American Red
AKA: Oregon alder, Oregon erle, Pacific Coast Alder, Western Alder
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | Red alder (Alnus rubra) is the only commercial species in North America. Red alder is the most common hardwood in the Pacific Northwest and the largest of the American alders. It is a fast-growing, pioneer species and has nitrogen-fixing nodules on its roots. The wood is diffuse porous, moderately light, and soft. |
| Distribution | North America: Pacific coast region from southeastern Alaska to western British Columbia and south through western Washington and western Oregon to southern California. The range of red alder extends from southern California to southeastern Alaska. |
| The Tree | On good sites, red alder can attain heights of 100 to 130 ft (30 to 40 m) and diameters of 22 to 30 inches (56 to 76 cm). In closed stands, the trees typically have clear, slightly tapered boles and narrow, dome-like crowns. The light gray bark is thin and smooth. Red alder forms extensive, fibrous root systems. The roots have numerous nitrogen-fixing nodules, which are a symbiotic association between the tree and beneficial bacteria belonging to the genus Frankia. |
| The Timber | Red alder wood is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes to a light tan or light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge when exposed to the air. Heartwood is formed only in trees of advanced age, and there is no visible boundary between heartwood and sapwood. |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Use(s) | Non-Structural, Furniture, Interior Finishing |
| Colour(s) | Reddish Brown |
Cedar, Western Red
AKA: Western red cedar, giant arbor vitae (USA), red cedar (Canada)
| Wood Type | Softwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | A tree of the northern Rocky Mountains and Pacific North-west; its full range extends from Alaska southwards to California, and eastwards along many of the interior ranges of British Columbia, northern Washington, Idaho and Montana to the western slope of the continental divide. |
| The Tree | The largest of the so-called cedars, it grows to a height of 45m to 75m with a diameter of 1m to 2.5m. |
| The Timber | The sapwood is narrow and white in colour, and the heartwood is reddish-brown. When freshly felled, the heartwood often displays a marked variation in colour; that from the centre of the log may be a dark chocolate-brown changing to salmon pink nearer the sapwood, or the wood may be variegated with alternate dark and light zones. After drying, the wood assumes a uniform reddish-brown tone, but after long exposure to weather the colour is lost, and the wood becomes silver-grey. This weathered appearance is sometimes purposely sought by architects, but a further peculiarity of the wood is its ability to take and hold stain of the finest tint without discolouration. The wood is non-resinous, straight-grained, somewhat coarse- textured and exhibits a fairly prominent growth-ring figure It is soft, rather brittle, aromatic, especially when wet and light in weight, about 390 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Thin sizes dry readily with little degrade, but the timber generally tends to hold its moisture at the centre and care is needed with thick stock to avoid internal honey-combing and collapse. The timber holds its position well after drying with practically no tendency to warp and check. while movement due to shrinking and swelling in changing atmospheres is small. |
| Strength | Its light weight and soft timber contributes to low strength properties and compared with European redwood (Pinus sylvestris) it is some 20 to 30 per cent inferior in bending strength, and about 1 5 per cent less stiff. It is also much less resistant to splitting and indentation on side grain than redwood. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Small |
| Abrasions | Medium |
| Density | 390 |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Chemical Properties | Fine dust may be irritant. An acidic timber which may corrode metals under damp comditions and cause iron staining. |
| Use(s) | Cladding |
| Colour(s) | Reddish Brown (Ages to silver grey if left unprotected) |
Sapele
AKA: saplewood (Nigeria), aboudikro (Ivory Coast), Sapelli (Cameroons)
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | It is found in the rain forests of West Africa from the Ivory Coast through Ghana and Nigeria to the Cameroons, and it extends eastwards to Uganda and Tanzania |
| The Tree | A very large tree with cylindrical bole and small or no buttresses. Grows to a height of 45m or more, and a diameter at breast height of 10m or slightly more |
| The Timber | The sapwood is pale yellow or whitish, the heartwood pinkish when freshly cut, darkening to typical mahogany colour of reddish-brown. Sapele is characterised by a marked and regular stripe, particularly pronounced on quarter-sawn surfaces. Occasionally mottle figure is present, It is fairly close textured, and the grain is interlocked. It is harder and heavier than African mahogany. weighing about 640 kg/m3 when dried. It has a pronounced cedar-like scent when freshly cut. |
| Drying | The timber dries rapidly with a marked tendency to distort. Quarter-sawn material is less liable to degrade in drying |
| Strength | Sapele is much harder than African or American mahogany, and in resistance to indentation, bending strength, stiffness, and resistance to shock loads, is practically equal with English oak |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Moderately Durable |
| Treatability | Difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 640 |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Veneer, Furniture, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | Pink/pale red (when freshly cut), Reddish brown (typical mahogany colour) |
Utile
AKA: European elm (Europe), smooth leaved elm, wych elm, English elm
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Utile has a wide natural distribution in tropical Africa. It occurs in the Ivory Coast, in the Cameroons, and in Liberia, Gabon and Uganda. The tree grows chiefly in the moist, deciduous high forest. |
| The Tree | The tree may be up to 45m tall and 2m in diameter above the base. The bole is straight, cylindrical, and free of buttresses, and may be 21m to 24m long. |
| The Timber | The heartwood and sapwood are distinct; the heartwood is pale pink when freshly cut, darkening on exposure to reddish-brown. It closely resembles the related sapele, both in appearance and properties, but is more open in texture due to the larger pores, and generally lacks the cedar-like odour of sapele. The interlocked grain produces a broad ribbon-stripe, often wider and more irregular than that of sapele. It weighs about 660 kg/m3 when dried. |
| Drying | Utile dries moderately slowly with a distinct tendency for distortion in the form of twist to occur, and original shakes to extend. In general however, distortion is not severe. |
| Strength | Its strength properties are similar to those of American mahogany. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Moderately Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 660 |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Reddish Brown |
Mahogany, Brazilian
AKA: American mahogany (According to origin), araputanga (Brazil), zopilote gateado (Mexico), acajou (France), caoba ( Spanish-speaking areas), mara (Brazil), mogno (Brazil), caoba hondurena (Spanish-speaking areas)
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Timber from the ‘Neotropics’ (Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Peru) is classified as endangered and lised by CITES under Appendix II. Trade is permitted subject to export permits from the country of origin (and re-export permits as appropriate) and UK import permits from the Department for Trade and Industry. |
| Introduction | The mahoganies of Central America and the West Indies (Swietenia spp), differ among themselves to a much greater extent than do the related mahoganies of Africa (Khaya spp) These differences are attributable to geological areas of growth and whether the trees are forest-grown or plantation-grown. Nearly 400 years has elapsed since Spanish mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) was first shipped to the UK and Europe and later to America and elsewhere, to become the most cherished cabinet wood in the world. Despite its value for cabinet-making, enormous quantities of small diameter mahogany were used annually to fire the boilers of Caribbean sugar mills and locomotives, and larger trees were felled for use as railway sleepers, fence posts and other utilitarian purposes. This indiscriminate wastage of Spanish mahogany finally resulted (1946) in the governments of Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic banning the export of mahogany logs and lumber. Spanish mahogany has now become of more historical than commercial significance. Another species, Swietenia macrophylla King filled the position formerly held by Swietenia mahagoni J’acq but world demand has led to felling at smaller diameters and to the establishment of plantations, where growth is often very rapid, and the wood less dense. |
| Distribution | S. macrophylla occurs from southern Mexico southward along the Atlantic slope of Central America from Belize to Panama, and in Colombia, Venezuela, and parts of the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. The tree makes its best development on well-drained soils, but it does fairly well on many sites from sea level to 900.0m in altitude. Note Swietenia humilis Zucc. (S. cirrhata Blake.) occurs in dry locations along the Pacific coast from Western Mexico to Costa Rica. The wood is indistinguishable from that of S.macrophylla. Swietenia belizensis Lundell. occurs in Belize and may be mixed with S. macrophylla. Swietenia candollei Pittier. Swietenia tessmannii Harms. Swietenia krukovii Gleason and Panshin. These three species are found in South America, but are generally considered to be synonymous with S. macrophylla. |
| The Tree | Forest-grown trees are often very large, sometimes 45.0m high, with a diameter of 2.0m or more above a heavy buttress. Plantation-grown trees often make very rapid growth, frequently reaching small saw-log size in 20 years on good sites, and under average conditions, 300mm to 355mm saw-logs (diameter inside bark) are grown in about 40 years |
| The Timber | The sapwood is generally 25mm to 50mm wide, yellowish-white in colour, sharply demarcated from the heartwood, which is pinkish or salmon coloured when freshly sawn, later becoming light reddish-brown with a golden lustre. The grain which is pinkish or salmon coloured when freshly sawn, later becoming light reddish-brown with a golden lustre. The grain is commonly interlocked, producing a wide attractive striped figure on radial surfaces. The texture is rather fine to medium, and is uniform. Deposits of dark-coloured gum in the pores are common, and white deposits are sometimes present. Ripple marks on the tangential longitudinal surfaces can usually be observed. Plantation-grown wood is generally somewhat less dense than forest-grown wood, the latter weighing about 560 kg/m3 and the former about 496 kg/m3 when dried. There appears to be no appreciable difference in density and technical properties of wood from the different countries. |
| Drying | Central American mahogany can be air dried and kiln dried rapidly and easily, without appreciable warping or checking. The presence of tension wood and gelatinous fibres is not uncommon in S. macrophylla and such wood can result in a high rate of longitudinal shrinkage during kiln drying. |
| Strength | The strength properties are extremely good for a timber of its weight. For this reason it was at one time used almost exclusively for aeroplane propellers. Plantation-grown wood is slightly below forest-grown wood in bending strength and work to maximum load in static bending in proportion to its slightly lower density. On the other hand, plantation-grown wood is generally superior in hardness, compression across the grain and shear. In the air dry condition, plantation-grown material is very much lower in modulus of elasticity, although both types are about equal in shock resistance. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Small |
| Density | 560 (Density can vary by 20% or more) |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | CITES II |
| Price | High |
| Use(s) | Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Furniture |
| Colour(s) | Reddish Brown |
Redwood, European
AKA: Scots pine (UK), Baltic redwood, Finnish redwood, Archangel redwood, Russian redwood, Polish redwood, red deal, yellow deal
| Wood Type | Softwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Introduction | “Scots pine” and “European redwood” are the trade names generally used in the UK to differentiate between homegrown and imported Pinus sylvestris. |
| Distribution | Widely distributed in Europe and northern Asia. It is found in the mountains of Spain and in the UK, especially in Scotland, at its westerly limits, in the north-west of Norway in a northerly direction, spreading east through northern Europe into Asia, and reaching the Verkhoyansk Range, while its extreme southerly point is in Spain, in the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia. It is found in the Maritime Alps in France, and in the eastern Pyrenees, and in the Caucasus and Transylvanian Alps. It is the only true pine indigenous to the British Isles, being native to Scotland and just over the border; elsewhere in the UK the forests are generally the result of planting. |
| The Tree | The tree is generally 30m high with a diameter of about 1m but larger trees may be found on favourable sites. |
| The Timber | The sapwood is creamy-white to yellow in colour, narrow, especially in northern environments, becoming wider in the southern areas, and the heartwood is pale yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, resinous, and usually distinct from the sapwood. The growth rings are clearly marked by the denser late-wood. The quality of the timber is affected by the conditions of growth, climate, soil, elevation, etc, more than most timbers because of its wide and varying distribution, and these factors affect the texture, density, size and number of knots. The weight of dried timber is about 510 kg/m3. |
| Drying | The timber dries rapidly, and without undue degrade, but owing to its tendency to develop sap stain, it should either be anti-stain dipped, or dried quickly after conversion. |
| Strength | For its weight, the timber is strong and moderately hard, although UK plantation-grown timber is generally slightly softer and weaker than that from other sources. |
| Working Qualities | Medium |
| Durability | Slightly Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Medium |
| Density | 510 |
| Texture | Medium |
| Availability | Regular |
| Price | Low |
| Use(s) | Interior joinery, Furniture, Structural |
| Colour(s) | White/cream |
Wenge
AKA: panga panga, palissandre du Congo, dikela (Zaire)
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Environmental | Not listed in CITES. Believed available from well-managed sources. Check certification status with suppliers. |
| Distribution | Mainly found in Zaire, but an associated species, Millettia stuhlmannii occurs in East Africa. It is known as panga panga, and its general appearance and characteristics closely resemble wenge. |
| The Tree | Medium-sized tree, 15m to I8m in height with a diameter up to l.0m. |
| The Timber | Sapwood whitish, heartwood dark brown with fine, close blackish veining, giving the wood a handsome appearance. A very hard and heavy wood, it weighs about 880 kg/m3 when dried (panga panga is slightly lighter in weight at 800 kg/m3). Straight grained, it has a rather coarse texture. |
| Drying | Dries slowly and requires care if surface checking is to be avoided. |
| Strength | The wood is stated to have good resistance to bending and to shock. |
| Working Qualities | Good |
| Durability | Durable |
| Treatability | Extremely difficult |
| Moisture Movement | Small |
| Density | 880 (Density can vary by 20% or more) |
| Texture | Coarse |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | Medium |
| Use(s) | Exterior joinery, Interior joinery, Turnery, Flooring |
| Colour(s) | Dark brown/black (with fine black veining) |