AFRICA

AFRORMOSIA

AFRORMOSIA

Afrormosia - also known as Assamela - is a rare wood, resistant to ageing and weathering. It is also very resistant against fungus and insect infestations, providing ideal conditions for indoor as well as outdoor use.

Description

Botanical name:	Pericopsis elata
Overall character:	Thanks to its color and shine, the fine porous surface of this wood can be very decorative. The appearance resembles teak wood.
Color and structure:	The splint has a width of 2 to 3 centimetres and a white to light grey color. The yellowish brown to light olive tinted heartwood is sharply separated and the numerous dispersed pores are fine to medium-sized. However, the surface still has an even fine-porous appearance on the longitudinal plane.
Characteristics/features:	Moderately heavy timber with strength properties comparable to Iroko and Afzelia. Fresh timber can be cut easily. Afrormosia has great staying power.
Areas of use:	Because of its great characteristics, Afrormosia is used as a solid wood for face veneers and in indoor and outdoor areas. Thanks to the strength characteristics, it is especially suitable for spaces that are exposed to shifting weather conditions.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

ANGONGUI

ANGONGUI

Angongui is a homogenous wood with a grey-pink tint. This wood is also known as Onzabili and has a coarse and felt-like structure.

Description

Botanical name:	Antrocaryon klaineanum
Overall character:	This simple and soft wood has moderate shrinking and good strength properties. However, it is not resistant to weather or insects.
Color and structure:	There’s a minimal color difference between the heartwood and the sapwood: both are a greyish pink to light red, not clearly contrasted fom each other.
Characteristics/features:	Angongui wood can be worked with all tools. It has proven itself to be a very elastic peeled veneer, and plywood panels made out of this material have great endurance.
Areas of use:	As Angongui is a plain wood that’s not particularly decorative, it is mostly used indoors in areas that require medium strength construction woods. It is a peeled veneer similar to Okoume.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

AZOBE / BONGOSSI

AZOBE / BONGOSSI

Azobé (also: Bongossi) is among the hardest and most resistant construction timbers, and has successfully been applied in exterior construction for decades. This type of timber especially plays a major role in hydraulic construction.

Description

Botanical name:	Lophira alata
Overall character:	Very heavy dark wood with a porous yet even surface.
Color and structure:	The splint has a width of up to 3 centimetres and a light auburn to grey color. The splint is separated from the violet heartwood through a pinkish-brown core layer that can be up to 7 centimetres long.
Characteristics/features:	Very heavy timber with particularly high strength properties, which allow for efficient utilization thanks to the large size of the round wood. Despite having a hard feel while fresh, Azobe (Bongossi) can be easily processed with equipped tools. However, it takes more time and strength than other hardwoods.
Areas of use:	Azobé is very popular and often used for outdoor construction exterior and hydraulic engineering. For particularly stressed building components with greater dimensional tolerance, Azobé is suitable for harbor construction, bridges, floating docks, cooling tower construction, treatment plants, noise and sight protection walls and fence systems.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

BILINGA

BILINGA

Bilinga is a robust wood from Central and West Africa. Similar to Afzelia, this heavy wood’s strength properties outperform those of oak and Iroko timber.

Description

Botanical name:	Nauclea diderrichii
Overall character:	Visibly porous and mostly light wood with an often uneven fibre grain, but a plain optical appearance. ´
Color and structure:	The splint is 3 to 5 centimetres wide and has a yellowish grey to light orange color. There’s a minimal contrast to the heartwood, which has a yellow tint with uneven pinkish stripes in the same trunk in some cases. This dry golden brown timber darkens when exposed to light.
Characteristics/features:	Bilinga timber is heavy and has higher strength properties than oak and Iroko wood. They resembles Afzelia almost entirely. It is important to note that resistance to breakage is lower when the fibre flow is twisted.
Areas of use:	Thanks of its great strength properties and high fungus resistance, Bilinga is especially used as a solid wood for building components under heavy strain, where subsequent fine cracking is not problematic. Some areas of application are framework, bedding, heavy construction, bridge construction, port engineering, heavy-duty flooring, sleepers and hydraulic engineering.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

DABEMA

DABEMA

Dabema is mostly found in the lower tropical rainforests in Western and Eastern Africa. It is very durable and has good staying power.

Description

Botanical name:	Piptadeniastrum africanum
Overall character:	The overall character of this timber is simple and the fibre flow is uneven. Consequently, slight stripes are visible on the surface.
Color and structure:	The freshly harvested heartwood has a yellow-brown color. It oxidizes and develops a darker shade of brown. The 3 to 5 centimetre wide sapwood has a light grey to light brown tint and contrasts with the heartwood.
Characteristics/features:	Due to crystal deposits in the timber, conventional tools can dull quickly. It is therefore recommended to use carbide tools. Holes for nails and screws should be drilled ahead imperatively.
Areas of use:	This timber can be be used for a variety of purposes. As a construction wood, it is able to withstand medium to heavy stress indoors and outdoors.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

DOUSSIE

DOUSSIE

For decades, Doussie has been one of Africa’s most known import woods. Depending on region and distribution, the various types of the Afzelia species carry different names, such as Apa, Lingue and Papao. But only A. bipindensis is marketed as Doussie or Doussie rouge.

Description

Botanical name:	Afzelia bipindensis
Overall character:	When planed, this wood has a matte sheen. The color ranges from light to dark red-brown. It is very durable and has a structured, decorative surface.
Color and structure:	Depending on its age and species, this wood has a yellowish-grey sapwood that can be 3 to 10 centimetres wide and clearly different in color from the yellow to light brown heartwood (when fresh). Depending on the species, the heartwood can darken intensively.
Characteristics/features:	Doussie has an extraordinary resistance to fungus and insect infestation. It has a class 1 durability according to DIN-EN 350-2 (German Institute for Standardization and European Norms).
Areas of use:	Due to its good physical and mechanical qualities and high durability, Afzelia is especially suitable for outdoor construction (with and without direct ground contact), in particular for frame construction.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

EUCALYPTUS

EUCALYPTUS

With about 800 different types, the Eucalyptus wood species from the family of the Myrtaceae is one of the most diverse and important commercial woods.

Description

Botanical name:	Eukalyptus grandis
Overall character:	Depending on the individual species, method of management as well as local conditions (climate and soil), eucalyptus trees show many different degrees of density, growth and resulting timber characteristics. These factors complicate a uniform assessment of eucalyptus timber.
Color and structure:	The color of the heartwood can vary from a light shade to a pinkish brown or dark red. The pores are medium sized/coarse and dispersed. They’re often diagonally radial.
Characteristics/features:	Globulus wood typs of different origin do not show these characteristics. That means that their natural durability not only differs from genus to genus, but also depends on density, site and cultivation measures applied.
Areas of use:	Depending on the density, natural durability and decorative needs, eucalyptus timber is used in different ways. Higher density eucalyptus is suitable for flooring (parquet, floor boards, stairs), and for framework (windows, house doors, winter gardens).
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

IROKO

IROKO

Iroko is an excellent construction wood that is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It’s also known as Kambala in German-speaking countries. Iroko often substitutes Oak or Teak.

Description

Botanical name:	Milicia excelsa
Overall character:	Large pored, golden brown timber. Depending on the direction of the cut, the decorative texture can be semi-specular.
Color and structure:	The splint has a medium width of 5 to 10 centimetres and a yellowish white to grey color, which contrasts with the color of the heartwood that can have a varying color (yellow to dark brown) in its fresh state.
Characteristics/features:	Thanks to its extractives, Iroko heartwood is highly resistant to wood-destroying fungi and insect infestation. Class 1-2 durability according to DIN EN 350. Processing and treatment are easy.
Areas of use:	Thanks to its high natural durability, Iroko is very well suited for outdoor use with and without ground contact. The wood is used in gardening and landscaping, for high-quality garden furniture as well as as a construction wood for windows, doors and winter gardens. It is a very popular timber used in the parquet industry.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

KHAYA / ACAJOU

KHAYA / ACAJOU

For more than a century, this wood has been imported in large quantities from Africa (mainly the Ivory Coast). It’s look and characteristics resemble those of American mahagony.

Description

Botanical name:	Khaya anthoteca, Khaya ivorensis
Overall character:	Auburn colored, simple wood that varies in color and density.
Color and structure:	The splint has yellowish grey to pink-grey color and is 4 to 6 centimetres wide. When fresh, the heartwood is pale pink to light auburn, and partly undistinguishable from the splint. When dry and exposed to light, the wood darkens quickly without losing its gloss.
Characteristics/features:	This timber resembles Sipo. Previously, a heavier Khaya senegalensis (dry zone Mahagony) used to get imported.
Areas of use:	Thanks to its easy workability, decorative color and great staying power, Khaya is a very versatile wood. As a solid wood, it’s used for furniture, pleassure crafts, façade elements and frames.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

OKAN

OKAN

Denya or Okan hardwood resembles the well-known Bangkirai and Bongos woods in strength, durability and characteristics.

Description

Botanical name:	Cylicodiscus gabunensis
Overall character:	This wood has a simple and modest look. Its color and structure are usually homogenous, with medium texture and a particularly high density. The alternating spiral growth causes a glossy appearance on radial surfaces.
Color and structure:	Fresh heartwood has a yellowish to golden brown color (often with a greenish tint) that turns into a copper to reddish brown. The splint has bright reddish grey shade.
Characteristics/features:	This wood is resistant to fungus and insect infestations. It is fit for long term outdoor use without additional care. It is also recommended for salt water use, e. g. as a substitute for greenheart.
Areas of use:	Used as a construction wood in outdoor areas for applications that are highly strained mechanically and biologically, and that do not require special dimensional stability. Areas of use include bridges, sleepers, floating docks, bedding, ramps, and hydraulic engineering (safe only in fresh water!).
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

PADOUK

PADOUK

Padouk is one of the most colorful and technically advanced wood types of Africa. Its most in demand kind of it is Pterocarpus soyauxii.

Description

Botanical name:	Pterocarpus soyauxii
Overall character:	Reddish violet wood with a decorative smooth lustrous surface and color striping.
Color and structure:	The splint is light and can be narrow or wide, while the heartwood has a reddish violet-brown color with occasional dark striping. The color can fade to a brownish purple or yellow brown after being exposed to light.
Characteristics/features:	Durability class 1 (very durable) pursuant to DIN EN 350, which allows for its outdoor use without any restrictions.
Areas of use:	Because of the special coloring and great characteristics of the wood, Padouk can be applied extensively. It is often used as garden wood or decking.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

SAPELLI

SAPELLI

Sapelli is among the most important export woods from Africa’s tropical forests. In the 1960s, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire were the main export countries for this type of wood. In more recent times, the Republic of the Congo, Central Africa and Cameroon have taken that place.

Description

Botanical name:	Entandrophragma cylindricum
Overall character:	Colored wood with slight pores on the surface that makes for a great decorative choice thanks to its structure, colouring and gloss.
Color and structure:	The splint can be slim to wide and has a grey to yellow color. The heartwood starts out with a light pinkish brown color, then develops a deep auburn shade after drying.
Characteristics/features:	Hard to moderately hard wood of a slightly higher strength than Sipo, comparable to oak. Pprocessing is possible with tools of all kind and even works on dry wood.
Areas of use:	Sapelli is often used in furniture making as solid wood/veneer. It is also used for high-quality interior work, paneling, staircase material or parquet.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

SIPO

SIPO

Sipo is also marketed as Sipo mahagony or Utile. Its most important areas of origin are Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and Central Africa.

Description

Botanical name:	Entandrophragma utile
Overall character:	Auburn colored porous wood with excellent staying power and decorative surfaces against the cutting direction.
Color and structure:	Medium width reddish grey sapwood. Light brownish red heartwood that darkens to a deep auburn shade as a result of drying and light exposure.
Characteristics/features:	Pursuant to DIN EN 350, Sipo heartwood is part of the durability classes 2 to 3, which means it is (moderately) resistant to fungus and insects.
Areas of use:	Being a decorative furnishing wood, Sipo is often used as a solid wood or as a veneer for furniture, paneling, parquet or in high-quality boat construction.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de

TALI

TALI

This widespreadAfrican hardwood is very heavy and durable. On the African West Coast its mostly known as Tali, whereas in Central and East Africa it’s called Missanda.

Description

Botanical name:	Erythrophleum suaveolens
Overall character:	A heavy, mostly reddish brown wood with moderate porosity and irregular fibre flow.
Color and structure:	The splint is light grey to light brown and 3 to 6 cm wide. The heartwood has a reddish brown to intense copper or dark red-brown color, and can have wide areas with slightly differing depth of color. Smooth surfaces with a matte gloss.
Characteristics/features:	Tali is one of the heaviest lumbers and has very high mechanical strength properties, similar to those of the Asian Yellow Balau. They are only slightly lower than those of the African Azobe/Bongossi.
Areas of use:	Tali can successfully be used in areas where heavy loads and weather conditions affect the wood: parquet, bedding, heavily used floors, parts of bridges, quays and pontoons. In Asia, garden furniture is also made of Tali.
Sources:	https://www.holzvomfach.de