These trees grow in the tropical rainforests all throughout asia. Despite its interlocking grain, red balau avoids the issues of raised grain and striping common in other species of tropical decking. Balau is a very oily and resinous wood so even though it has been kiln dried it still contains a fair amount of resins and oils. The wood weighs between 544 and 752 kgm3 34 and 47 lbft3 at 12% moisture content and about 945 kgm3 59 lbft3 when green. About 10% of these are engineered flooring, 10% are wood flooring, and 0% are other flooring. While ipe remains the topoftheline tropical hardwood decking species, other species such as cumaru and red balau are excellent options as well. A particularly durable wood, it is rigid and doesnt misshape, warp or cup even as a result of harsh outdoor weather conditions. Bow woods from a mathematical perspective top ten hardest woods. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Red batu mahogany decking installation and maintenance jul 28 by cedar country lumber our red batu or balau, commonly referred to as mahogany, hardwood decking is sourced only from countries that are leaders in ecological, sustainable forestry practices.
Identifying and using hundreds of woods worldwide by. Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family dipterocarpaceae. Illinois had the highest population of balau families in 1920. The resin is tapped and used in many different applications. Balau is a heavy, hard, and strong timber that dries slowly with moderate to severe end checks and splits. It is ideal for first time treatment and maintenance of these decks. Balau wood is similar to teak in its maintenance requirements. This red balau wood is less resistant to decay so it is not suggested for ground deck. Balau the wood database lumber identification hardwood. Balau trees common for shorea tree species popular hardwoods.
Meranti is widely harvested and widely available worldwide. Bloodwood the wood database lumber identification hardwood. In relation to its density, balau is relatively easy to work. Designed for easy assembly so you can save time and money, assemble your outdoor shower with just a screw gun, a few screws, a level, and a string you can have your own outdoor shower in a matter of hours. Batu decking comes from the sarawak area of malaysia, where balau can also be referred to as selangan batu. Indonesia balau indonesia bangkirai indonesia kedawang indonesia selangan batu kumus indonesia sulawesi pooti. Handcrafted on cape cod, these outdoor showers are great for any postbeach day rinse, or just because you want to be outside on a great day. See the articles wood allergies and toxicity and wood dust safety for more information. The key and descriptions were generated from a delta database dallwitz 1980. The wood weighs more than 750 kgm3 47 lbft3 at 12% moisture content. Default grading for solid wood, according to requirements of. In the same family as meranti and philippine mahogany, this species from the shorea genus is an excellent decking choice.
Nov 10, 2016 balau wood is highly durable hardwood native to malaysia, indonesia and the philippines, used mainly for heavy construction. Default grading for solid wood, according to requirements of european standard en 140811 annex c april 2009. Yellow balau is usually used for woods imported from malaysia, bangkirai for woods from indonesia. Jul 18, 2010 what do you think about using balau wood for outdoor furniture. Most popular choices as deckingflooring among hardwood species such as balau and merbau since chengal wood is categorized as sg1 referred back to hardwood species which means that it is the strongest and most durable wood in malaysia certified by malaysian timber industry board. Balau refers sometimes to a grouping of these species. The fresh wood has a high resin and moisture content and as such needs to be left to dry well before use. White meranti the wood database lumber identification. Tinted wood dressing formulated to protect and treat dense wooden decks, such as balau and teak, that do not readily accept a conventional sealer. It concerns structural graded timber in vertical uses with mean density upper 0. Its reddish brown color combines with defectfree clarity to offer less waste than other options might. The heartwood is durable to moderately durable and very resistant to preservative treatments. In balau timber, there is red balau which cannot be used on ground decking. It is basically a meranti or lauan which are used primarily as veneer for plywood.
This wood can stand up to heavy use, allowing it to survive the years of trampling it will receive as part of your deck. Growing across a wide area spanning indonesia, malaysia, the philippines, and. The heartwood of balau is yellow to brown, which is distinct from the paler sapwood. Balau, which is grown in the same pacificasia region is rated by the timber council as stronger and more durable than teak. Kayu hardwood decking livbuildingproductslivbuildingproducts. Light red meranti, dark red meranti, white meranti, yellow meranti, and balau. It is classified in malaysia as being very durable. Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with afata. Its better than most of the other reference books i have.
The genus is named after sir john shore, the governorgeneral of the british east india company, 17931798. Yellow balau malasyia timber,wood,malaysia sawn timber. This is a list of woods, most commonly used in the timber and lumber trade. Balau wood,balau furniture,balau furniture malaysia,balau. You can see how balau families moved over time by selecting different census years. This was 100% of all the recorded balau s in the usa. It takes an otherwise boring brick, plaster or concrete look and transforms it into a beautiful wooden clad structure. Working with balau wood a dense, durable tropical hardwood that is rough on blades, balau is good for outdoor features such as decks. It is classified in malaysia as being less durable than balau, ie moderately durable. Wood database and searchable library lumber for woodworking thats packed professionally, shipped right to your door, and guaranteed 100%. Untreated railway sleepers 125 mm x 237 mm x 1,950 mm of balau kumus and balau laut lasted a minimum of 15 years and 11 years respectively. With a sewn binding and jacketless design to stand up to the rigors of nearly any wood shop.
See the articles wood allergies and toxicity and wood. Whittier wood products offers a line of outdoor furniture called gardenwood using eucalyptus and yellow balau woods and weatherresistant anodized steel or brass hardware. Native to malaysia, indonesia and the philippines, it is a dense hardwood used mainly for heavy construction. The heartwood is durable to moderately durable and very resistant to preservative. Eric meier, who ownsruns the wood database web site has now published a really good wood book, called wood. The texture is moderately fine to coarse, and the grain is often interlocked. Balau is a yellowishbrown, brown, or reddishbrown timber vvith interlocked grain, and a moderately fine and even texture. This chapter discusses the physical properties of most. Identifying and using hundreds of woods worldwide by eric meier 20151010 by isbn.
In total there are over 190 tree species labelled as balau and all part of the dipterocarpaceae family. Vernacular names applied include balau peninsular malaysia with various epithets, selangan batu no. The woodworkers resource for practical information and research for all things wood. It can of course be clad balau or any other timber, but balau being the most popular outdoor timber for cladding of brick walls. The yellow balau has a life span of up to 30 years due to high density of the timber which gives it good durability. As this dries out over time it can cause cracking especially in such a thin veneer.
You can also choose from entry doors balau wood, as well as from wooden, metal balau wood there are 331 suppliers who sells balau wood on, mainly located in asia. The top countries of suppliers are vietnam, china, and vietnam, from which the percentage of balau wood price supply is 9%, 72%, and 9% respectively. Selangan batu is a yellowishbrown timber with interlocked grain, and a coarse, but even texture. The sapwood external wood is paler in colour still with a yellowred undertone. It does not contain silica, however resin pockets may be present, meaning resin can build up on cutting equipment. Jun 17, 2014 balau cladding or screening of brick walls is quite popular and attractive. Red selangan batu sabah, and alan, or meraka alan saravvak and brunei are approximately equal in colour and characteristics to red balau. Its moderately fine and even texture presents an interlocked grain, which produces a stripe figure on the radial surface. A wide variety of balau wood price options are available to you, there are 33 suppliers who sells balau wood price on, mainly located in asia. Nov 03, 2015 everything thats made the wood database website. Manilkara bidentata is a species of manilkara native to a large area of northern south america, central america and the caribbean. There are some negatives associated with the use of balau decking, however. Browse woods by common name browse woods by scientific name general wood information. Rich in colour and texture, it is unbelievably resistant to abrasion, wear, dents and.
Red batu mahogany decking installation and maintenance. The balau wood sometimes experiences cracking, so there may be cracks in balau decking. Because this wood is naturally oily, unfinished balau must be oiled regularly. We also collected samples directly from natural forests in. Looking for information on the durability of a certain wood. It should be moderately priced despite the fact that it is imported, though some specific species of white meranti are reported to. Balau is a yellowishbrown, brown, or reddishbrown timber vvith interlocked grain, and a. Interactive key, including interactive information retrieval.
Balau is not listed in the cites appendices, but many species in the shorea genus are on the iucn red list. Red balau is a hardwood that hails from indonesia and is highly sought after for decking, the world over. In the same family as meranti and philippine mahogany, this species from the shorea genus is an excellent decking choice red balau basics. The standard malaysian name for the heavy, yellow to brown timbers of the genus shorea dipterocarpaceae.
The strength and mechanical values listed at the top of this page represent the average of a handful of species within the corresponding group. Light red meranti the wood database lumber identification. Balau wood is one of the philipine mahogany species. The introductory chapters about wood structure, etc, are really good. Which type of decking materials is suitable for your home. Jun 12, 2012 which type of decking materials is suitable for your home. If your balau deck is exposed to direct sunlight for much of the day, the wood can become parched and cracked if you dont oil it at least annually. Balau is a slow growth tree that offers the rich tropical oils that teak used to possess. The balau family name was found in the usa in 1920. This highly prized characteristic is the result of red balaus tight grain and resulting smaller pores. Natural wood products are subject to variances in color, grain, density and performance. Red balau is a purplishred or dark redbrown timber, with an interlocked grain, and a coarse but even texture.
The farm is the home of a factory producing wood wool, long lengths of fine wood shavings that can be dyed for use as. About 4% of these are engineered flooring, 16% are wood flooring, and 11% are solid wood boards. Balau decking boards for the garden wood and beyond. The timber of trees of the genus is sold under the common names lauan, luan, lawaan, meranti, seraya, balau, bangkirai, and philippine mahogany. A type of low density, light hardwood that is very easy to dry, with little tendency to split or warp. Balau wood for exterior shutters woodwebs architectural. Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, balau in the shorea genus has been reported to cause eye, throat, and skin irritation. It should be moderately priced despite the fact that it is imported. Sometimes referred to as lauan, wood in the shorea genus is very commonly used in southeast asia, and there is an. Balau trees common for shorea tree species popular. The species database will help you choose the most suitable wood species for your project. What do you think about using balau wood for outdoor furniture. This lumber looks and weighs very similar to balau, but is considered suitable for the adverse conditions, thus its use as a decking product.
He used teknos wood oil and i am in desperate need to restore it to the original colour and oil it the propper way. It is not a class 1 wood but class 3 which is not recommended for outdoor use it is kinda of a shame that distributors of red lauan represents this wood as durable. Balau is widely harvested and widely available worldwide. Any comments are appreciated, as information on this wood is quite limited. Afata the wood database lumber identification hardwood. May 19, 2016 balau wood, when compared to chengal wood is less dense. The top countries of suppliers are singapore, china, and malaysia, from which the percentage of balau wood supply is 1%, 47%, and 21% respectively. Sebastien paradis development of database and tropix software. Balau is not a single tree species but used for trees of the shorea genus.
Some wood may show a pinkish cast or pink streaks, but these eventually disappear on exposure to air. Wood handbookchapter 3physical properties and moisture. With the lesson that they learned with teak, balau is a responsibly managed specie of wood. We collected leaf tissue samples of shorea species from the arboretums of the forest research institute, malaysia, the forest research centre, sabah, and permanent ecological research plots in various locations, such as the lambir and pasoh forest reserves in malaysia. A wide variety of yellow balau wood options are available to you, such as usage, material. In 1920 there was 1 balau family living in illinois.
Default grading for solid wood, according to requirements of european standard en 140811 annex c april. Balau can be painted, stained and polished but is not suitable for steam bending. The interactive key allows free choice of characters, is easy to use, and can lead to correct identifications in spite of occasional errors. Im slowly grinding my way through roughly 800 wood species that have still yet to be listed on the site. Special thanks are in order to those that have contributed wood samples to the wood database. Balau is used for heavy construction, frames of boats, deck ing, flooring. Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family. Treated specimens of balau laut 50 mm x 50 mm x 600 mm gave an average service life of 11 years. Jul 31, 2010 eucalyptus and yellow balau are two types of wood that are not only beautiful but are also perfect for outdoor use.
Balau belongs to the group shorea spp, which also includes the various types of meranti. This moisture relationship has an important influence on wood properties and performance. Balau is thus placed in the durable class with some species classified as extremely durable. The timber of trees of the genus is sold under the common names lauan, luan, lawaan, meranti, seraya, balau, bangkirai, and philippine. Freshly sawn heartwood is pale yellow or yellowish brown and darkens on exposure to air. Im working my way alphabetically by botanical name, so check out the latest added wood to see where im at in the queue. Balau wood is highly durable hardwood native to malaysia, indonesia and the philippines, used mainly for heavy construction. Web site for the united states forest service, forest products laboratory. A very dense, oilrich tropical hardwood from southeast asia, balau is known for its strength and weather resistant qualities, making it an ideal choice for building outdoor structures like patios or poolside deck and furniture.
However, other species in the cordia genus have been reported to cause skin irritation, and some cordia species contain substances known as cordiachromes, which can cause skin irritation. Within the common name group are perhaps 100 plus species. I have serious doubt about the durability of red balau. Wood oil problem on red balau decking renovate forum. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The following people have donated samples which were used in the creation of this poster. Balau wood, when compared to chengal wood is less dense. Wood database and searchable library woodworkers source. Exotic hardwood products offered by liv outdoor are what every composite product wishes it could be. It is one of the applications in cirads wood database, which combines the. Kayu hardwood decking exotic hardwood for your deck for deck results that shout quality, prestige and luxury, there is no other choice then real wood. Aug 01, 2017 balau decking is chosen for its rich hue and minimal knotting.
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