Wood Species

N ATION AL W OO D

FLO O R I N G

A S S O C I A TI O N

T EC H N I C A L P U B LI C A T I O N

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WOOD SPE SP ECI ES U SE SED IN IN W O O D FL FLO O RIN G Revised Edition APPEARAN APPE ARAN CE PHYSI PH YSICAL CAL PROPE PRO PERT RTII ES W O RKABIL KABILIT ITY Y REL RE LATI ATIV V E CO COST ST AVAILABILITY

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CONTENTS W O O D SP SPECIE CIES USE USED IN W O O D FL FLO O RIN G

3 6 7 8 9

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NTRODUCT TION: IO N: AN OV ERVIEW RVIEW OF W OO OOD D PROPERT PROPERTIE IES S I NTRODUC

RELAT RELATII V E AVAILABI LITY O F SEL SELE ECTED TED W O O D FLOO RIN RI N G SPECI SPECI ES

RELAT RELATII V E HA HARDN RDN ESS O F SEL SELEC ECTED TED W O O D FLOO RIN G SPECI SPECI ES

RELAT RELATII V E ST STABILITY ABI LITY O F SEL SELE ECTED TED W O O D FLOO RIN RI N G SPECI SPECI ES COLOR CHANG CHANG ES IN W OO D FLOO FLOO RING PROPERT PROPERTIES IES OF 1 3 DO M ESTIC STIC W OO D SPEC SPECIES

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Ash, White Beech Birch Cherry, Black Douglas Fir Hickory Hickory// Pecan

1 1 1 1 2 2

6 7 8 9 0 1

Mesquite Oak, Red Oak, White Pine, Ant Ant ique Heart Pine, Sou th ern Yellow ellow Walnu t, Amer Amer ican Black

Ma p l e, e, S u g a r / H a r d

PROPERT PROPERTIES IES OF 2 0 IM PORTE PORTED W OO D SPEC SPECIES

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Bamboo Bubinga Cherr y, Brazilian Brazilian Cork Cypress Cypress , Aus tralian tralian Gum, Spotted Gum , Sydney Blue Blue Iroko Jarrah Mahogan Mahogan y, Santos

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1

Maple, Brazilian Merbau O a k , Ta Ta s m a n i a n Padauk Purpleheart Sapele Teak, Brazilian Brazilian Te a k , Th Th a i / B u r m e s e Walnu t, Brazilian Brazilian Wenge

RESO RESO URCES URCES AN D CREDI CREDI TS

NO GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY The information information contained in this pu blicatio blication n represents generally generally accepted d escriptio escriptions ns of w ood species and their properti properties. es. How ever, ever, w ood is a natural ma terial terial sub ject ject to num erous erous variations variations in grain, colo colorr, hardnes s and dimens ional ional sta bility, bility, and no des cripti cription on is a ble to encompass all possible variations. The National Wood Flooring Association accepts no risk or liability for application of the information contained in this publication.

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CONTENTS W O O D SP SPECIE CIES USE USED IN W O O D FL FLO O RIN G

3 6 7 8 9

22

41

NTRODUCT TION: IO N: AN OV ERVIEW RVIEW OF W OO OOD D PROPERT PROPERTIE IES S I NTRODUC

RELAT RELATII V E AVAILABI LITY O F SEL SELE ECTED TED W O O D FLOO RIN RI N G SPECI SPECI ES

RELAT RELATII V E HA HARDN RDN ESS O F SEL SELEC ECTED TED W O O D FLOO RIN G SPECI SPECI ES

RELAT RELATII V E ST STABILITY ABI LITY O F SEL SELE ECTED TED W O O D FLOO RIN RI N G SPECI SPECI ES COLOR CHANG CHANG ES IN W OO D FLOO FLOO RING PROPERT PROPERTIES IES OF 1 3 DO M ESTIC STIC W OO D SPEC SPECIES

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Ash, White Beech Birch Cherry, Black Douglas Fir Hickory Hickory// Pecan

1 1 1 1 2 2

6 7 8 9 0 1

Mesquite Oak, Red Oak, White Pine, Ant Ant ique Heart Pine, Sou th ern Yellow ellow Walnu t, Amer Amer ican Black

Ma p l e, e, S u g a r / H a r d

PROPERT PROPERTIES IES OF 2 0 IM PORTE PORTED W OO D SPEC SPECIES

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Bamboo Bubinga Cherr y, Brazilian Brazilian Cork Cypress Cypress , Aus tralian tralian Gum, Spotted Gum , Sydney Blue Blue Iroko Jarrah Mahogan Mahogan y, Santos

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1

Maple, Brazilian Merbau O a k , Ta Ta s m a n i a n Padauk Purpleheart Sapele Teak, Brazilian Brazilian Te a k , Th Th a i / B u r m e s e Walnu t, Brazilian Brazilian Wenge

RESO RESO URCES URCES AN D CREDI CREDI TS

NO GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY The information information contained in this pu blicatio blication n represents generally generally accepted d escriptio escriptions ns of w ood species and their properti properties. es. How ever, ever, w ood is a natural ma terial terial sub ject ject to num erous erous variations variations in grain, colo colorr, hardnes s and dimens ional ional sta bility, bility, and no des cripti cription on is a ble to encompass all possible variations. The National Wood Flooring Association accepts no risk or liability for application of the information contained in this publication.

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W O O D SPEC PECI ES USE USED I N W O O D FLO O R I N G Introd ntrod uction: uction: A n O ve verview rview of W oo d Prop Prop erties erties

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ood is a dynamic medium. Like all organ organ ic materials, it it has chara cter and quirks, responds to its its environm environm ent, an d cha nges over over tim e. Becau se of its “pers “pers ona lity,” lity,” wood wood should be treated with understanding and a certain am oun t of care. For wood flo flooring oring profess profess iona iona ls, knowing about the properties of wood in general, as well well as th ose of ind ind ividua ividua l wood wood s pecies, is critical to proper insta llation. llation. For consu mers , it’s importa nt to ha ve realistic realistic expectations abou t h ow wood wood will will perform . Most wood u sed for floori flooring ng is es sen tially tially a byproduct of more expensive wood-consuming indu stries (f (fur niture ma nu factu re, for for exam ple) ple), so it is usually not the highest grade of lumber. However, it is quite economical in comparison. This pu blication blication p rovides rovides an overvi overview ew of th e mech an ical and ph ysical properties of wood, wood, fol follo lowed wed by more detailed information on several species used in flo flooring. oring. In In s electing electing the s pecies descr ibed, the aim has been to offer a fair sampling of some of today’s most popular woods. woods. Other species species ma y be included in later editions of this publication. Note: The samples chosen to illustrate each species were selected to be as representative as possible. However, there are many variations within within each species, and the methods used in sanding and finishing also a ffect ffect the final appearappearance of a given species. Also, the samples were photographed only a few days after being sa nded and finished. finished. Some species, s uch as domestic cherry, will change color significantly over time (see page 8 ). Therefore, Therefore, the appea rance of any installation may vary vary from from the s amples s hown in this publication.

The character characte r of wood w ood As a flooring material, wood is superior to vinyl or carp et, both p ra ctically ctically and aes th etically. etically. A solid solid wood floor is more than a covering; it adds strength and stability to the floor system. A one-inch thickness of wood wood has the sa me insu lating lating value value as 1 5 inches of concrete. Wood is durable and long-lasting — occasional sanding and refinishing essentially resu lts in a bra nd -new floor floor.. Wood Wood flo floors ors don’t don’t r etain mildew or absorb dust, simplifying cleaning. Perhaps the m ost appea ling cha cha racteristics racteristics of wood flooring, though, are its attractive appearance

an d n atu ral warm th. A beautiful beautiful wood wood floo floorr can enliven a drab room, enhance any architectural style, style, complement complement furn iture and d esign esign sch emes, an d ad d value value to an y home or bu ilding. ilding. A combination of qualities should be considered when selecting a species for flooring: appearancerelated attributes su ch as t exture, grain grain an d color; color; as well well as m echan ical ical properties properties su ch as d imensional stability, durability, machinability and ease in finishing; a nd finally, inally, a vailabil vailability ity and cost.

Properties affecting appearance Many differen differen t factors, from th e na tu re of the livi living ng tree to the way the lumber is s awed, affect affect the way th e finis finis h ed floor will will look. look. HEARTWOOD, SAPWOOD: Heartwood is th e older, older, harder, central portion of a tree. It usually contains deposits of various various ma terials th at frequen tly give give itit a darker color color tha n sapwood. It It is dens er, less less p ermeab le and more durable than th e surr ounding sapwoo sapwood. d. Sap wood wood is th e softer, softer, you you nger, outer p ortion of a tree that lies between the cambium (formative layer ju s t u n de r th e b a rk ) an d th e h ea rt wood . It is m ore or e perm eable, less less du rable an d u su ally ally lig lighter hter in color color than the heartwood. heartwood. The relative relative am ount s of heartwood heartwood a nd sap wood wood in a floori flooring ng ba tch ma y affect affect th e way it it accept s stain a nd finish finish a nd, th erefore, erefore, the fini finish sh ed appear ance of the floor. In general, quartersawn and riftsa wn flooring flooring wil willl cont cont ain less sa pwood tha n plainsawn flooring (see “Types of saw cut,” next page), page), an d will will tend to h ave a stra ighter grain an d more u niform niform a ppeara nce. Heartwood Heartwood also is is m ore dimensionally stable than sapwood, so flooring with a high percentage of heartwood will shrink and swell less than flooring that is mostly sapwood. “textu re” W OO D GRAIN AN D TEXTURE XTURE: “Grain” an d “textu are loosely used to describe similar properties of wood. wood. Grain Grain is often often u sed in reference reference to an nu al growth rings, as in “fine” or “coarse” grain; it also is used to indicate the direction of fibers, as in straight, spiral and curly grain. The direction of the grain, as well well as th e am oun t of figurin figurin g in in t he wood, can affect affect the way it it is is sa nded an d sawed. Grain a lso is is described a s being either either “open” or or “closed closed ,” referring to th e relative size of th e pores , which affects affects th e way a wood wood accepts s tain a nd finishes.


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Texture Texture u su ally ally refers refers to th e finer finer stru cture of the wood, wood, rather tha n to the an nu al rings. rings. It It is is sometimes u sed to combine the concepts of density an d degree of contrast between between s pring wood wood and su mm er wood wood in in th e an nu al growth growth rings.

Wood grain terminology ter minology Most s pecies pecies grown in temp erate cli An nu al rings : Most mates produce visibl visiblee ann ua l grow growth th rings tha t sh ow the diff difference in dens ity and color color between wood wood form ed early and th at formed late in th e growing growing season. The inn er pa rt of the growth growth ring, form form ed first, first, is called called “spring wood” wood”;; the outer par t, form form ed later in the season, is called “summer wood.” Spr ing wood wood is cha ra cterized cterized by cells cells h aving relarelatively tively large cavities cavities an d th in walls. walls. Su mm er wood cells have smaller cavities and thicker walls, and consequently are more dense than those in spring wood. The growth rings, when exposed by conventiona tiona l sawing sawing m ethods, provide provide the grain grain or char acteristic pattern of the wood. The distinguishing featu res am ong the various various sp ecies ecies resu lts in in pa rt from diff differen ces in growth -ring form form ation. And And within within s pecies, pecies, na tur al variatio variations ns in growth growth ens ur e the un ique character and beau ty of each piece of of wood. Figure: The pattern produ ced in in a wood wood sur face by ann ua l growth growth rings, rays, knots an d deviatio deviations ns from regular grain. Med ullary Ra y s : Medullary rays exten d ra dially dially from from the core of the tree toward the b ar k. They var var y in in height from a few cells in some species, to four or more inch es in the oak s; they’re they’re res pons ible ible for for the flake eff effect common in qua rtersawn lu mber in certain s pecies. pecies. ily recognized recognized by its par ab olic olic Flat Flat Grain: Eas ily (ar ched ) eff effect. ect. Lu Lu mb er is con sidered “flat-grained” when th e ann ua l growth growth rings make a n a ngle of less tha n 4 5 degrees with with t he wide wide su rface of of the boar d. Vertical Vertical or Edge Grain: Generally Generally more dimensionally sta ble tha n flat grain—tha t is, vertical-g vertical-gra ra in boards are less likely to expand or contract in width with with ch an ges ges in m oistu oistu re. Lum Lum ber is considered “vertical-grained” when the annual growth rings ma ke an an gle gle of 45 to 90 degrees with with th e wide wide su rface of th e boar d. (Note: In In hardwoods , plains awn lumber generally ally contains mos tly flat-gr flat-grained ained wood , while quartersawn lumber is nearly all verticalvertical-grained. grained. In s oftwood lumber, lumber, th e terms “flat-grained” flat-grained” and “vertical-grained” vertical-grained” are used in st ead of th e terms “plainsawn” and “quartersawn,” respectively. See “Types of saw cut” below.) which th e fibe fibers rs m ay Inte rlocke d Grain: Grain in which

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slope in a right-handed direction for several years, in a left-handed direction for several years, back to right-handed, and so on. A high degree of interlocked grain may make a wood difficult to machine. TYPES TYPES OF O F SAW SAW CUT: CUT: Lum ber is either either plainsa wn, quartersawn or riftsawn. Plainsa Plainsa wing wing is is th e most comm on an d least least expensive meth od of sa wing; wing; mos t wood flo flooring oring is cut th is way. Plainsa Plainsa wn lumb er is obtained obtained by m aking the first saw cu t on a tan gent gent to th e circum circum ference of the log log and r emaining cuts pa rallel to th e first first . This meth od is is th e most economical, becau becau se it provides vides t he widest boards and results in in th e least least waste. Since most of the lum ber produ ced by plainsawplainsawing is flat-grained, with som e vertical-grained vertical-grained wood wood includ includ ed, plainsawn plainsawn lumber will will tend to contain m ore variation ariation within within a nd am ong boards than qu artersawn lum ber, in which nea rly all of the wood is verticalverticalgrained. Also, Also, s ince flat-grained flat-grained wood wood is less d imensionally stable than vertical-grained, plainsawn lumber will will tend to expand an d contract m ore across th e width width of the boards than quartersawn lumber. Other p hysical diff differences erences to consider when choosing plainsawn plainsawn lumber rath er than quartersawn: • Figure Figure patter ns r esu lting lting from from th e ann ua l rings an d som e other types of figures a re u su ally ally brought out more cons picuou picuou sly by plainsa plainsa wing. wing. • Shakes and pitch pockets, when present, extend thr ough fewe fewerr boards . In qua rtersawing, lum lum ber is produ ced by fi first qua rtering the log log an d then sawing perpendicu perpendicu lar to the growth growth r ings. ings. Qu arters awing awing pr oduces relative relatively ly na rrow boards , n early all all verti verticalcal-grai grained, ned, an d creates m ore waste, waste, making quartersawn lumber m ore expensive expensive than plains plains awn. Howev However, er, much qua rtersa wn wood is is obta ined by cu lling lling the vertical-grain vertical-grain ed wood wood tha t n atu rally rally results from plainsawing. For reasons oth er tha n cost, most people prefer prefer qua rtersa wn wood, wood, although some people favo favorr th e greater variety in figuring produced in plainsawing. Other ph ysical ysical factors factors to keep in m ind when choosing choosing quar tersawn lum ber over over plains plains awn: • It twi twists an d cups less. less. • It It su rface-checks rface-checks an d splits splits less dur ing season ing and in use. • Raised Raised grain produ ced by separation separation in th e ann ual growth growth rings rings does not appear a s pr onoun onoun ced. • It wears more evenly. • Figur Figur ing due to pron oun ced rays, interlocked interlocked an d wavy grain grain a re brought ou t more conspicuous ly. ly. • Sapwood appears only at the edges, and is limited to th e width width of th e log’ log’ss s ap wood.


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Riftsawing is similar to quartersawing, with many of the s am e advanta ges and limitations . It accentu ates the vertical grain and minimizes the flake effect common in qu artersa wn oak. The angle of the cu t is chan ged s lightly so that fewer s aw cuts are p arallel to the m edullary rays, which a re respon sible for the flake effect. Riftsa wing crea tes m ore wast e tha n quartersawing, making it generally more expensive.

M echanical properties MOISTURE CON TEN T AN D DIMEN SION AL STABILITY: Moistur e plays a large par t in h ow wood behaves, both du ring the m achining process an d after insta llation. Ins tallers would do well to stu dy moistu re’s effect on wood in som e deta il; however, a b rief discus sion is included here. (For m ore informa tion, s ee the NWFA Technical Manua l A100: Water and Wood .) Moisture content is defined as the weight of water in wood expressed as a percentage of the weight of oven-dry wood. Weight, shrinkage, strength and other properties depend on the m oistu re content of wood. In trees, moistur e content m ay be as mu ch as 200 percen t of th e weight of wood su bst an ce. After ha rvesting an d m illing, th e wood will be dried to the proper moisture content for its end us e. Wood is d imensionally stable when the m oistu re content is ab ove the fiber sa tu ration point (us ua lly abou t 30 p ercent m oistu re content). Below that, wood chan ges dimens ion when it gains or loses moisture. The ideal moistu re cont ent for flooring ins tallation can vary from a n extreme of 4 to 18 percent, depending on the wood species, the geographic location of the end product and the time of year. Most oak flooring, for exam ple, is m illed at 6 to 9 per cent. Before ins tallation, solid wood flooring sh ould b e acclima ted to the ar ea in which it is to be u sed, then tested with a m oistu re meter to ensu re the proper moisture content. (Note: Engineered flooring ten ds to be m ore dimensionally stable than solid flooring and may not requ ire acclima tion prior to insta llation—check with the m an u factu rer of th e flooring for tha t produ ct’s recommendations.) Different woods exh ibit different moisture stability factors, but they generally shr ink and s well the m ost in th e direction of the ann ua l growth r ings (tangentially), about half as mu ch across the rings (ra dially) an d on ly slightly along th e grain (longitudinally). This mean s tha t plainsawn flooring will tend to shr ink and swell more in width than quar tersawn flooring, an d th at m ost flooring will not sh rink or s well mu ch in length. The individua l species des criptions tha t follow


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include a n indication of dimen sional st ability, from “below avera ge” to “excellen t,” as well as a com pa rison to red oak. For exam ple, mesqu ite is ra ted as “excellent,” with a notation that it is 63 percent more stable than red oak—that is, mesquite is likely to shrink or swell 63 percent less. The percentages noted a re bas ed on compar ing the sh rinkage values (tangential shr inkage from green to ovend ry moistu re conten t) of each species. Red oak was chosen as the benchm ark because of its widespread familiarity and use in the flooring ind us try. For a com par ison of the relative dimen sional st ability of several species refer to th e chart on page 8. Keep in m ind tha t the s hrinkage values come from laboratory testing, and some woods shown to be relatively stable in the lab have demonstrated significant movement on actual job sites. For wood flooring professionals, it’s importa nt to inform en d u sers a bout th e norm al behavior of wood in relation to moisture. Most solid wood flooring will contract during periods of low humidity (during the heating season, for example), sometimes leaving noticeable cracks between boards. To minimize this effect, users should stabilize the environment of the bu ilding thr ough tempera tur e and h um idity control. HARDNESS AN D DURABILITY: Probably the m ost important stren gth pr operty for wood u sed in flooring applications is its s ide hardn ess, also known a s J anka h ardness. Side hardn ess represents the resistance of wood to wear, denting and marring. It is meas ur ed by the load required to embed a 0.444 inch steel ball to one-half its diameter in th e wood. J anka hardn ess ratings ar e generally based on an average of tests on both ta ngential and radial (plainsawn a nd qu arters awn) sam ples. A comparison chart of the Ja nka hardn ess ratings for each of the species described in th is cha pter app ears on p age 7. Also, the individu al species des criptions includ e a percentage compar ison to indicate each species ha rdn ess relative to Northern red oak. IN STALLATION AN D N AILIN G: When na iling some of the denser woods with hand or air nailers, installers ma y encoun ter sp litting tongues, as well as failure to secure the fastener even after r epeated attempts . This can sometimes be corrected by changing the angle of the na il’s point of entry. On certain exceptionally dens e species, pilot holes m ay ha ve to be drilled to ease nailing. Blunting the ends of fasteners may also help prevent sp litting. With pn eum atic nailers, the air pressu re may need to be adjusted to reduce splintering or tongue breakage. Thou gh den se, h eavy woods n orm ally offer h igher na il-withd rawal resista nce, less den se sp ecies allow the u se of more an d larger-diameter fasteners to compen sa te for their lower holding a bility. When na iling imp orted species, check with t he s up plier for the recomm ended fastener. Consider wearing gloves while working with some woods, especially exotic species. Splinters shou ld be rem oved immed iately, as som e species ha ve been known to cau se an adverse reaction in som e people.

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SANDING: Some wood species are h ighly resinous and tend to clog sandpaper. When working with such species, it may be necessary to use a coarser grit of sandpaper than normal, or to change the sandpaper more often than with other species. Also, the wood dust created by sanding some species tends to cause an allergic reaction in some people. This is more likely to occur with imported species th an with domes tic. However, even North American oak has been known to cau se a skin ras h or respiratory difficulties in some people. Where app licable, known ten dencies to cau se allergic reactions a re noted. As a precaution, flooring mechanics should wear long sleeves, gloves, repirators (with a rating of at least N95/ NIOSH-approved) and eye pr otection when san ding. To test for possible allergic reaction to a species, perform a skin-patch test b y placing a s ma ll am ount of wood dust u nder a roun d adh esive band age on th e inside of the forearm . If serious skin irritation is p resent when th e banda ge is removed after 24 hou rs, consider not working with th at s pecies. For more inform ation on san ding, see th e NWFA Technical Manua l B20 0: Sa nd ing and Finishing of Ha rdw ood Floors . FINISHING: Many finish formu lations are un dergoing continu al change as their man ufacturers move to comply with evolving en vironm enta l regulations , m aking ha rd-a nd -fas t finishing ru les difficu lt to come by. Some woods, esp ecially imports , conta in oils an d chemical compoun ds that ma y adversely react with certain t ypes of finishes to inhibit drying, dram atically cha nge th e color of the wood, or both. Som e imp orted species may weep natural oils for an extended period of time, possibly causing finish problems at a later date. It is recommen ded th at s uch floors be sealed or coated immediately after the final sanding cut. Water -based u rethan e finish es are qu ick-drying an d increas ingly du rab le. Som e flooring pr ofess iona ls also believe th ey tend to inh ibit th e color cha nge certain woods u nd ergo over time, which m ay be desira ble. These finishes tend to leave wood lighter in color. Nonam bering u rethan es ar e often recomm ended for finishing white, sten ciled or pa stel floors. Water -ba sed finishes t end to adh ere well to most woods, includ ing exotics, wherea s s ome solvent-ba sed finish es h ave adh esion, drying or color cha nge problems with woods su ch a s teak, Brazilian walnut, pu rpleheart, padauk and wenge. For floors th at ar e to be stained to alter the n atu ral color of the wood, flooring professionals should be aware th at s ome sp ecies (hard m aple, pine and fir, for examp le) do not a ccept sta in as readily or as evenly as other species. A grain filler is sometimes used for wood species with large pores, su ch as oak an d walnut, if a s mooth finish is desired. When working with a new species for the first time, installers should test stains and finishes on a sm all sam ple of flooring before a ttemp ting an instal-

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lation and also check with the finish manufacturer. For more information on finishing, see the NWFA Technical Manual B200: San ding and Finishing of Ha rdw ood Floors .

Availability J us t as every individual wood species is dyna mic and prone to chan ge in response to its environmen t, so too is th e m ar ket for a ll wood flooring s pecies. Availability estimates were obtained th rou gh interviews with industry sources and reflect market conditions dur ing 2003. EASILY AVAILABLE: Brazilian ch erry (jatoba) Hard ma ple Red oak Southern yellow pine White oak READILY AVAILABLE: Ash Aus tralian cypress Bamboo Black ch erry Brazilian walnu t (ipé) Cork Douglas fir Hickory/ pecan Santos mahogany Teak, Thai/ Burm ese MODERATELY AVAILABLE: Beech Black walnut, American Birch Brazilian maple Brazilian teak (cum aru ) Iroko Jarrah Merbau Padauk Sapele Spotted gum Sydney blue gum Tasm anian oak LIM ITED AVAILABILITY: Antique h eart pine Bubinga Mesquite Purpleheart Wenge


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RELATIVE HARDNESS OF SELECTED WOOD FLOORING SPECIES (Ranked by Janka hardness rating) The Janka (or side) hardness test measures the force required to embed a .444-inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood. It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. By the same token, it also is a good indicator of how hard or easy a species is to saw or nail. Northern red oak, for example, has a Janka hardness rating of 1290. Spotted gum, with a rating of 2473, is nearly twice as hard. If you’re accustomed to working with red oak and decide to tackle a job with spotted gum, you can expect it to be much harder to cut and nail. A rating is not included for bamboo, as bamboo flooring varies greatly between different manufacturers’ products and between vertical and horizontal construction. Likewise, a rating is not included for cork flooring. • Source: Hardness ratings for most species taken from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Center for Wood Anatomy Research Web site www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/techmenu.html. Bub- inga value taken from Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Forest Products Society, 1999). Padauk and Brazilian maple values were provided by Wood Flooring Interna- tional. Spotted gum, Sydney blue gum and Tasmanian oak values were provided by Boral Timber. The heart pine rating was provided by Mountain Lumber. The mesquite rating was provided by Mesquite Products of Texas. • Douglas fir rating is an average of ratings for Coast, Interior West and Interior North species. • Values for Brazilian cherry, purpleheart and Thai/Burmese teak represent average values.

3680 Walnut, Brazilian 3540 Teak, Brazilian 2890 Purpleheart 2820 Cherry, Brazilian (jatoba) 2690 Bubinga Gum, spotted 2473 2345 Mesquite 2200 Mahogany, santos 2023 Gum, Sydney blue 1925 Merbau 1910 Jarrah Hickory/pecan 1820 1725 Padauk 1630 Wenge 1500 Maple, Brazilian 1500 Sapele Maple, hard 1450 Cypress, Australian 1375 1360 Oak, white Oak, Tasmanian 1350 Ash, white 1320 1300 Beech 1290 Oak, Northern red Birch 1260 1260 Iroko Pine, heart (antique) 1225 Teak, Thai/Burmese 1078 1010 Walnut, American black Cherry, black 950 870 Pine, Southern yellow (longleaf) 690 Pine, Southern yellow (loblolly/shortleaf) Douglas fir 660 While Janka values give a general sense of hardness, many other factors also contribute to a wood floor’s durability, including the type of cut (i.e. plainsawn, quartersawn), denseness of cell structure, and finish used.

© 2004 NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION

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RELATIV E STABILITY OF SELECTED W OO D FLOO RIN G SPECIES (Ranked by percentage of tangential shrinkage from green to ovendry moisture content) The n um bers in th e chart reflect the percenta ge of tangential shrinkage from green to ovendry moisture content for the various species. Tan gential chan ge values nor ma lly will reflect changes in plainsawn wood. Quartersawn wood usually will be more dimens iona lly stable than plains awn. These percenta ges a re listed only as a mean s of compa rison of stability between th e species. As th ese valu es repr esen t chan ge from green to ovendr y, actual percenta ge cha nge on job sites will be dr as tica lly les s. Although som e tropical woods su ch as Au stra lian cypress, merbau and wenge appear in this chart to have excellent m oistur e sta bility compar ed to domestic oak, actu al ins tallations of ma ny of thes e woods ha ve demons trated s ignifican t movement in us e. To avoid problems later, extra care s hou ld be taken to inform potential users of these tendencies prior to purchase. Several species listed in this book a re n ot includ ed in th e char t. This da ta cu rren tly is not available for Tasm an ian oak, Sydney blue gum and spotted gum. Due to its composited constru ction, cork is n ot included, a nd d u e to its en gineered constru ction, bam boo is n ot included. Also, du e to the man y different species an d a ges of the wood class ified a s an tique hear t pine, tha t wood is not listed. • S ource: Sta bility ratings tak en from th e U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Fores t Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Cen ter for Wood Anatom y Re sea rch Web site ww w 2.fpl.fs.fed.us/ TechSheets/ techmenu.html • Douglas fir rating is an average of ratings for Coas t, Interior West an d Interior North s pe cies . • Pine rating is an average of ratings for loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf an d s lash species.


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11.9 Beech 11.0 Jarrah 10.5 Oak, white 9 .9 Maple, hard 9 .5 Birch ( yellow) Hickory/ pecan 8 .9 8 .8 Maple, Brazilian/ pau marfim 8 .6 Oak, Northern red 8 .5 Cherry, Brazilian (jatoba) 8 .4 Bubinga 8 .0 Walnut, Brazilian/ ipé 7 .8 Ash, white 7 .8 Walnut, American black 7 .6 Teak, Brazilian/ cumaru 7 .5 Pine, Southern yellow Sapele 7 .4 7 .3 Douglas fir 7 .1 Cherr y, black 6 .2 Mahogany, santos Purpleheart 6 .1 Teak, Thai/ Burmese 5 .8 Wenge 5 .8 Padauk 5 .2 4 .6 Merbau Iroko 3 .8 Mesquite 3 .2 2 .8 Cypr ess, Australian

COLOR CHAN GES IN W OO D FLOO RIN G Wheth er finish ed or u nfinish ed, wood cha nges color over time du e to oxidation an d exposu re to light. Some s pecies dar ken in color over time, wh ile other s lighten . There is n o set value for “color fastn ess ” of a s pecies, so contr actors and their customers need to be aware of how mu ch cha nge they shou ld expect from th e species th ey choose. Certain species, including American cherry, Brazilian cherry and many imported species, are especially notorious for their ten den cy to cha nge in color. A dem ons trat ion of this cha nge is sh own below. The pa nels on t he left for each species show how the wood had aged since originally being sanded and finished for this publication in 1994. The pan els on the right are th e sam e pan els a s th ey appear n ow after being freshly sand ed an d finished in 20 04. It is important to note that all panels shown on the following pages are shown freshly sanded and finished. Some color change is to be expected for all species, and a drastic change can be expected for some.

A m e ri c a n c h e r r y w ater-ba sed finish

Brazilian cherry w ater-ba sed finish

w ater-ba sed finish

oil-based finish

oil-based finish

Aged pan el

8

w ater-ba sed finish

Aged pan el oil-based finish

oil-based finish

Same panel freshly sanded

Sam e panel fresh ly san ded


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ASH, W HI TE Fraxinus americana

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is light tan to dark brown; sap wood is creamy white. Similar in appea ran ce to white oak, but frequently more yellow. GRAIN: Bold, straight, moderately open grain with occasional wavy figuring . Can have strong contrast in grain in plains awn board s. VARIATIO N S W ITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Sometimes confu sed with hickory; the zone of large pores is m ore distinctive in ash , similar to th at of red oak.

Properties

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7 to 15 degree angle to the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 Screen: 80 or 100 FINISHING: May be difficult to st ain.

Origin North Am erica.

Availability Readily available.

HARDNESS/ JAN KA: 1320 (2% harder than Northern red oak ). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Above average (7.8; 9% more stab le tha n Norther n red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Good machining qualities. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: San ds satisfactorily if the correct s an ding sequ ence is followed.


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BEECH Fag us gra ndifolia

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is mostly reddish brown; sapwood is generally pale white. GRAIN: Mostly closed, s tra ight grain; fine, u niform texture. Coarser than European beech. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: Only one sp ecies is n ative to the United Sta tes. Moderate to high color variation between boards.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1300 (1% harder th an Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Below average (11.9; 38 % less stable than Northern red oak).

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 a t a 7 to 15 degree angle to the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded First Screen: 80 or 100 Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: May be difficult to st ain.


Availability Moderately available.

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Difficult to work with h an d tools, but good machining qualities. NAILING: Has a ten dency to split the tongues . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequ ence is followed.

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BIRCH Betula spp.

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance

Workability:

COLOR: In yellow birch ( B. a llegh an iens is), sapwood is crea my yellow or pale white; hear twood is light reddish b rown tinged with red. In sweet birch ( B. len ta ), sa pwood is light colored an d h eartwood is da rk b rown tinged with red. GRAIN: Mediu m figu ring, str aight, closed grain, even textu re. Occas iona l curly grain or wavy figu re in some boards. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: Yellow birch, sweet birch, pa per birch. Paper birch ( B. pa py rifera ) is softer and lower in weight and strength than yellow or sweet birch. However, yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain a nd color.

SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Difficult to work with h an d tools, but good machining qualities. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: San ds satisfactorily if the correct san ding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7 to 15 degree an gle to the grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 12 0 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 10 0 FINISHING: May be difficult to st ain.

Properties


SIDE HARDN ESS/ JANKA: Yellow: 126 0 (2% s ofter tha n Norther n red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Avera ge (Yellow: 9.5 ; 10 % less s table than Northern red oak).



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CHERRY, BLACK Prunu s sero tina

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is light to da rk r eddish br own, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the da rker h eartwood color into the sa pwood, resulting in a more uniform color. Color darkens significantly with age. GRAIN: Fine, frequen tly wavy, u niform texture. Distinctive flake pa ttern on tru e qua rtersawn s ur faces. Textu re is satiny, with s ome gum pockets. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: Significant color variation b etween boards.

Properties

sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded Screen: 80 or 100 FINISHING: No known problems .



HARDN ESS (JANKA): 950 (26% softer tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SIONAL STABILITY: Above avera ge (7.1; 1 7% more stab le than Northern red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Good machining qualities. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: San ds satisfactorily if the correct san ding

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DOUGLAS FIR Pseudotsuga menziesii

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish tan to light b rown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood may be confused with tha t of Sou ther n yellow pine. Radical color ch an ge upon exposur e to sun light. GRAIN: Norm ally str aight, with occas iona l wavy or spiral texture. Nearly all fir flooring is vertical-grain or riftsawn clear -grade ma terial. VARIATION S W ITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: Wood varies greatly in weight an d st ren gth. Youn g trees of moderate to rapid growth h ave reddish h eartwood an d ar e called red fir. The n ar row-ringed wood of old tr ees ma y be yellowish-b rown a nd is kn own as yellow fir.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): 660 (49% softer tha n Northern red oak ). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Above average (7.3; 15% more stab le tha n Norther n red oak).

NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: San ds satisfactorily if the correct san ding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 100 or 120 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Some boards develop a slight pinkish to bright salmon color when finished with some products. Becau se of tenden cy toward color chan ge, care m us t be taken to avoid oversanding when refinishing an existing floor. May b e d ifficu lt to st ain . COM MEN TS: Sometimes milled a s vertical end-grain block, which is significan tly ha rder th an plainsawn .


Availability

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Harder to work with h an d tools than the s oft pines.

Readily available.


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HI CKO RY/ PECAN C a r y a sp p .

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance

Workability

COLOR: Pecan h eartwood is r eddish brown with dark brown s tripes; sap wood is white or cream y white with pinkish tones. Hickory heartwood is tan or reddish; sa pwood is wh ite to cream, with fine b rown lines . GRAIN: Pecan is open, occasionally wavy or irregu lar. Hickory is closed, with m oderate d efinition; som ewhat rough-textured. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: In both hickory and pecan, there are often pronounced differentiations in color between s pring wood an d su mm er wood. In pecan, s apwood is u su ally graded higher than darker heartwood. Pecan an d h ickory are tra ditionally m ixed by flooring m ills.

SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Hickory’s den sity ma kes it difficult to machine and work with hand tools. NAILING: Has a tendency to split the ton gues. SANDING: Difficult to san d becau se of den sity, and becaus e light color makes s an der ma rks s how more than on darker woods. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with th e grain Second Cut: 50 or 60 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 Screen: 80 or 100 FINISHING: May be difficult to st ain.

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 1820 (41% harder th an Northern red oak ). Pecan is slight ly softer th an tru e hickories. DIM ENSION AL STABILITY: Average (8.9; 3% less stable than Northern red oak).


Availability Read ily available.

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M APLE, SUGAR/ HARD A cer saccha rum

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is cream y white to light red dish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white. GRAIN: Closed, su bdu ed grain, with medium figur ing an d u niform texture. Occasionally shows qu ilted, fiddleback , cur ly or bird’s-eye figu ring. Figu red b oard s often cu lled dur ing grad ing an d sold at a prem ium. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Black ma ple ( B. nigru m ) is a lso hard; other s pecies ar e classified as soft.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): 1450 (12% harder than Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Average (9.9; 15 % less s table than red oak).

are m ore obvious du e to m aple’s density and light color. The species also burnishes, dulling fine paper an d screen s a nd ma king it difficult to cut out p revious scratches. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 at a 7 to 15 degree angle to the grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 12 0 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 10 0 FINISHING: Takes neu tra l finish well. May be difficult to stain.

Origin North Amer ica.

Availability

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Density makes machining difficult. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Extra care mu st be taken during san ding and finishing, as s an ding mark s a nd finish lines

Eas ily availab le. Figur ed grain s h ave lim ited availability.


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M ESQ UI TE Prosopi s gla nd ulosa

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Light brown to dar k reddish brown. GRAIN: High in cha racter, with ingrown ba rk a nd mineral st reaks. Most comm only used in flooring as end-grain block, which ha s s ma ll irregular cracks radiating across the grain. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: On e grade; moderate color variations.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 2345 (82% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (3.2; 63% m ore stab le tha n Norther n red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Very good machining qualities. NAILING: Splits tongues easily. SANDING: Plainsawn can be sa nded to a sm ooth su rface. End-grain requires a coarser abrasive to flatten; it is recomm ended th at it be flattened by san ding at a 45-degree angle to the grain.

16

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 a t a 7 -15 degree angle with th e grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 or 100 Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: No known problems . COM MEN TS: End-grain block u sage results in a hard , high-wear s ur face. Produces only shorter -length boards.


Availability Lim ited a vailab ility.


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OAK, RED Q uercus spp .

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance

Northern red oak).

COLOR: Heartwood and sapwood are similar, with sapwood lighter in color; most pieces have a reddish tone. Slightly redder than white oak. GRAIN: Open, s lightly coarser (more p orous ) th an white oak. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain a ppearan ce; riftsawn h as a tighter grain pattern , low figuring; quar tersawn has a flake pattern , sometimes ca lled tiger ra ys or bu tterflies. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: More tha n 200 su bspecies in North America; great variation in color an d grain, d epending on the origin of the wood an d differences in growing seas ons. North ern , South ern an d Appa lachian red oa k all can be divided into u pland an d lowland species. Becaus e th ey grow more slowly, upland species ha ve a m ore uniform grain pattern than lowlan d sp ecies, with more growth rings per inch.

Workability

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): Northern : 1290 (benchma rk). Souther n: below average (1060; 18% softer tha n Northern red oak). DIM ENSION AL STABILITY: North ern : average (8.6). Southern: below average (11.3; 31% less stable than

SAW ING/ MACHINING: Above average in all ma chining operations. NAILING: No known p roblems. SANDING: San ds satisfactorily if the correct san ding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 10 0 Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Stains well and dem onstra tes strong stain contrast. Red oak generally works better than white oak for bleached floors because it is more porous, and because tannins in white oak can discolor the floor.


Availability Easily available.


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OAK, W HITE Q uercus spp .

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is light brown; some boar ds ma y ha ve a p inkish tint or a slight grayish cast. Sa pwood is white to cream. GRAIN: Open, with longer rays tha n red oak . Occasional crotches, swirls and burls. Plainsawn boards ha ve a plum ed or flared grain appea ran ce; riftsa wn ha s a tighter grain patter n, low figu ring; qua rtersawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or b u tterflies. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Considerable variation am ong boards in color an d grain texture, bu t variations not as pr onounced as in red oak.

Properties

SANDING: San ds satisfactorily if the correct san ding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with th e grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 Screen: 80 or 100 FINISHING: During the finish ing process, tan nins a t the su rface can r eact with som e liquids to tur n th e wood green or brown. This effect tends to be more pronounced with products that have a high water content, su ch as wood bleach an d water-bas ed finishes. Stains very well and accepts stain evenly.

HARDN ESS (JAN KA): 1210 (6% softer tha n Northern red oak). DIM ENSIONAL STABILITY: Average (10.5 ; 22% less s table than red oak).

Origin

Workability

Easily available.

North Am erica.

Availability

SAW ING/ MACHINING: Excellent ma chining qua lities. NAILING: No known pr oblems .

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A2 00

PINE, ANTIQUE HEART Pinus spp.

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is yellow after cutting and turns deep pinkish tan to war m r eddish brown within weeks du e to high r esin content. Sapwood remains yellow, with occasional blue-black sap stain. GRAIN: Dens e, with h igh figu ring. Plains awn is swirled; rift- or quartersawn is primarily pinstriped. Curly or bu rl grain is ra re. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: Moderate color var iation.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): 1225 (5% softer th an Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Values can vary great ly du e to the variety of species a nd ages u sed.

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Good machining and ha ndtooling qualities. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Tendency to clog paper due to high resin conten t. Abra sives will need to be ch an ged fre-

quent ly during sa nding. Beginning with a coars e grade is recommen ded. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 50 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 80 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded Screen: 80 FINISHING: May be difficult to stain . To redu ce the wood’s ten den cy to repel finish coat s, su rface resin s ma y be removed with a 100 p ercent pu re (not recycled) solvent tha t is compa tible with th e finish t o be us ed (do not u se water).

Origin North America. Often recovered from structural timbers in pre-1900 warehou ses an d factories, or as su nken logs from r iver bottoms.

Availability Limited.


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PINE, SOUTHERN YELLOW Pinus spp.

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood varies from light yellow/ oran ge to reddish brown or yellowish brown ; sap wood is light t an to yellowish white. GRAIN: Closed, with high figuring; patterns range from clear to knotty. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Longleaf pine (P. p alus tris ), sh ortleaf pine (P. ech inata ), loblolly pine (P. taeda ), slash pine (P. elliottii ). All h ave m an y of the same characteristics as Douglas fir. Old-growth lumber in th ese varieties h as su bstan tially higher den sity an d is more sta ble than second-growth ma terial.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): Loblolly an d s hort leaf 690, (47% softer than Northern red oak); longleaf 870 (33% softer th an Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Above average (7.5; 13% more stab le tha n Norther n red oak).


Availability

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Good machining qualities. NAILING: No known p roblems.

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SANDING: Resin in wood tends to clog abra sives; frequent san dpaper changes are required. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded Screen: 80 or 100 FINISHING: May be difficult to stain . To redu ce the wood’s ten den cy to repel finish coat s, su rface resins ma y be removed with a 100 percen t pu re (not recycled) solvent th at is com pat ible with th e finish to be us ed (do not u se water). COM MEN TS: Genera lly ma nu factu red for flooring with no en d-m atch ; sometimes flooring is “distress ed” to create an antique look.

Easily available.


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W ALN UT, AM ERI CAN BLACK Juglans nigra

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance

Workability

COLOR: Heartwood ran ges from a deep, rich da rk brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white to tan . Difference between hea rtwood an d sa pwood color is great; some flooring man ufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color. GRAIN: Mostly stra ight an d open, bu t some boards have burled or curly grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories an d persimm on, but pores a re sm aller in s ize. VARIATIO N S WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Great variety of color a nd figu re within species, a s well as variation in color a m ong boar ds , especially in lower grades an d from m aterial tha t isn’t steam ed prior to kiln-drying.

SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Excellent machining qualities. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded First Screen: 80 or 100 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: No known finishing problems. COMM EN TS: Frequently used a s a h ighlight ma terial for borders or other inlay techniques.

Properties

North Amer ica.

HARDNESS (JANKA): 1010 (22% softer than Northern red oa k). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Average (7.8; 9% m ore st able than Northern red oak).

Origin Availability Moderately a vailab le.


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A2 00

BAM BO O Phyllo stachy s sp p .

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Typically ava ilab le in light (ma n ila/ yellow tones) or dark (tannish brown) shades. Colors vary between manufacturers. GRAIN: Distinctive grain pattern sh ows nodes from the bam boo stalks. VARIATIONS WITHIN GRADES: Available either horizontally or vertically lamina ted. Horizont al cons tru ction ten ds to sh ow nodes m ore prominently.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): Bamboo is a grass. Janka values vary widely between various m an ufactur ers an d between horizontal an d vertical cons tru ction. DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Engineered cons tru ction.

Origin

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Cuts easily with most tools. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Due to its u nique, fibrous stru cture, bamboo should not be sanded a cross th e grain or at a 45-degree angle to the grain. Its light color tends to sh ow swirl marks , other sa nding mar ks an d finish imperfections, m uch as a light m aple floor can.

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Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 100 or 120 Hard Plate: Not recommen ded First Screen: 100 or 120 Second Screen: 15 0 FINISHING: All surface-type finishes have been used successfully with bamboo. Darker colors may tend to show lap marks—moving quickly during application an d app lying finish quickly aroun d cut-in area s can min imize this effect. Filling is recom m end ed. COMMEN TS: Mostly available factory-finished. Because th e product is rigid, installers s hou ld pa y careful attention to the flatness of the subfloor.

Asia. The m ajority is m ade in China from th e Phyllosta chys pu bescens (common na me: Moso) species; however, som e ba mb oo flooring is ma de from d ifferen t bam boo species grown in coun tries such as Vietna m.



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A2 00

BUBINGA G uibourtia d emeusei

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Pink, red or red/ brown with pu rple streak s or veins; changes from pinkish rose when freshly milled to burgundy red when aged. GRAIN: Fine; straight or interlocked, can be highly figured. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Quartered exhibits flame figure; flatsawn has rosewood graining.

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 2690 (109% harder than Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Average (8.4; 2% m ore st able than Northern red oak).

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Test a ll products before u sing them on the actual floor. Oil-modified finished will require a lengthy dry time. (See finishing comm ents on page 6.) COM MENTS: Dust h as been known to cau se contact dermatitis.

Origin Africa.

Availability

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Saws an d planes well. NAILING: Tends to split tongues. Pre-drilling and ha nd-n ailing may be preferred. SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequ ence is followed.

Lim ited availab ility.


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CHERRY, BRAZILIAN Jatoba Hymenaea courbaril water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Sapwood is gray-white; heartwood is salmon red to orange-brown when fresh and becomes russet or reddish br own when seas oned; often m arked with dark streaks. GRAIN: Mostly interlocked; texture is medium to rather coarse. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate to h igh color variation.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): Average of 282 0 (119% h ar der tha n Norther n red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Average (8.5; 1% m ore s tab le than Northern red oak). However, actual installations ha ve shown significan t m ovement. Longer-th an-n orma l acclimation time is recommended.

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Sa wing is difficult du e to high dens ity; requires frequent resh arp ening of tools. Planing is difficult du e to interlocked grain. Can be m achined to a smooth surface. Carbide tooling recommended. NAILING: Due to hardn ess it is very importan t that th e

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an gle of penetr ation be a djus ted ca refully. If using a pneu ma tic nailer, the air pressu re shou ld be adjusted. SANDING: Scratches are easily seen—each sanding mu st car efully remove the scratch es from th e previous cut, or s an ding mark s will be visible in t he finish . Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Coating with oil-modified polyu reth an e ma y occasionally caus e white spots or specks, a s well as white end joints, to appear. This may be avoided b y buffing in a clear oil sealer or neu tra l stain, then bu ffing on sa tin polyuretha ne. (See finishing com ment s on page 6.)

Origin South America.

Availability Easily available.


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CORK Q uercus suber

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Var ies from light to d ar k; ma ny colors available depending on manufacturer . GRAIN: Distinctive look u nlike wood—cork is actu ally th e ba rk of a type of oak. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Many patterns available depending on manufacturer.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): Varies. DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Cork reacts quickly, sometimes within hou rs, to ch an ges in moistu re. (Typical dimens iona l sta bility mea su remen ts do not app ly to cork’s composite const ru ction.)

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Cork may be cu t with a ut ility kn ife. NAILING: Cork is installed using adhesive. SANDING: Use th e finest grit poss ible to flatten t he floor. The following s equen ces a re r ecomm ended for us e only with a m ulti-disc san der or a ha rdplate on a bu ffer. If th e edger is u sed, fine s an dpa per

(100/ 120/ 150) should be backed with a maroon pad. Sma ll orbital san ders or ha nd-sa nding are recommen ded for corn ers an d wall lines, as ha nd-scra pers may gouge the cork. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 10 0 Second Cut: 12 0 Third Cut: Not recommen ded Hard Plate: 120 or 150 First Screen: 12 0 Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: All surface-type finishes are successfully us ed on cork (choose a finish t ha t will bend a s th e cork compres ses). Oil-an d-wax also is u sed frequen tly. COMMEN TS: Pay particular attention to su bfloor prepar ation, a s cork is very sens itive to m oistu re, an d also tran sfers a ny imperfections in th e su bfloor to the su rface appearan ce.

Origin Spain and Portugal.



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CYPRESS, AUSTRALIAN Callitris glauca

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Cream-colored sapwood; heartwood is honey-gold to brown with d arker k nots th roughout. GRAIN: Closed. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: High degree of color var iability.

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 1375; (7% har der tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (2.8; 67% more sta ble than North ern red oak). However, actual installations ha ve dem onstr ated s ignifican t m ovement.

Workability:

Origin Australia.

SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Good machining qualities. NAILING: Can be b rittle (like Br azilian cherr y); sp lits tongues easily. SANDING: Tendency to clog paper due to high resin content. Hard plating an d s creening may leave swirls; screening more tha n twice may be necessar y. The knots a re extremely hard an d ma y cau se wave in th e floor. A 12-by-18-inch oscillating sa nd er is recom -

26

men ded as the fina l screening to minimize the scratch pattern. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: Knots m ay cau se drying problems with some finish es. (See finishing comm ents on page 6.) COM MEN TS: Potential for respira tory/ allergic recations.



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GUM , SPOTTED C orymb ia maculata (formerly Eucalyptus maculata)

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is light to dark brown, sapwood is pale and m ay be as wide as 3 .12 inches (8 cm) . GRAIN: Interlocked, moderately coarse. Frequent presence of wavy grain produces “fiddleback” grain. Slightly greasy; gum veins a re comm on.

Properties

Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: No known p roblems .

Origin Australia.


HARDN ESS (JANKA): 2473 (92% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Data not available.

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Good. NAILING: Pre-drilling and ha nd-n ailing may be preferred. SANDING: No known p roblems. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 12 0 First Screen: 10 0


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GUM , SYDN EY BLUE Eucalyptus saligna

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Wide range from pinks to bur gundy reds; regrowth timber m ay be a pale straw color with pink highlights. Colors mute over time and darken to a medium br own-red.

Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: No known finishing problems.

Origin Australia.

Properties

Availability

HARDNESS (JANKA): 2023 (57% harder than Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Data not available.

Moderately available.

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Very ha rd—carb ide blades and bits required. NAILING: Pre-drilling and ha nd-n ailing may be p referred. SANDING: No known problems . Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 12 0 First Screen: 10 0

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IROKO Kambala C hloropho ra excelsa water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Light to medium brown when newly installed; has a s ignifican t color chan ge and tu rn s to brown/ dark brown over time . GRAIN: Interlocked m edium to coarse texture. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Dramatic difference between qu artersa wn an d flatsa wn products.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1260 (2% softer th an Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (3.8; 66% m ore stab le tha n Norther n red oak).

Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 12 0 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: Staining and/ or bleaching this species ma y be difficult. No finish compa tibility problems a re known. COMMEN TS: Dust is known to cause both contact derm atitis an d respiratory reactions.

Origin Africa.


Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Somewhat stringy—ma y split an d sp linter when res an ding or ripping. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: No known p roblems. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain


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JARRAH Eucalyp tus ma rgi na ta

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is u niformly pinkish to dark red, often a rich, dark red m ah ogan y hue, tur ning a deep brownish red with age and exposu re; sapwood is pale. Frequent b lack s treaks with occasional ingrown grain. GRAIN: Frequ ently interlocked or wavy. Textu re is even a nd moderately coarse. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate to h igh color variation.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1910 (48% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Below average (11.0; 28% less s table than Northern red oak).

wall treatments . Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 12 0 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: Red color can bleed into some finishes— a problem when mixing sp ecies. COMMEN TS: Resistant to termites and fungus.

Origin Australia.


Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Difficu lt to work b ecau se of high den sity and irregular grain; carbide tooling recommended. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands well, but dust can stain fabric and

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M AHOG AN Y, SAN TOS M yroxylon ba lsamum

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Dark reddish brown. GRAIN: Striped figuring in qu arters awn selections; texture is even and very fine. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate color variation.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): 2200 (71% harder th an Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Above average (6.2; 28% more sta ble tha n Norther n red oak).

Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Oil residu e ma y be a pr oblem. This can be eliminated by wiping with the appropriate 100 percen t pu re (not recycled) solvent before th e sea ler is app lied. (See finishing comm ents o n page 6.) COM MEN TS: Some respira tory/ allergic reaction potential.


Availability

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Modera tely difficult du e to ha rdn ess; carbide tooling recommen ded. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with th e grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 100

Readily available.


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M APLE, BRAZ I LI AN Pau ma rfim, G uatamb u Balfourodend ron riedelianum water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Pale cream to yellow cream; no contrast between s apwood an d h eartwood . GRAIN: Straight, fine, uniform. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Lower grades m ay have darker tan/ brown colors.

Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: Takes finish well. May be difficult to s tain .

Origin

Properties

South America.

HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1500 (16% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Avera ge (8.8; 2% less sta ble than Northern red oak). Very sensitive to moisture fluctuations.


Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Works cleanly; requ ires a wide set for ripping; very hard on router bits. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain

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M ERBAU Ipil, Kw ila Intsia sp p . water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish to oran ge-brown when freshly cut, tu rn ing brown or dark r ed-brown upon exposur e . GRAIN: Stra ight to interlocked or wavy; coarse textu re. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate to high variation in color.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1925 (49% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (4.6; 47% m ore stab le than Northern red oak). However, actual installations have shown significant movement in use.

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 60 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 12 0 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 12 0 FINISHING: Takes neu tra l finish well. May be difficu lt to stain. COMMEN TS: High resistan ce to termites.

Origin South east Asia.


Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Sa wing is d ifficu lt; wood gums saw teeth an d du lls cu tting edges; carbide tooling recommen ded. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequ ence is followed.


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O AK, TASM AN I AN Victorian ash Eucalyptus regnans/ obliqua/ delega tensis water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Pale straw with occasiona l pinkish h ighlights, tan colors, some m edium gray/ brown colors; over time overall color variation is m u ted with a n am bering of the straw colors to dark er tan . GRAIN: All rifts awn . VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Even range of color shadings.

Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 80 or 100 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: No known finishing problems. COM MENTS: Has been kn own to cau se contact dermatitis.

Origin

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 1350 (5% harder than Northern red oa k). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Data not available.

Australia.


Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Cuts easily; some splintering when rou ting. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with th e grain

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PADAUK Pteroca rpus soya uxii

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is vivid red dish oran ge when fresh ly cut, da rkening to reddish- or pu rple-brown or black over time. S ap wood is crea m-colored. Very u niform in color. GRAIN: Straight to interlocked; coarse texture. VARIATION S WITHIN SPECIES AN D GRADES: Slight variation in color.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1725 (34% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (5.2; 40% m ore stab le tha n Norther n red oak).

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Becau se of th e oil in th e wood, oil-modified finishes may require long dry times. Waterborne finish es ar e often recomm ended. Has a tendency to bleed. Conversion var nishes also ha ve been known to work well. (See finishing com men ts on page 6.) COMMEN TS: Derm atological and r espira tory allergic potential.

Origin

Workability

Africa.

SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Saws well, bu t requ ires a s low feed rate; carbide tooling recommended. Machines easily, with some tearing of the interlocked grain. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: San ds s atisfactorily. Job s ite fu rn iture, walls, etc., should be protected from the fine red powder produced when sanding.



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PURPLEHEART Amaranth Peltog yne spp . water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is brown when freshly cut, tu rn ing deep purple to purplish-brown over time. Sapwood is a lighter cream color. GRAIN: Usua lly stra ight; m edium to fine texture. Presence of minerals in some boards ma y cause u neven coloration. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate to h igh color variation.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 2890 (124% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Above average (6.1; 29% more sta ble tha n Norther n red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Modera tely difficult du e to ha rdn ess; frequen t sh arpen ing of tools required; slow feed rate an d ca rbide tooling recomm ended. NAILING: Good holding ability. SANDING: Moderately difficult.

36

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with the grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with th e grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Takes finishes well; som e ha ve foun d tha t water -based finish es h old color better. Tendency to bleed with some finishes. (See finishing comment s on page 6.) COMMENTS: Often u sed as a featu re strip or as part of an inlay.

Origin Mexico, Central and South America.



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SAPELE Entandrophragma cynlindricum

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Medium to dark r ed-brown; dark ens over time . GRAIN: Fine, interlocked. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Quartersawn ma terial ha s a ribbon-striped effect.

First Screen: 100 or 120 Second Screen: 15 0 FINISHING: Staining ma y over-da rken the wood. No known finish ing problems .

Origin Africa.

Properties HARDN ESS (JANKA): 1500 (16% harder tha n Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Above average (7.4; 14% more sta ble tha n Norther n oak).


Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Saws easily. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequ ence is followed. Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 80 s traight with t he grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 100 or 120


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TEAK, BRAZILIAN C uma ru, Tonka , Southern C hestnut, Braz ilian C hestnut Dipteryx odorata water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: At first , red-br own or pu rple-brown with light yellow-brown or purple streaks; after exposure, u niform light br own or yellow-brown. GRAIN: Fine text u re, int erlocked , waxy or oily feel. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Dramatic sh ading that m ellows as the floor m atu res.

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 3540 (174% harder than Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Average (7.6; 1 2% m ore stab le tha n red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Works well, but is very hard—use carbide blades and bits. NAILING: Pre-drilling an d ha nd -na iling are preferred. SANDING: Difficult. Scratch es a re eas ily seen—each san ding mu st car efully remove the scra tches from the previous cut, or sanding marks will be visible in the finish.

38

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree an gle with t he grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 10 0 First Screen: 80 Second Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Test a ll products before us ing them on the actual job site. Oil-modified finishes may not dry when a pplied over th is wood if standa rd p rocedures are followed. Moisture-cure urethane, conversion varnish an d waterborn e finish es ar e generally more su ccessful with this s pecies. (See finish com me nts on page 6.) COM M EN TS: Has been kn own to caus e conta ct dermatitis.




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TEAK, THAI / BURM ESE Tectona gra nd is

water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood varies from yellow-brown to dark golden br own; tur ns rich b rown u nder exposure to su nlight. S apwood is a lighter cream color. GRAIN: Straight; coars e, un even texture. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate to h igh color variation.

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): Average of 100 0 (16% softer than Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (5.8; 33% m ore stab le tha n Norther n red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Moderate ease in working with ha nd an d m achine tools; silica in wood du lls tools qu ickly: carb ide tooling is r ecomm end ed. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Clogs a bras ives; frequen t sa ndp aper changes are required. Generally difficult to sand—it ma y dish out if screened too mu ch with a du ll screen, a nd the edger digs easily.

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 or 60 at a 7-15 degree angle with th e grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 10 0 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: Natural oils may interfere with adhesion an d dr ying of som e finishes . To redu ce the wood’s tenden cy to repel finish coats, su rface resins ma y be removed with a 100-percent pure (not recycled) solvent tha t is compatible with the finish to be u sed. (See finish com men ts on page 6.) COM MEN TS: Has an oily feel. Respirator y and dermatological allergic potential.

Origin Asia.



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WALNUT, BRAZILIAN Ip é Ta beb uia spp water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Can vary from light yellowish tan with green overtones to almost b lackish br own; exhibits a large ran ge of coloration when fresh ly milled; dar kens over time to medium to dark brown. GRAIN: Fine to medium, straight to very irregular.

Properties HARDNESS (JANKA): 3680 (185% harder than Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Average (8.0; 7% m ore st able than Northern red oak).

Workability SAWIN G/ MACHINING: Difficu lt, es pecially with hand tools. NAILING: Predrilling an d h an d-na iling m ay be pr eferred. SANDING: Difficult. The wood is dense and oily. Scratches are easily seen—each sanding must carefully remove the scra tches from the p revious cut, or sa nd ing ma rks will be visible in t he finish.

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with th e grain Second Cut: 60 or 80 stra ight with the grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 100 or 120 First Screen: 10 0 Second Screen: 120 or 150 FINISHING: Test a ll products before us ing them on th e act u al floor. Oil-m odified finish will requ ire a lengthy dry time. Su ccessful techn iques includ e us ing a m oisture-cure ur ethane sealer an d a waterborne topcoat, or bur nishing and sealing with a sh ellac-based sealer, then applying wax or oil and wax. (See finish com men ts on page 6.) COM MENTS: Often u sed as a decking material. Has been known to caus e contact derm atitis.



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A2 00

W EN GE Panga-panga M illettia spp . water-based finish

oil-ba sed finish

Appearance COLOR: Heartwood is yellow-brown when freshly cut, turning dark brown to almost black with alternate layers of light an d da rk. S apwood is yellowish -white an d clearly demarcat ed from h eartwood. GRAIN: Straight when quartersawn; coarse texture. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate variations in color.

Properties HARDN ESS (JAN KA): 1630 (26% harder th an Northern red oak). DIM EN SION AL STABILITY: Excellent (5.8; 33% m ore stable than red oak). However, actual installations ha ve shown significant movemen t in u se.

Suggested Sequence First Cut: 50 a t a 7-15 degree angle with the grain Second Cut: 60 s traight with the grain Third Cut: 80 or 100 Hard Plate: 10 0 Screen: 100 or 120 FINISHING: Staining m ay be difficult. COM MEN TS: Derm atological and r espira tory allergic potential.

Origin Africa.


Workability SAW ING AN D MACHININ G: Difficu lt du e to ra pid du lling of tools; car bide tooling recomm end ed. NAILING: No known pr oblems . SANDING: Modera tely difficult. Part icular att ention sh ould be paid to removing the scra tches from the previous s an ding.


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SOURCES AND CREDITS 2004 TECHN ICAL MAN UAL COM M ITTEE: • J im Sch um acher, 3M; Chairperson • Galen Fitzel, 3M; Board Liaison • St eve Seaba u gh, NWFA Director of Techn ical Training • J oe Au dino, Rode Bros. Floors • Da niel Boone, Everwood Floors Inc. • Howard Brickm an , Brickma n Consu lting • Fred Br other ly, Galleher Hard wood Co. • Christine Coates, Coates & Associates • Richard Conway, All Wood Floorcraft • Bob Goldstein, Kleist Inc. • Sh awn Gorm an , Universal Floors Inc. • Brian Kelley, Bostik Findley Inc. • Wayne Lee, Clark e, Division of Alto • Steve Marley, Cal Coas t Ha rdwood Flooring • Sh eila McSwain, McSwain Hard wood Floor Co. Inc. • Tom Peotter, Oshkosh Floor Designs Inc. • Char les Peterson, Conn ecticut Premier Hardwood Floors • Pau l Ru iz, Glitsa American Inc. • Brent Sorbet, Basic Coatings • Steve Sha rko, SLS Sales Agency THE FOLLOW IN G CON TRIBUTED IN FORM ATIO N FOR THIS PUBLICATION AN D/ OR SERVED AS REVIEWERS: • Aged Woods , J eff Horn • Boone Flooring, Joe Sr., J oe J r. and Da niel Boone • Brickman Wood Floors, Howard Brickman • Corn erst one Flooring, Tim McCool • Derr Flooring, Chet Der r III • Diam ond “W” Floor Covering, Den nis Park s • Firebird Industries, Greg McGavran • Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Forest Service, Regis Miller and William Simpson • Galleher Hardwood, J eff Hamar • Golden Sta te Flooring, Chris Coat es • Kelly-Goodwin Co., Mike Bennett • Glitsa American, Bill Price • Goodwin Heart Pine, Carol an d George Goodwin • Indiana Hardwood Specialists, Tom Derleth • Inter na tional Hard wood Flooring, Bill Jop ling • Kentu cky Wood Floors, J ohn S tern • Lockwood Flooring, Lynne Sch wan • Lon Musolf Distribu ting, Lynn Musolf • Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association, Rob Pa terkiewicz • Mast ercra ft Floors, Nick Kulha wy • Mesquite Products of Texas, Doug Florence • Mou nt ain Lum ber, Willie Drake a nd J ohn William s • Mullican Flooring, Don Conn er • NOFMA: The Wood Floor Manu factu rers Association, Mickey Moore • Precision Flooring Services, Hu Sm ithers • Primatech, Richard Poirier • Qu ality Woods, Bob St eber

• Rena issa nce Floor In-Lays, Eu gene Klotz • Sh elman USA, Dick Gar wood • Sou thern Forest Produ cts Association, Richa rd Kleiner • Wood Floor Produ cts Inc., Don Bollinger

THE FOLLOW IN G COM PANIES CON TRIBUTED PRODUCTS FOR THIS PUBLICATIO N : • Action Floor S ystem s • Allwoods Hardwood Flooring • Blake-Stevens Wood Flooring • Boen Har dwood Flooring • Dean Ha rdwoods • Dimension Hardwood/ Plaza Hardwood • Firebird Indu stries • Golden State Flooring • Goodwin Hea rt Pine • Gra fco Hard wood Floors • Har dwood Flooring Cent er • Indiana Hardwood Specialists • International Hardwood Flooring • Kentucky Wood Floors • Memphis Hardwood Flooring • Mesqu ite Products of Texas • Oregon Lum ber • Osh kosh Floor Designs • Quality Woods • Ray White Lum ber • WE Cork Inc. THE FOLLOW IN G SOURCES WERE CON SULTED: • U.S. Dept. of Agricu ltur e, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Center for Wood Anatomy Research Web site: www2.fpl.fs.fed.us / TechSh eets/ techmen u.h tml • Guide to Wood S pecies , Architectural Woodwork Institu te, Arlington, Virginia; 197 7. • Fine Hardw oods Selectorama , Fine Hard wood Veneer Association and American Walnut Manufacturers Association, Indianapolis; revised 1987. • Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Agriculture Handbook 72), Forest Products Labora tory, Forest S ervice, U.S. Departm ent of Agricu ltu re; publications revised in 19 87 an d in 1999. • Various handbooks and leaflets, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. • Ha rdw oods of th e U.S .A. , Hardwood Export Trade Council and U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricu ltura l Service; revised 198 8. • Ha rdw ood Flooring Ma nu al , National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, Missouri; 1988. • The Wood User’s Gu ide , Pam ela Wellner an d Eu gene Dickey, Rainforest Action Network, Sa n Fran cisco; 1991. PUBLICATIO N EDITORS • Kim Wah lgren , Ha rd w ood Floors magazine • Catherine Liewen, Ha rd w ood Floors magazine • Nicole Sm ith, Ha rd w ood Floors magazine

* No t e : P a r t i c ip a t i o n b y t h e a b o v e o r g a n i z a t i o n s , c o m p a n i e s a n d i n d i v i d u a l s d o e s n o t i m p l y t h e i r e n d o r s e m e n t o f a l l i n fo r m a t i o n a p p e a r i n g i n t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n .

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RESOURCES For more tech nical inform ation, cons u lt th e other cha pters in the NWFA’s Technical Man u al Series:

Look for Technical Manual B 1 0 0 : Me th od s of In s ta llation coming in the near future.

National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) 111 Ch ester field Indu str ial Blvd. • Ches terfield, MO 63005 8 0 0 / 4 2 2 - 4 5 5 6 (U n it e d S t a t e s ) • 8 0 0 / 8 4 8 - 8 8 2 4 (C a n a d a ) 6 3 6 / 5 1 9 - 9 6 6 3 (lo ca l a n d i n t e r n a t i on a l ) Fax: 636/ 519-9664 E-m ail: info@n wfa.or g • Web s ite: www.nwfa.org © 2 00 4 N ATION AL W OO D FLOORIN G A SSOCIATIO N

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Wood Species

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