Teak Wood: Properties, Characteristics & Uses

teak wood properties

teak wood properties

Teak is one of the most popular premium hardwood species in the world. It’s a tropical hardwood that belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Also known by its scientific name, Tectona grandis, teak trees commonly grow in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Due to its rare availability and extensive growth time (takes about 20 years to fully grow), teak is generally very expensive.

Whether you are looking to buy Teak wood logs, timber or simply curious about the wood, you can read here about the various teak wood properties and its uses.

Teak Wood Properties & Characteristics

Teak is a tropical hardwood. The trees can grow up to a height of 40 m and have an average trunk diameter of 1-1.15 m.

Colour and texture

Tropical teak wood has a golden or medium brown heartwood with slight grey or red tints. The sapwood is a pale yellow, almost white, and is easy to distinguish. The wood colour gets darker with age.

The wood usually has straight grains, but can also be interlocked on occasions. It has an uneven texture, sometimes coarse and in other places smooth. The natural oils of teak give the raw wood an oily or greasy feel as well as a distinguished odour.

Density, strength & resistance

Teak has a firm structure. The wood is well-known for its above-average durability, which makes teak wood objects easily last 40 years or more. It is fairly resistant to termites, decay and rot. However, marine borers can cause damage to untreated teak sapwood.

Workability

Teak is a hardwood which is relatively easier to work with because of its firm structure. However, its high silica content can sometimes make the cutting edges blunt, which is why using tungsten-carbide blades is recommended. Nailing and screwing is easy. The natural presence of oils in teak can sometimes make gluing difficult, and it’s recommended to glue timber surfaces when freshly dressed. Teak fares well against painting, staining, polishing and waxing, however, steam bending teak is not possible.

Properties of Teak Wood in Nutshell

teak wood properties

  • Average Dried Weight: 41 lbs/ft3 (655 kg/m3)
  • Janka Hardness: 1,070 lbf (4,740 N)
  • Modulus of Rupture: 14,080 lbf/in2 (97.1 MPa)
  • Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .66
  • Crushing Strength: 7,940 lbf/in2 (54.8 MPa)
  • Elastic Modulus: 1,781,000 lbf/in2 (12.28 GPa)
  • Shrinkage: Radial: 2.6%, Tangential: 5.3%, Volumetric: 7.2%, T/R Ratio: 2.0

Teak Wood Uses

uses of teak wood

Due to the above-listed teak wood properties, it is widely used in marine applications such as boatbuilding, including decking, railings, planking, and making doors. It is also commonly used for construction purposes, including flooring, decking, cladding, framing, and barge boards. Other than these, teak is also used for making attractive-looking and highly durable indoor and outdoor furniture, paneling, carvings, turnings, and similar objects.

Timber frames are mostly favoured for making structures of commercial and industrial buildings with the aim to extend their life.

Teak Wood Price and Availability

Teak naturally occurs in the monsoon forests of some countries, including India, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. However, extensive deforestation and cutting of trees have led to a scarcity of this premium timber.  Different types of teak wood plantations are commonly found in Africa, Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the West Indies. Even in these places, the availability is scarce, which is why the price of teak timber is going up each day.

For the best price of teak timber and logs and readily available, you can contact us at CameroonTimberExportSarl. We sell freshly sawn teak timber and raw logs at wholesale rates and deliver to our customers all over the world. Contact us today to find out more about our teak species, quality, availability and prices.

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What All Types Of Wood Are Found In Cameroon?

types of wood in Cameroon

Cameroon is a country in Central Africa that is known for its dense forests and varied wildlife. With forest lands expanding in around 18.8 million hectares of area, Cameroon hosts Africa’s biggest forest range. Around 40% of the country is covered by dense forests, which make Cameroon a popular choice for premium quality natural wood.

When it comes to varieties of wood species, there is hardly any commercial wood tree that doesn’t grow in these forests. This is also one of the reasons why the wood industry is flourishing this much in the country.

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There are a lot of timber companies in Cameroon that provide good quality timber wood to businesses in surrounding areas, however, if you are looking for an international timber exporter company that can deliver quality wood log or timber/lumber as per your requirements and on time, you should go with Cameroon Timber Export.

About Cameroon Timber Export

We are a famous Timber Company in Cameroon providing top quality timber and wood logs to customers in both domestic and international markets. We are engaged in the retail and wholesale export of a wide range of timber wood species.

When it comes to varieties of our timber/log wood, we have it all. Whether you want to buy Beli wood logs or Doussie sawn timber or any other variety of finished or unfinished wood, we can export it to you with guaranteed timely delivery.

As of now, we are providing timber export in selected regions, including the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Gulf countries. Continue reading to know the types of wood we sell.

Types Of Wood In Cameroon

As mentioned before, Cameroon rainforests host almost every major and minor species of wood. All these types of wood we export here at Cameroon Timber Export. Following are the major wood types found in Cameroon.

Afromosia

Afromosia Wood Log

Other names: African Teak, Pericopsis elata
Tree height: 100-150 ft
Trunk diameter: 3 to 5 ft
Color:  Yellow brown
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Bubinga

Bubinga Wood

Other names: Kevazingo
Tree height: 130 to 150 ft
Trunk diameter: 3 to 6 ft
Color: red to dark red with black or dark purple streaks
Get Bubinga Wood Logs at the best price

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Doussie

Doussie Wood Logs

Other names: Afzelia
Tree height: 80-120 ft
Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Color: reddish brown
Get Doussie Wood Logs at the best price

Bilinga

Bilinga Wood Logs

Other names: Aloma or Opepe
Tree height: 50 m
Trunk diameter: 100 to 200 cm
Color: golden-orange yellow
Get Bilinga Wood Logs at the best price

Iroko

Iroko Sawn Timber

Other names: Milicia excelsa
Tree height: 100-130 ft
Trunk diameter: 3-5 ft
Color: yellow, golden or medium brown
Get Iroko Wood Logs at the best price

Tali

Tali Wood Logs

Other names: Erythrophleum Suaveolens, Sasswood
Tree height: 25 m
Trunk diameter: 2 to 3 m
Color: brown-yellow to brown-red
Get Tali Wood Logs at the best price

Padauk

Padauk Sawn Lumber

Other names: African Padouck
Tree height: 100-130ft
Trunk diameter: 2 to 4 ft
Color: pink-orange to brown red
Get Padauk Wood Logs at best price

Okan

Okan Sawn Timber

Other names: Edoum, Denya
Tree height: 50 m
Trunk diameter: 100 to 130 cm
Color: yellow color
Get Okan Wood Logs at best price

Ebony

Ebony Black Ebony Wood Logs

Other names: Gaboon Ebony, African Ebony
Tree height: 50-60 ft
Trunk diameter: 2-3 ft
Color: jet-black
Get Ebony Wood Logs at best price

Azobe

Azobe Wood Logs

Other names: Ekki, Lophira alata
Tree height: 100-150 ft
Trunk diameter: 5-6 ft
Color: dark reddish or violet brown
Get Azobe Wood Logs at best price

Teak

Teak Sawn Timber

Other names: Burmese Teak
Tree height: 100 to 130 ft
Trunk diameter: 1 to 1.15 m
Color: golden to mid-brown

Sapeli/Sapele

Sapele Sawn Timber
Other names: Entandrophragma cylindricum
Tree height: 45 m
Trunk diameter: 1.5m
Color: golden, dark reddish brown
Get Sapele Wood Logs at best price

Besides that, we also export logs and timber of other wooden species including Beli, Ekop, Iron wood, Kosso, Zingana, Pine wood, Pachy, Movingui, PAO Rosa, Okume, Ayous, Mahogany, Makore, Maobi, Rose wood, Wenge, Zebrano, and Zebrawood.

Contact now for details or quotes.

Sapele Wood: Properties, Characteristics & Uses

sapele wood

sapele wood properties
Sapele was not so popular until the governments worldwide put an outright ban on the commercial exploitation of Mahogany, which is one of the world’s most popular and rare timber species. Not only Sapele is similar to Mahogany in terms of properties like color, strength, etc. but also it’s much cheaper and readily available, which makes it a viable alternative for industrialists and woodworkers worldwide. Same as Mahogany, Sapele can be used for a range of interior and exterior woodworking applications.

If you are here, you are probably looking to know more about Sapele wood properties, including the timber characteristics and uses.

Sapele Wood: Distribution and Basic Properties

sapele wood properties

Sapele belongs to the same botanical family as Mahogany and comparisons between mahogany vs sapele are made as they shares similar characteristics in terms of color, workability, etc. The distribution of Sapele trees is largely limited to West African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The Sapele can grow to a maximum height of 100-150 ft (30-45 mt) and have a maximum trunk diameter of 1.5 m.

As mentioned before, most of the characteristics of Sapele are similar to that of Mahogany. These include the heartwood color, which is golden to dark reddish-brown and darkens with age, durability, and grain patterns. Because of the interlocking grains, Sapele can be relatively difficult to work with and can result in tearouts during machining operations like planing and routing.

Color & Appearance: Sapele heartwood is dark reddish-brown and gets darker with age. The interlocking grain pattern of Sapele wood can cause the heartwood to have ribbon patterns along with a variety of other figured patterns, such as wavy, quilted, and pommele. This dramatic figurative pattern is what makes Sapele an exotic looking timber.

Texture: The Sapele heartwood has a wavy, but fine uniform texture due to interlocked grain patterns, which are clearly visible on quartersawn timber and veneer. However, these anomalies in the texture can make it difficult to cut or mold the wood using machines.

Resistance: Because of similarities to mahogany, Sapele is also quite durable and has decent resistance to rot, insect, etc.

Other Physical and Mechanical Sapele Wood Properties

  • Janka Hardness – 1,410 lbf (6,280 N)
  • Average Dried Weight – 42 lbs/ft3 (670 kg/m3)
  • Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC) – .50, .67
  • Crushing Strength – 8,750 lbf/in2 (60.4 MPa)
  • Modulus of Rupture – 15,930 lbf/in2 (109.9 MPa)
  • Elastic Modulus – 1,746,000 lbf/in2 (12.04 GPa)
  • Shrinkage: Radial – 4.8%, Tangential: 7.2%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.5

Availability and Price

Even though Sapele has been placed on IUCN Red List because about 20% of the wood population was lost in the past few decades, it’s still the easiest and cheapest available variant to Mahogany. From CameroonTimberExport, you can buy African Sapele slabs, logs and timber form at the lowest price in the market with guaranteed on-time delivery to your location anywhere in the world.

Primary Uses of Sapele Wood

The above listed sapele wood properties makes it usable for a variety of woodworking projects, including as a high-quality and good looking replacement to Mahogany. Some of the best examples of Sapele timber applications include making fine furniture, boatbuilding, turned objects, cabinetry, paneling, flooring, veneering making, doors and windows, outdoor furniture, musical instruments, countertops, beams, and specialty items.

How to Buy Sapele Online (At the Lowest Price)

If you are looking for the best place to buy Sapele lumber, timber or veneer online at the lowest price with location shipping, contact CameroonTimberExportSarl. We are Africa’s leading exporter of top-quality sapele wood logs and timber and ship to most locations around the globe.

Contact us today to know more about our Sapele wood specifications, dimensions, quality, availability and price.

Buy Wood Logs from Cameroon Timber Export

Buy wood logs

Wood logs are the raw form of wood that has been freshly cut from a tree branch and felled into a log form. These are also known as “Timber” in some locations. Logs are unprocessed and need to be further converted into Lumber (sawn) form to be used for purposes like flooring, decking, etc.

In this article, we will get a basic idea of what are wood logs and how to purchase them online with ease.

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What Is a Wood Log Used For?

Wood logs are majorly purchased by woodworkers and construction workers who will then convert them into beams, boards, etc. for furniture making, flooring, decking, veneering, and other purposes.

Other than that, wood logs are commonly used for:

Making timber/lumber – by using a saw machine in a sawmill to make boards, beams, etc. out of it.

Construction – used as it is for building walls, roofs, etc. of cabins and houses.

Fireplace – used as firewood in a fireplace

Decoration/crafts – another common use of wood logs in making decoration or craft items

For making fire/ cooking – Wood logs are also commonly used for making fire, usually for cooking purposes.

Depending on the buyer, wood logs may have multiple uses. If you are planning to buy good quality logs, here are some tips to help you with the job.

Tips for Buying Wood Logs

Buy seasoned wood: Depending on your purpose to buy wood logs, you need to consider the moisture content as a factor while buying. For instance, logs felled in summer or spring season have a relatively higher moisture content compared to those felled in winter.

If you are buying wood logs for firewood, make sure to purchase logs that have a moisture content of 20% or less.

Also, you need to choose between hardwood or softwood depending on your probable uses. Softwood is softer and may have lower density and durability than hardwood.

Read More: Difference Between Hardwood And Softwood

Always purchase wood logs from a reputed and trusted provider to ensure that it can be returned or exchanged if and when needed. A reliable wood supplier like CameroonTimberExport will provide high-quality wood logs for your requirements.

Why Should You Buy Wood Logs from Cameroon Timber Exporters?

CameroonTimberExport is an old and recognized wood supplier and one of the largest distributors of African wood logs and timber in Cameroon. We provide delivery to multiple countries around the world, including, Vietnam, UAE, Malaysia, Iraq, Canada, Saudi Arabia, among others.

Reliable

Being in the business for over two decades, we are a reliable wood exporter that you can trust with quality and timely delivery. We will dispatch your order so that it arrives at your location within the promised timeline.

Trusted

We are one of the leading exporters of industrial wood in Cameroon and have managed to become a trusted supplier of the best quality, locally-produced African wood species.

Quality

When it comes to the quality, we are an undisputed champion in the African wood export industry.

Guarantee

We are so assured of our wood quality and our service that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee with all our products to all our clients worldwide.

Genuine

Our wood logs for sale are felled from the best tree species grown locally in the company-owned forests in and around Cameroon and processed by our expert woodworkers at our own sawmill.

Top wood species

We work with and export a wide range of African round log species, including, but not limited to, African teak, Azobe, Bubinga, ebony wood logs, beli, Doussie, mahogany logs, padauk, Okan, and more.

Also Read: Types Of Wood Species

How to Buy from Cameroon Timber Export Sarl

Interested in buying top-quality wood logs with CameroonTimberExport? Use the contact form on our website for a free quote or call us (+237 655119522) or send an email (support@cameroontimberexport.com) detailing your wood requirements. You can also visit our shop located at 1310 Avenue De Gaulle BP 2667 Douala Cameroon (Douala).

What Is The Difference Between Hardwood And Softwood?

The Differences Between Hardwood And Softwood

When it comes to types of wood, it can be divided into two major types – Softwood and Hardwood. The Differences Between Hardwood And Softwood lies in their origin, physical structure, quality and uses.

Simply categorizing hardwood as hard and softwood as soft is not the best approach. Even though it is true that hardwood is relatively more durable harder, there are some exceptions.

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In this article, we will discuss the various difference between softwood and hardwood and which type of wood is the best for which purpose.

The Differences Between Hardwood And Softwood

Here are the top hardwood vs softwood differences

Difference Type Hardwood Softwood
Origin Hardwood is produced from angiosperm trees or flowering plants that are not monocots. Leaves of these trees are broad and usually fall off during autumn and winter. Softwood, on the other hand, comes from gymnosperm species which have needles and cones in place of leaves. Their needles stay intact throughout the year.
Seeding Hardwood trees produce seeds. Softwood trees Don’t produce seeds.
Density Hardwoods typically have a higher density (but not in all cases) Softwoods have a lower density.
Fire Resistance Hardwoods are more resistant to fire and easily burns. Softwoods are not fire resistant.
Damage Resistance The lack of resin in the hardwood makes it more resistant to common damages like scratches. Softwoods are however prone to such damages.
Growth rate The growth rate of hardwood trees is comparatively lower. Softwood trees grow more in less time and get more dense.
Health Effects Hardwood have lower odor emissions which make them safe to use. Softwoods have a higher odor emission rate which makes them not a very healthy choice as they increase the probability of asthma attacks and other allergies.
Cost Hardwood is usually more expensive. Softwood is less expensive.

Uses Of Hardwood And Softwood

Below we mentioned the top uses of hardwood and softwood in different sectors.

Hardwood Softwood
Hardwood is primarily used for making high-quality flooring, furniture, decks and other construction for long-term purpose. Softwood is more popular as timber because of its low cost. It is mainly used in the construction of windows, doors, furniture items, paper, etc.
Making boats and ships
For tanning leather
Furniture making
Flooring
Fencing, gates
For timber frames of buildings
Home woodworking projects
Flooring, roofing
Structural framing
Furniture and cabinets
Panelling and cladding

Examples Of Hardwood & Softwood

Here are some examples of hardwood and softwood trees. Let’s Check out the list:

Hardwood trees Softwood trees
Alder, hickory, mahogany, balsa, beech, maple, teak, oak, and walnut. Cedar, juniper, pine, Douglas fir, redwood, yew, and spruce.

As you can see, both hardwood and softwood have their respective uses and a wide range of applications. Both types of wood are used as timber and round logs in many applications.

CameroonTimberExport provides worldwide supply of top-quality hardwood and softwood timber and round logs. Contact right away to discuss your requirements.

The Different Types Of Wood And Their Uses For WoodWorking

Different Types Of Wood And Their Uses

Wood is one of the natural resources that is produced from forests. It is used in both personal and industries works. There is different types of wood are available which can be used for many purposes. Some of the most common uses of wood are for furniture making, home construction, firewood, picture frames, etc.

Countries like Africa and Canada where there is a healthy quantity of dense forests are the prominent exporters of the usable wood.

When it comes to varieties or types of wood for woodworking, there are a lot. Some types of wood are region-specific while others are globally found. Today, we will learn about the top five types of wood that are used almost everywhere in the world. Now we will discuss the different types of wood and their uses.

5 Different Types of Wood and And Their Uses

1. Teak

Teak is one of the most popular wood types for building outdoor furniture and other outer parts of a building.

A tropical hardwood, teak is found in most places around the world, with India, Indonesia and Bangladesh being the top producers.

The freshly milled teak wood has a smell similar to that of leather. The wood is found and used in two major formats – Teak sawn timber and Teak round logs.

Uses

The strong water resistance and durability features of teak make it suitable for the following types of work:

  • Boat building,
  • Outdoor furniture construction,
  • Home exterior building,
  • Veneer,
  • Carving,
  • Board cutting,
  • Indoor flooring and furnishing,
  • Turnings, etc.

Teak Wood Logs

Teak Wood Logs

Teak Sawn Timber

Teak Sawn Timber

2. Tali

Known for its high bending, strength and stability, Tali wood is a native to Central and West Africa. The heartwood is originally yellow to brown-red in color and gets darker with time and exposure. The interlocked grains of Tali make it strong and highly durable.

The wood is quite easy to work with, both for hand and machine projects. Tali round logs as well as Tali sawn timber are used in home and industrial constructions.

Uses

Because of its durable nature, Tali is mostly used for exterior wood projects like –

  • Home flooring
  • Harbor and dock work
  • Construction of house and bridges
  • Joinery
  • Building boats
  • Turnings
  • Railway sleepers
  • Marine construction

Tali Wood Logs

Tali Wood Logs

Tali Sawn Timber

Tali Sawn Timber

3. Doussie

Doussie is a Fabaceae (legumes) family wood produced from a tree called Afzelia which is native to Asia and tropical Africa. The wood is exported and used all over the world in both timber and round log forms. It is red-brown in color and is very durable.

Uses

Common applications of Doussie wood include –

  • Veneer making
  • Furniture construction
  • Cabinetry work
  • Turned objects
  • Docks and boat building
  • Exterior construction and millwork
  • Home flooring and other small wood items

Doussie Wood Logs

Doussie Wood Logs

Doussie Sawn Timber

Doussie Sawn Timber

4. Padauk

Padauk, or commonly known as African padauk because of its origin, is a Fabaceae family wood produced from the pantropical genus of trees. The wood is typically brownish red in color and has an excellent decay resistance.

Uses

Padauk sawn timber is used for construction work while Padauk round logs are used in industries. Other uses include

  • Flooring
  • Furniture
  • Tool handles
  • Veneer
  • Turned objects
  • Carving and turnings
  • Musical instruments

Padauk Wood Logs

Padauk Wood Logs

Padauk Sawn Timber

Padauk Sawn Lumber

5. Mahogany

Mahogany is a straight-grained timber wood found in America and some parts of Africa. The wood is used in round log and timber forms and exported throughout the world.

Uses

Some typical applications of Mahogany wood include

  • Boat building
  • Furniture
  • Musical instruments and stereo parts
  • Writing Pens
  • Billiard and pool cues
  • Floors
  • Doors

Mahogany Wood Logs

Mahogany Wood Logs

Mahogany Sawn Timber

Mahogany Sawn Timber

Cameroon Timber Export is a global exporter of top-quality Sawn Timber and Round logs of all types of wood.