Afrormosia wood for outdoor furniture

What makes afrormosia wood suitable for outdoor furniture?

So many reasons why afrormosia wood is very suitable for outdoor use. Afrormosia is a gorgeous type of wood that can be used for different purposes, and it is also best for making garden furniture. Below we will put some characteristics and the reasons why afrormosia is good for outdoor use.

Afrormosia wood is Weather-resistant

There is not a good chance that the wood will tear when it dries up again after a heavy rain shower.

This solid wood is yellow-brown but can darken over time until it reaches a dark brown color.

Afrormosia is sometimes confused with teak wood, but this is not entirely the same.

Afrormosia is one of the best durability classes. With proper maintenance, the wood lasts about 20 to 30 years.

An important question is whether the wood can be processed properly?

After all, making your wooden furniture requires easy-to-work wood. Afrormosia falls exactly within this category and can be processed both by hand and with larger machines.

When processing, make sure that you do not breathe in sawdust or dust. This can lead to physical complaints, such as stomach cramps. Due to afrormosia hardness, it is advisable to pre-drill before screwing in.

Afrormosia durability makes it suitable for outdoor furniture

  • The heartwood is durable to very durable (natural durability class I-II).
  • The sapwood is not durable (natural durability class V).
  • Afrormosia is highly resistant to the effects of acids and other chemicals.
  • Afrormosia dries slowly with little risk of cracking or deformation.

Purchasing Afrormosia wood for outdoor furniture

When purchasing a wooden garden set from afrormosia, you should pay attention to the presence of the CITES quality mark, which indicates that the wood used has been legally harvested.

The CITES quality mark is a treaty that determines the extent to which protected plant and animal species may be traded. Afrormosia is a protected tree species.

Afrormosia as an alternative for teak wood

Afromosia is tropical hardwood species from West Africa that shows a lot of resemblance to teak and is also one of the most durable species with a durability class 1. Afrormosia color varies from yellow-brown to dark brown.

Afrormosia wood looks a lot like teak but is not as ‘greasy’, and it certainly belongs in the list of the best wood for garden benches.

Afrormosia as an alternative for bankirai or balau

The color of afrormosia is just like Balau or Bankirai wood which is yellow-brown but will darken over time and take on a dark brown color.

This wood is easy to work with and excellent for outdoor use. The great advantage of this wood is that it does not crack due to moisture.

Afrormosia characteristic

  • sometimes called assamela
  • sustainable to very durable African wood
  • beautiful golden brown heartwood
  • suitable for indoor and outdoor use: door handles, paneling, cladding, windows, and doors
  • top quality: virtually free of spider mites, heart, and other defects
  • color, texture, and uses approaches of teak wood ( Tectona grandis )
  • Heartwood: golden brown
  • Sapwood: pale yellow-brown
  • Grain: fine
  • Thread: light cross-thread, sometimes irregular
  • Drawing: dark veining possible

A brief overview of the properties of afrormosia

In color, afrormosia is yellow to a golden brown.

Under the influence of light, afrormosia wood becomes dark.

Untreated, this type of wood will have an even gray patina, which can be compared to aged garden furniture. Your wood supplier can treat afrormosia with a finishing layer so that this phenomenon will not occur. 

Because this type of wood was very popular in the past, afrormosia is more difficult to obtain. As a result, you also pay relatively much for afrormosia wood.

Origin

Afrormosia is the commercial name for the botanical species Pericopsis elata or Afrormosia elata Harms.

It belongs to the Leguminosae family and comes from the tropical rainforest of Central and West Africa. Europe mainly markets afrormosia from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.

The Appearance of afrormosia wood

The afrormosia tree is on average 30 to 45 meters high. The trunk is usually straight and without branches, with a diameter of 80 to 160 cm. Sometimes it is irregularly shaped. The root runs can reach up to 2.5 meters high.

The Color of afrormosia wood

marking The sometimes veined heartwood is a beautiful golden brown and darkens in the light. The sapwood is pale yellow-brown.

The structure of the wood has a light cross thread and is sometimes irregular. When sawn at quarters, the wood shows its typical stripes. The flamed drawing makes it very decorative.

Processing & Finishing

Afrormosia wood is easy to work with, both by machine and by hand. Nevertheless, such an operation produces a lot of dust, which requires good extraction.

With crosshairs, it is recommended to limit the cutting angle to 20°. Otherwise, indentation threatens.

Afrormosia is easy to finish. Both water-based and solvent-based stains and varnishes are suitable for this.

Afrormosia good into contact with metal

The haulms present in moist conditions cause corrosion. Therefore, pre-drill the wood and fix it with stainless materials such as stainless steel. Average density* 760 kg/m³

Different types of wood for garden furniture

Several types of wood are eligible for the production of garden furniture. But not all types of wood are equally durable. Commonly used types of wood for garden furniture are:

Oakwood: one of the most frequently used woods for interior and garden furniture. Solid and durable wood that is easy to work with

Teak wood: This popular type of wood naturally contains fatty oil, which gives it excellent resistance to strongly varying weather conditions.

Scaffolding wood: Scaffolding wood is cheap and impregnated naturally because scaffolding wood planks have already been used.

Douglas wood: It is a durable and robust wood with a lifespan between ten and fifteen years, It Is naturally yellow-red to yellow-brown.

Sweet chestnut: is a durable type of wood, highly suitable for garden furniture and resistant to all weather conditions.

Meranti: this tropical hardwood from Southeast Asia is strong, has a high density, and is resistant to our weather conditions so that it does not rot so quickly.

Acacia wood: derived from the acacia tree, strong, durable, and environmentally friendly.