Merbau Hardwood Flooring

Merbau Hardwood (1712 Janka)

Merbau grows in the Indo-Malayan region, as well as in the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and many of the western Pacific islands. "Merbau" is the Malayan term for this wood. In the Philippines it is known as "Ipil."

Color

When freshly cut, the heartwood of merbau is a yellowish to orange-brown color, but then darkens to brown or red brown. The grain of this coarse-textured wood varies from straight to interlocked or wavy. One of the distinctive properties of this wood is that surface of the boards may have yellow "flecking" in the pores; thus, when finished, the wood may appear almost flecked with gold.

Photosensitivity

Merbau's coloring undergoes a darkening to a richer orangey brown color after installation, with a general muting of the variation of colors present when freshly milled.

Tree Characteristics

Merbau is a tree that grows in Southeast Asia and islands in the Pacific Ocean. It grows to around 160 feet tall. It is the official tree of the United States territory of Guam. Due to extensive logging of the tree, it is endangered in many places in Southeast Asia, and almost extinct in some. Both licensed and unlicensed mills harvest the wood.

Advantages

Merbau is almost as stable as teak. And although comparable to hickory in strength, merbau has a much lower density. It has excellent dimensional stability and is highly resistant to termites. It sands and finishes well and has good holding ability.

Disadvantages

This wood gums saw teeth and dulls cutting edges, so sawing is difficult, and the use of carbide tools when working merbau is recommended. Care must be taken with merbau, as contact with moisture or iron and ferrous metals can stain the wood black.

Merbau Hardwood Merbau Flooring