Dark red meranti is not a tree species that is utilized for lumber from trees of the shorea variety. Altogether there are more than 190 shorea tree species and all part of the Dipterocarpaceae family. These trees develop in the tropical rainforests such as Asia and are well known for their hardwood properties. Dark red meranti is a characterization term based on wood properties like colour, hardness, thickness and weight. Trees like shorea curtisii and shorea pauciflora produce high quality dark red meranti! The tree commonly grew in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
There are a large number of common names for different species from the genus Shorea, yet the names “Philippine mahogany” and “lauan” are frequently substituted for meranti. The four groups of meranti are separated based on colour and weight. Nearly 70 species of Shorea belong to the light and dark red meranti groups, 22 species belong to the white meranti, and 33 species belong to the yellow meranti groups.
Meranti species have a coarser texture than that of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and it do not have dark coloured sediments in pores.
Description of dark red meranti trees
The tallest meranti trees can grow up to 195 feet height or 60 meters in height. Most of the trees are characterised as evergreen but some varieties are classed as semi-evergreen.
Leaves of these tree species are rough and elliptic shaped. The leaves of dark red meranti can reach lengths up to 12 inches or 32 cm and differ in colour from light to dark green and yellow. The seeds of dark red meranti contains high levels of oil which is used for cattle feed or as a fuel source for cooking.
Properties and durability of dark red meranti wood
Fresh dark red meranti heartwood is brown to dark red coloured and gets even more darker when exposed the wood to sunlight. The sapwood is paler than the heartwood. The wood has a straight or interlocked grain and moderate coarse surface. Dark red meranti is probably the heaviest type of meranti species. The normal dried load of the wood at a moisture content of 12% is 860 kg for each cubic meter. The durability of dark red meranti is classified as III moderate class
Uses of dark red meranti
Dark red meranti is one of the most utilized and traded tropical hardwoods. It is hard to work with hand tools due to its hardness and high density. Pre-drilling is always advised when screws or nails are utilized.
Dark red meranti absorbs paint quick and multiple coatings are often not adequate. Hence it is therefore recommended to utilize special oils that soak into the wood. This protects it from the components and gives it a pleasant shade. Dark red meranti can be stuck well but due to its high thickness, it is advised to utilize special heavy-duty glue. Fresh timber contains resin and needs to dry well before handling. Don’t panic if you find little pinholes in the meranti.
Dark red meranti timber is used in a wide range of products like.
Heavy construction, flooring decking, furniture, toys etc.,
Also please see our high quality products in our stock:
- Kapur
- Light Red Meranti
- Dark Red Meranti
- Mixed Hardwood
- Kempas
- Tulang
- Yellow Balau
- Keruing
- Kekatong
- Kelat
- Merbau
- Resak
- Yellow Meranti
