Hardwood Timbers

Below is a range of hardwood timbers that we use from time to time in our joinery manufacture.

Idigbo

This is a light coloured hardwood ranging yellow to light brown, perfect to accept most stain colours. The graining is fairly regular and the timber accepts most treatments well. This is a soft to medium hardwood, moderately durable, with a typical density of 560kg/m³ when kiln dried. Idigbo seasons well, with little distortion and splitting, and shrinkage is small.

This is an excellent for a lighter coloured finish without the expense of Oak.

Sapele

This is a mahogany hardwood which is usually deep reddish brown. Sapele is characterised by a marked and regular stripe, particularly pronounced on quarter-sawn surfaces. Occasionally mottle figure is present, It is fairly close textured, and the grain is interlocked. Its density is about 640 kg/m³ when kiln dried. Sapele will take most stains and polishes well. It is a good hardwearing hardwood and is fairly oily which makes it very good for external joinery. Most hardwood joinery we make is made in this species.

Douglas Fir

The timber colour is usually light reddish-brown in colour. The abrupt change and contrast in colour between early-wood and late-wood bands, produce an attractive grain effect. The average density of dried timber is about 530 kg/m³ Compared with European redwood, it is some 60 per cent stiffer, 40 per cent harder and more resistant to suddenly applied loads, and 30 per cent stronger in bending and in compression along the grain. The timber is durable and will accept most treatments well. Douglas Fir will give a nice light finish with stain and unlike most hardwoods will also paint well.

Iroko

Iroko’s colour is usually golden-brown, but as pictured to the left can vary quite dramatically. Most is like the bottom shade of the picture. The grain is usually interlocked and the texture is rather coarse but even, and the wood weighs on average 660 kg/m³ when dried. This timber is very durable and is quite oily. This makes it superb for all exterior joinery. With its oily properties, generally the timber will only accept stains, but can be painted with specialist primers. When selecting the timbers during manufacture we would try to minimise colour variance, but there will undoubtedly be some.  

European Oak

Oak is normally an attractive light brown colour and is a fairly constant shade. The graining is usually regular and quite distinctive. The density is usually 720kg/m³ when kiln dried. The timber is very durable, distinctive and will accept stains and oils very well.

All hardwoods will have some colour variance. When we manufacture in hardwood, we try to keep this variance to a minimum, but it cannot be eradicated totally. The most noticeable variance is with Iroko as pictured above, but we would try to match this up as much as possible during manufacture. We will not be held responsible for timber mismatch. If you find the mismatch too much the use of dyes and stains will help allieviate this problem.

Should you wish to paint your hardwood window,  you will need to use specialist primers (with the exception of Douglas Fir). We recommend and stock Zinsser primers for this purpose.