Shorea Wood
What is Shorea Wood?
Shorea is a tropical hardwood found in South Asia. It has a huge presence in Indonesia. It grows abundantly there. It is also found in Malaysia, the Philippines and even in North India.
There are over 180 species of Shorea, not including the types that would never be used for timber production at all. This brings the grand total to around 360 known species. This is increasing almost daily.
Why Shorea Wood?
The best quality of Shorea Wood is its strength. It will resist every day wear due to its great density. Much denser than even Teak Wood, yet it is less expensive than Teak Wood. Its great strength makes it the leading hardwoods in the industry of veneer work. It is rated a “Group A Heavy Hardwood”.
ShoreaWood has been found to resist any decay of any kind, even after being exposed for extended periods of time to the moist and harsh outdoor elements.
Shorea has a fine even grain, and that is its number one quality, next to its strength of course. It has a red appearance, depending on its specific group/species. Keep in mind that there are hundreds of different species of Shorea Wood, good and bad. “Balau” is the best and most dominant in manufacturing of outdoor furniture.
History of Shorea Wood
Next to Teak Wood, Shorea is the most valuable and popular hardwood in the world! It is so similar to Teak Wood in most aspects except for one, its cost. Because Shorea Wood is plentiful, it can be up to half the cost of Teak.
Shorea Wood is much protected. There are standards and rules in place that have got to be adhered to before permission is granted to harvest the tree. The trunk has to be larger than 20″. Thanks to the restrictions, there will never be a shortage of Shorea!
Shorea is still a very valuable hardwood. It is still more expensive than any other hardwood, with the exception of Teak Wood.
Shorea is the leading hardwood in the boat building industry today. Due the woods great resistance to moisture and the elements of the weather, it is perfect for boat decks! As a matter of fact, Europe is using large quantities of Shorea Wood in its boat building industry.
Luan is made from this wood and its oils have been used for candles and soaps. All the uses of Shorea Wood are still being discovered daily.
Shorea Compared to Teak?
Today more people are spending a lot more time in their yards and gardens and they want them to be their own personal oasis or resort. They want their patios and gardens to be attractive at the same time. Like Teak, Shorea outdoor furniture gives the patios and gardens of the world the attractiveness while standing up to the elements and resisting insect infestation.
This wood is not something that would be good for carving, but next to that it is just as beautiful as Teak and makes beautiful outdoor furniture. It is also more abundant! This makes it cost half as much as Teak.