International Wood International Wood 2017 | Page 16

SPOTLIGHT ON: GREENHEART
SPECIES:
ORIGIN:
Ocotea rodiaei
Central America and Latin America.
Pool cues and other
turnings, boat building, marine construction, as well
as general construction (flooring, handrails, joinery,
crane mats, railroad cross-ties).
COMMON APPLICATIONS:
The heartwood is
a pale olive green color with dark streaks reddish
brown and darkens upon exposure. The sapwood
is not distinctive from the heartwood. The grain is
generally straight grained. This species is very high
density, resulting in a very hard wood. It has a very
high shock resistance, excellent crushing strength
and a high density.
CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE:
JANKA HARDNESS SCALE:
(see chart below)
2,530 lb f
THE OPEN STAIRCASE TIES
THE HOUSE’S THREE FLOORS
TOGETHER WITH BEAUTIFUL,
RICHLY COLORED TATABU.
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Besides being a pretty wood,
greenheart ranks second only to teak in its natural
resistance to marine borers and other insects
attacks. It is a durable wood and suitable for exterior
use, even untreated. It is highly resistant to decay,
termites, fire and marine organisms. Greenheart is
available in very large sizes and long length.
COMMENTS:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
“I’m a guy with a passport and who is crazy enough to go just about anywhere,” he explained.
“What I saw in Guyana at that time was a greenfield that had more potential than anyplace I
had ever seen.”
McKinney hails from a region of northwest Alabama known as The Shoals. “My family
has been in the wood business in this area’s river valleys for multiple generations. What I
saw in Guyana was what existed in northwest Alabama two or three generations ago. We
had the experience, we knew the steps, we knew what could be done, and I felt confident we
could bring responsible, sustainable North American logging and sawmilling techniques to
Guyana,” he said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
WHAT DOES THE JANKA
RANKING SCALE MEAN?
THE JANKA RATING SCALE
measures the relative hardness
of woods. Because hardness
is often an important factor
and hardness varies for each
species, the janka scale is
an excellent tool to compare
wood species and identify
appropriate choices.
2500 +
2000
1500
1000
0-500
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INTERNATIONAL WOOD
THE UNIQUE WALL APPLICATION IS MADE
OF RECLAIMED DOUGLAS FIR THAT WAS
REMANUFACTURED TO CREATE A FEATURE
WALL WITH A NATURAL FEEL, TYING THE ROOM
TO THE EXTRAORDINARY VIEW OUTSIDE.