Timber iQ December 2018 - January 2019 // Issue: 41 | Page 38

FEATURES
With its rich red colour, massaranduba is a popular South American tropical hardwood that is used locally.
so expect to enjoy a beautifully flat and smooth deck for
years and years. There is a concern about ipé being
registered on the IUCN Red List in the near future as
demand, mostly from the American market, has been high
for some time and log stocks are running low in the forest.
There are several other tropical species that make an
appearance on the South African market from time to time.
Importers often bring these in as replacement for
massaranduba and garapa when availability of these is
restricted. This will be the case for at least the next
12 months with a severe shortage of logs in the Amazon
basin due to very late rains significantly shortening the
harvesting period. Some of these species include:
JATOBA (HYMENAEA COURBARIL)
This species is widely used for flooring which has more
figure and character. Its durability is enhanced by the
presence of natural oils in the timber.
MUIRACATIARA / TIGER WOOD
(ASTRONIUM LECOINTEI)
A cheaper alternative and more readily available than the
others. It has darker streaks, which adds some character to
the boards.
36 DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 //
CUMARU (DIPTERYX ODORATA)
Cumaru is a very hard and heavy timber and is rightly
considered the next best alternative to ipé but availability
is also restricted. This is also reflected in the price.
THERMALLY MODIFIED TIMBERS (TMT)
“TMT refers to a process that transforms widely available
timbers into very durable and stable wood to be used
outdoors by applying very high temperatures in hi-tech
kilns. The heat and controlled application of moisture
permanently changes the chemical structure of the wood
and depolymerises the lignin content in the wood,”
explains Watermeyer.
He adds, “In simple terms the sugars are extracted,
removing the food on which fungus, mould and other
biological bodies feed. The change in the cell structure
makes for a much more stable product as water absorption
is drastically reduced and durability is unrivalled by other
timbers due to the absence of wood sugars.”
Nordic pine and spruce are softwoods most commonly
used for TMT decking, notes Watermeyer. “This is a cheap
way of installing a high quality deck that will last a
lifetime; but although the colour is darker than our SA pine,
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