Is Rubberwood A Hardwood
I own a 70 year old solid wood furniture store and carry furniture in over 12 different wood species.
Is rubberwood a hardwood. Rubberwood is derived from the rubber tree. Rubberwood is essentially the wood that comes from the rubber tree the pará rubber tree to be specific. Rubberwood is a light colored medium density tropical hardwood obtained from the pará rubber tree hevea brasiliensis usually from trees grown in rubber plantations. Regarding the pricing of parawood also known as rubberwood or havea i think you should recheck your research.
Rubberwood is commonly advertised as an environmentally friendly wood as it makes use of plantation trees that have already served a useful function. Rubberwood is seen on a wide variety of mostly inexpensive asian imported furniture. Rubberwood is a low cost light tropical hardwood timber. The rubber tree gets its name from the commercially harvested milky latex it exudes when cut.
First let s back up a step. Every rubberwood tree produces latex for almost 30 years. Parawood is definitely one of the least expensive wood species we have. Rubberwood is a whitish lumber that gradually fades to a light brown.
When sold in this capacity it is sometimes marketed under the ambiguous moniker plantation hardwood. The trees mature after about nine years. Rubberwood has a janka hardness rating of 980 newtons which is a measure of the amount of force it takes to dent its surface with a steel ball bearing. Rubberwood is a sustainable product when used correctly.
The use of rubberwood for furniture is a sustainable industry when the trees are planted and harvested appropriately. This is a type of tree that has seeds that are enclosed be it in pods a shell a covering or in a fruit. Before we expose the dirt on this tree let s explore why rubberwood is marketed as an environmentally farmed timber. Native to brazil these trees often grow on plantations with lots of production throughout asia.
Hardwood is the wood that comes from an angiosperm tree. The rubberwood used in furniture comes from the tree that produces latex. During its growth cycle rubberwood produces latex which is tapped as a natural source of rubber. In many aspects it is comparable to teak.
It is a type of hardwood. This latex is used to make rubber. Using rubberwood extends productive life. Wood is mainly classified into two categories.
Many big box and home furnishings retailers will have pieces made out of rubberwood.