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Birch
Wood Flooring Species
Scientific Name:
Dalbergia latifolia
Other Names and Species:
Indian Rosewood
Java Palisandre
Malabar
Shisham
Sitsal
Sonokeling
Origin:
Southeast Asia
Appearance:
The sapwood of blackwood is yellowish to pale yellow, while the heartwood ranges from rose-colored to darker brown with figured darker streaking. The species has a ribbon-like crossed and interlocked grain. The wood is coarse yet uniform in texture.
Properties:
Blackwood is very durable and is moderately to highly resistant to termites. The wood remains smooth under friction and is reported to have a slight odor when freshly milled. Blackwood dries easily and is reported to improve in color in the process. This species has excellent stability characteristics.
Janka Hardness: 1720
As a flooring option, blackwood is a very hard and durable wood. It is nearly identical in hardness to African padauk, is roughly thirty percent harder than American beech, twenty percent harder than hard maple, and is approximately three-quarters as hard as Brazilian cherry’s ranking of 2350.
Workability:
Blackwood poses some difficulty in machining due to its hardness and deposits in the wood itself. Blackwood is unsuitable for nailing, yet responds fairly easily to gluing. This species sands easily and responds very well to polishing. Staining is fair due to basswood’s soft texture.
Principal Uses:
Blackwood’s uses include hardwood flooring, fine furniture, musical instruments, and cabinetry.
