Is Sapele A Hardwood Or Softwood

Softwood we explore the differences between the two woods and alternatives allowing you to understand the differences and choose the right timber.

Is sapele a hardwood or softwood.

Sapele iroko and meranti which grow at a much slower rate and require longer drying times both of which are factors that drive up the cost of the wood. Iroko is a tropical hardwood suitable for exterior joinery is a cheaper alternative to european oak and is often used as a substitute for oak because. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters but it turns glues and finishes well.

We use utile or sapele for door and window cills when the rest of the joinery is manufactured in softwood as the cill requires more durability than the vertical components in a window or door. Although severe reactions are quite uncommon sapele has been reported as a skin and respiratory irritant. Usually this is because sapele is known as an exterior wood and so many good exterior woods are also softwoods. But rather it denotes the structure of the tree and in general whether or not it loses its leaves.

Rich heartwood colored in golden and dark reddish brown is perfect for use in creating expensive furniture musical and specialty objects. Sapele predominantly from west africa is a reddish brown hardwood. While reminiscent of mahogany indeed it s part of the same family it s much harder than both its african or american counterparts and with respect to resistance to indentation bending strength stiffness and resistance to shock loads is practically equal with english oak. Sapele is an excellent grade quality hardwood.

The funny thing is that the botanical definition of hardwood and softwood has nothing to do with how hard the wood actually is. Although some parts of the sapele logs will produce straight grain or quartered effect generally it has a more random grain appearance thus meaning it is liable to interlocked grain. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a. Sapele has a distinct cedar like scent while being worked.

Hardwood vs softwood sapele or accoya doors and windows. Same as mahogany exploitation of sapele forests are regulated by several countries across africa. At rural timber we combine traditional craftmanship with modern technology to create timber doors window frames conservatories and other items that are designed to last.