The five faces of meranti

rnHE five groups of meranti are I. dark red, balau, light red, white and yellow, all belonging to the genus Shorea, which contains nearly 200 species originating from Southeast Asia. The species are grouped by heartwood color and weight.

The four groups, excluding balau, compare favorably to oak in strength

Story at a Glance

Five meranti groups based on heartwood color and weight ... uses include flooring, construction, furniture.

and shrinkage properties and are used for general construction, flooring, vats, furniture, cabinetwork, and joinery.

All meranti species, which have a coarser texture than African or American mahoganies, have resin canals with white deposits that occur in concentric lines on end surfaces of the wood. However, the wood is not resinous.

D^c,nx RED MERANTI

Synonymous with dark red serava of Borneo and very similar to dark red Philippine mahogany, dark red meranti, also called tanguile, is the combination of primarily S. curtisii and S. pauciflora. However. wood of similar weight, color and structure of other species of Shorea may be classified under this genus name.

The heartwood is dark red-brown, weathering to an even darker shade. The sapwood is well defined and susceptible to drywood termites.

It is a moderately hard and heavy wood suitable for general construction, interior fittings and furniture. It is not durable under tropical conditions and is difficult to treat with preservatives. It is easy to work and seasons quickly.

The interlocked grain has a strip figure, and the texture is coarse and even. The wood is not resinous and lacks luster.

MBru.Ntr BN,.q.u

Even though balau, produced by S. rugosa (var. uliginosa), is similar to dark red meranti in nearly all respects, it has been singled out as a species because it is more susceptible to seasoning degrade.

Balau, also called selangan batu, is primarily used for flooring, boat frames and heavy construction.

Lrcnr RED MERANTI

A combination of several species Shorea: (5. acuminata, S. leprosula, S. macroptera and S. parvifolia), light red meranti, also called bagtikan or white lauan, is essentially a cabinet and decorative purpose wood. but it has been used for all construction purposes because of its abundance in Malaya. The sapwood is well defined and the heartwood ranges from pale pink to red- brown. The surface is fairlv lustrous and the grain is interlocked with a stripe figure.

A moderately hard and heavy wood, it is easy io work and seasons quickly without degrade. The wood is not durable for external uses and does not absorb preservatives. Fairly common defects are "shot holes," areas of dead Ambrosia beetles that attacked the living tree, and brittle-heart. The sapwood is susceptible to drywood termite attack.

Wnrre MERANTT

Similar to north Borneo melapi, it is the product of S. bracteolatq and S. hypochra. It is a moderately hard and heavy general utility wood that is durable, and seasons and preserves well. It does not machine easily because ofits high silica content.

The heartwood is almost white when freshly cut, weathering to a yellow-brown. Sapwood is moderately well defined. The texture is moderately coarse and even, and the grain is wavy or interlocked, producing a faint stripe figure.

YBr,r,ow MERANTT

Yellow meranti is the product of several species belonging to the Richetia group: S. faguetiana and S. resina-nigra.

The sapwood is well defined. The heartwood varies from light yellowbrown to a slightly darker shade of yellow-brown, sometimes with a greenish hue. The texture is even and moderately coarse and the surface is not lustrous. The interlocked grain has a faint stripe figure.

Similar to yellow seraya of Borneo and Philippine yellow lauan, it is a moderately hard and moderately heavy general utility wood.

Yellow meranti is a non-durable wood that preserves well. It seasons quickly without degrade and is easily worked.