Africa is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and interesting hardwoods. Whilst timbers that are native to temperate climates of Europe and North America (like European Oak, Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar) are excellent, sometimes a project demands something rather different. For something particularly striking, eye-catching and unique, look no further than the forests of Africa.
Combining eye-catching beauty with exceptional performance, there’s an African hardwood for almost any application - interior or exterior. Let’s take a look at African Teak.
What is African Teak?
Also known as “Iroko,” the species is stable and durable like genuine Teak [Tectona grandis], with a remarkably similar look. Iroko wood is most often used for exterior cladding, pergolas, decking, and even trim. But it has a life for interiors as well. The wide widths make it a prime species for interior engineered flooring, but also wall panels and even some furniture.
Iroko comes from the milicia excelsa, distributed widely across central tropical Africa, from Mozambique in the east through to Guinea in the west. It is a very slow-growing tree that can live for centuries - up to 500 years, in fact. It produces extremely strong, dense and scratch resistant timber - ideal for applications where hard-wearing wood is required.
Physical Properties of African Teak
African Teak features a yellow to golden or medium brown heartwood - that sometimes darkens to a deep chocolate brown - countered by a clearly demarcated pale yellow sapwood. The heartwood is pale yellow to golden, darkening over time to golden brown, olive brown, or chocolate brown. The grain is interlocked and sometimes irregular, with a coarse, even texture and speckled mottling.
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Just as Good as TEAK Lumber
Iroko is a dense and strong hardwood with a Janka hardness of 1,260 lbf (5,310 N) and a density of approximately 660 kg/m³. This makes it highly resistant to damage from impact, scratches, and wear. The wood is somewhat greasy and is odourless.
Here's a summary of its properties:
- Color/Appearance: Heartwood is golden or medium brown, darkening with age.
- Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, occasionally wavy or interlocked. Coarse, uneven texture with moderate to low natural luster. Raw surfaces have a slightly oily feel.
- Rot Resistance: Heartwood is very durable and resistant to termites, moderately resistant to marine borers and powder post beetles.
Workability
Iroko is a wood that is quite easy to work with, with a medium to rough texture. It is easy to work in nearly all regards, with the only caveat being that Iroko contains a high level of silica (up to 1.4%) which has a pronounced blunting effect on cutting edges. Iroko wood has interwoven fibers that cause some tears during the processing process.
Despite its natural oils, Iroko usually glues and finishes well, though in some instances it may be necessary to wipe the surface of the wood with a solvent prior to gluing/finishing to reduce the natural oils on the surface of the wood. However, the wood is rather abrasive due to the presence of hard deposits (‘iroko stones’, mainly consisting of calcium carbonate), which can blunt cutting edges. Tearing in planing can be avoided by using cutting angles of 15° or less. The wood has good nailing, screwing, mortising and gluing properties and turns easily. It finishes well, but filler is needed.
Stability
Overall, teak is very dimensionally stable. It’s shrinkage coefficient is 5.3%.
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Strength
Afrormosia has excellent strength and stiffness. The strength (MOR) of afrormosia is 18,400 psi. The bendability (MOE) is 1.94 million psi. The hardness is 1,560 pounds.
Common Uses of African Teak
Iroko lumber is a valuable and versatile wood that is used for a wide variety of applications. It is used primarily for exterior project like decking and cladding. Its Teak like color makes is an excellent substitute but its enormous sizes mean that it has many used both inside and out in furniture, interior panelling, flooring, trim and more.
The wood is a highly valued commercial timber in Africa, for which demand is large. It is used for construction work, shipbuilding and marine carpentry, sleepers, sluice gates, framework, trucks, draining boards, outdoor and indoor joinery, stairs, doors, frames, garden furniture, cabinet work, panelling, flooring and profile boards for decorative and structural uses. It is also used for carving, domestic utensils, musical instruments and toys.
Here are some common uses:
- Exterior decking
- Flooring
- Furniture
- Exterior cladding
- Fencing
- Veneer
- Ship and boatbuilding
- Carving
- Turnings
Iroko vs. Teak
Iroko and Teak are two types of wood that have many similarities in both characteristics and uses. Both of these African hardwoods have a light golden brown color that darkens with age. Both types of wood are highly durable and resistant to harsh weather conditions.
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Here is a comparison table:
| Feature | Iroko | Teak |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Africa | Southeast Asia |
| Color | Golden to medium brown | Golden brown |
| Durability | Highly durable | Much more durable |
| Price | Lower | Higher |
However, teak is much more durable and dense than Iroko timber. Both iroko and teak are highly durable woods that are resistant to rot, decay, and insect infestation. They are also both naturally weather-resistant, making them ideal for outdoor applications. In terms of price, Iroko wood has a lower price than Teak wood, making it a perfect replacement for teak wood. Iroko wood is highly durable and has excellent rot resistance. In terms of price, Iroko is at an average price compared to many other types of imported wood.
Sustainability of African Teak
Historically, African hardwoods have been associated with unsustainable forestry and overexploitation. This is still a big concern, but progress has been made in recent years. As part of UK and European Union timber regulations (UKTR and EUTR), due diligence has to be carried out to trace the source of any timber being imported. Next year, these regulations will become even more stringent, with the requirement for GPS locations for every felled tree.
The key is to only buy your wood from a timber importer and merchant with a clear environmental commitment, who carry out all appropriate checks. You might also like to specify a wood certification scheme, like PEFC or FSC.
Cultural and Ecological Significance
Holding great spiritual significance throughout West Africa, African Teak is considered a sacred tree for many cultures. Fertility and birth are so strongly associated with the tree that it’s often protected when surrounding bush is cleared so that ritual sacrifices can continue taking place underneath it and gifts being given to it. The species is also relied upon medically, with a wide variety of herbal medicines derived from various parts of the tree to remedy a multitude of ailments.
From an ecological standpoint, it’s valuable as both a nitrogen-fixing species and as a pioneer species within its native range.
