Hardwood is a strong, durable wood species with a reddish-brown colour for a warm appearance. This type of wood is more resistant to moisture and infestation by wood fungus. The hardwood can 'bleed', which can cause discolouration on adjacent materials such as concrete or paving. It is important that stainless steel fasteners are always used in connection with tannic acid. Hardwood is sensitive to warping (especially the species Azobé), a tolerance of 1 cm per meter is acceptable. Tuindeco only sells certified hardwood from sustainably managed forests.
Untreated wood will grey after some time, this process can be slowed down by staining/oiling the wood. Water stains can be prevented in hardwood products by treating the wood with oil.
Tuindeco carries various types of hardwood with different durability classes and properties:
Hardwood species 'Keruing':
- Is available in: hardwood screens, garden gates, fences, decking boards, garden tiles, trellises, rollerborders & timber.
- Shrinks and expands under the influence of weather conditions.
- Artificially dried keruing reduces the chance of warping, Tuindeco has this exclusively in its range.
- Durability class 3; moderately durable, not suitable for ground contact.
Hardwood species 'Azobé/Angelim/Okan':
- Is available in: square posts and timber.
- Suitable for ground contact.
- Azobé has a greater tendency to warp / twist.
- Angelim has an extreme smell, but is less prone to warping.
- Durability class 1 and 2.
Hardwood species 'Bangkirai':
- Is available in: roof parts and decking.
- Artificially dried Bangkirai is less prone to shrinking and has a high degree of dimensional stability.
- Can contain pinholes, these are small holes that are made by wet wood borers immediately after the logs have been felled. After sawing and/or drying the wood, this process is immediately stopped. Pinholes have nothing to do with woodworm or the like and do not affect wood quality or durability in any way.
- Durability class 2.
Hardwood species 'Laminated/Finger-loaded Bangkirai
- Is available in: foundation beams and substructure.
- High-quality, water-resistant glue type D5 is used for production.