Hardwood

Temperate Hardwoods

Our North American hardwood stocks are

American White Oak (Quercus alba)
White oak is similar in colour and appearance to European oak. The sapwood of American white oak is light coloured and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak. White oak therefore has more figure.
Stock range: 25.4 x 152.4mm and wider through to 76.2 x 152.4mm and wider, including the wider stocks for production of stair strings and treads.
American White Ash (Fraxinus Americana)
American ash is similar in appearance to European ash. The sapwood is light coloured to nearly white and the heartwood varies from greyish brown to light brown, to pale yellow streaked with brown. The wood is generally straight grained with a coarse uniform texture. The degree and availability of light coloured sapwood, and other properties, will vary according to the growing regions.
Stock range: 25.4 x 152.4mm and wider through to 101.6 x 152.4mm and wider, including the wider stocks for production of stair strings and treads.
Hard Maple (Acer saccharum)
The sapwood is creamy white with a slight reddish brown tinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The amount of darker brown heartwood can vary significantly according to growing region. Both sapwood and heartwood can contain pith fleck. The wood has a close fine texture and is generally straight grained, but it can also occur as 'curly', 'fiddleback', and 'birds-eye' figure.
Stock range: 25.4 x 101.6mm and wider through to 76.2 x 152.4mm and wider.

American Cherry (Prunus serotina)
The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken on exposure to light. In contrast the sapwood is creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform straight grain, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.
Stock range: 25.4 x 101.6mm and wider through to 76.2 x 152.4mm and wider.
American black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Other names: Black walnut, American walnut

The sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. Walnut is normally supplied steamed, to darken sapwood. The wood is generally straight grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. Although one of the most expensive hardwoods the grading rules allow for more defects than other American hardwoods.
Stock range: 25.4 x 101.6mm and wider through to 76.2 x 152.4mm and wider.
American tulipwood (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Other names: Yellow poplar (USA), tulip poplar (USA), canary whitewood

The sapwood is creamy white and may be streaked with the heartwood varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green. The green colour in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposure to light and turn brown. The wood has a medium to fine texture and is straight grained. The size of the sapwood and some physical characteristics will vary according to growing regions. The wood has many desirable characteristics and is suitable for a wide variety of important uses. The tulipwood tree resembles the shape of the European Poplar, hence its name in USA.
Stock range: 25.4 x 101.6mm and wider through to 76.2 x 152.4mm and wider.
European Hardwoods
European Oak (Quercus spp.)
The classic timber of the ages is medium to dark brown in colour with distinct rays on the quarter sawn face. Most of our stock is of Croatian origin and kilned in Italy and is either FSC or PEFC certified. The stock we keep is A grade which means in principle it is 4 sides free of defect. The kilning is a lot more sympathetic than that of the Americans thus reducing the distortion associated with oak.
Stock range: 26 x 100mm and wider through to 100 x 100mm and wider.
European Beech (Fagus Sylvatica)
European Beech wood is normally white, pale cream or pale brown and is steamed to relieve drying stresses while also bringing out a pinkish-red color. The wood is fairly hard and has a fine and even texture. Beech has exceptional steam bending properties, even when knots and irregular grain are present. It can be bent to very small radii, which makes it particularly useful in the furniture industry.
Stock range: 26 x 100mm and wider through to 65 x 100mm and wider.
Tropical Hardwoods

Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
The heartwood is pink when freshly cut, but it matures to a red-brown or purple-brown colour. Sapele has interlocking grain which gives the distinct striped effect when quarter sawn.
Stock range: 25 x 150mm and wider through to 100 x 150mm and wider, including the wider stocks for production of stair strings and treads.
Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa)
A yellowish- brown timber deepening to dark brown with lighter markings which are highlighted on the flat sawn face.
Stock range: 25 x 150mm and wider through to 100 x 150mm and wider.
Idigbo (Terminalia ivorensis)
Idigbo is yellow brown to light pink brown with a straight to slightly irregular grain. It has a moderate luster and is easy to work with hand and machine tools.
Stock range: 25 x 150mm and wider through to 75 x 150mm and wider.
Meranti (shorea spp)
The colour of this timber can vary from very pale pink to a mid red. It works well and is very stable.
Stock range: 25 x 150mm and wider through to 100 x 150mm and wider plus a selection for pre machined window boards.