What is Wenge Wood?

The Millettia Laurentii tree, which grows in Central and West Africa, as well as many other closely related tree species, are used to produce the exotic lumber known as wedge wood. It goes by the names African rosewood, imitation ebony, dikela, mibotu, bokonge, and awong.

Wenge Wood is an unusual dark brown wood that occasionally has lighter streaks or even alternates between dark and light stripes. It is a dense tropical wood that ranges in hardness from extremely hard to hard and is resistant to fungi, termites, and borers. Therefore, treating it is not required.

Wenge Wood is a versatile species because of its qualities. It is mostly utilised in exterior cladding, inside joinery, exterior carpentry, and wenge wood furniture, parquet flooring. Wenge wood that has been kiln-dried has a density of 45 to 55 pounds per cubic foot.

Workability

It is very challenging to manually cut and polish, so a sharp blade is required for continuous cutting. Another problem is staining. Wenge wood dust causes eye and skin irritation, gastrointestinal cramping, and nervous system disorders. Due to the wood’s extreme density, machining is challenging, and the heat produced quickly wears down tools. For best results, tools must be kept as sharp as possible.

Sustainability

Wenge wood is being exploited, harvested, and dwindling as a result of the popularity of this type of lumber in Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources designated this tree as an endangered species as a result of the tree’s dramatic population decline over the past few decades. If you intend to buy a lot of wenge lumber for your floor, take the environment into account before making your choice.