WENGE

wenge TROPICAL TIMBER USES

Wenge is a dark brown exotic wood, sometimes with lighter streaks or even alternating dark and light stripes. It is a heavy tropical wood, hard to very hard, resistant to termites, borers and fungi. It is therefore not necessary to treat it.

Due to its characteristics, Wenge is a versatile species.

It is mainly used :

• For the manufacture of parquet flooring
• In cabinet making, especially for the manufacture of luxury furniture
• In interior joinery
• In exterior carpentry
• In exterior cladding

Where to buy Wenge?

DISTRIBUTION AREA OF THE SPECIES wenge

The exotic species Wenge is found in the forests from southern Cameroon to northern Angola and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ECOLOGY and biology OF THE SPECIES wenge

The tropical tree Wenge is a deciduous species that grows in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, as well as in forests resulting from savannah colonization and in open forests of Marantaceae.

As for other species such as iroko or tali for example, the term "Wenge" is actually a trade name that includes two species: Millettia laurentii and Millettia stuhlmannii. These two species are very similar in appearance, the properties of the wood are identical, but they can still be distinguished from each other by carefully observing their leaves, which are not quite similar.

DESCRIPTION OF wenge TROPICAL TIMBER

See the Tropix sheet of Wenge (CIRAD).

• Color: dark brown
• Sapwood: clearly demarcated
• Texture: coarse
• Grain: straight
• Interlocked grain: asbsent

PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF wenge TROPICAL TIMBER

See the Tropix sheet of Wenge (CIRAD).

NATURAL DURABILITY AND TREATABILITY OF wenge TROPICAL TIMBER

See the Tropix sheet of Wenge (CIRAD).

• Funghi: class 2 - durable
• Dry wood borers: durable - sapwood clearly demarcated (risk limited to sapwood)
• Termites : class D - durable
• Treatability: class 4 - not permeable
• Use class ensured by natural durability: class 4 - in ground or fresh water contact
• Species covering the use class 5: No
  
  

PROCESSING OF wenge TROPICAL TIMBER

See the Tropix sheet of Wenge (CIRAD).

Sources :

• CIRAD
• ATIBT
• Q. Meunier, C. Moumbogou, J.-L. Doucet, 2015, Les arbres utiles du Gabon
  

Copyright photo: Q. Meunier, C. Moumbogou, J.-L. Doucet, 2015, Les arbres utiles du Gabon (bole, leaves, flowers) - Daniel Guibal, CIRAD (sculpture, "Mother and child", Gabon)