Itauba is a species widely used in construction for wooden decks and outdoor fittings. Indeed, itauba wood is the most resistant to temperature changes and needs little maintenance, which makes it ideal for your gardens.
To answer your questions, we will cover the following points:
-What is itauba wood?
-What are the characteristics of itauba?
-Itauba wood: what is it used for?
-How do you maintain itauba wood?
-Other questions about itauba
What is itauba wood?
Itauba, whose botanical name is Mezilaurus itauba, is from the Lauraceae family. This word, of Tupi origin, means "stone tree". What is more, its high density makes it a hard and heavy wood.
Itauba wood is, like ipe, an exotic wood. The natural range of this species lies in the tropical forests of South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Suriname, Peru. It grows on various terrains from zero to a thousand metres in altitude but prefers poor siliceous or clay-siliceous soils.
Finally, different names are used for itauba depending on the country :
-Brazil: Itauba, Louro Itauba;
-French Guiana: Taoub, Taoub jaune;
-Suriname: Kaneelhout.
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What are the characteristics of itauba?
Itauba wood gives off a pleasant scent and acts as an insect repellent. It has many other characteristics, such as excellent natural durability that needs no particular preservation treatment, a fine grain and a very soft feel.
Description of itauba wood
-Colour of itauba : yellowish brown to dark brown;
-Sapwood (the soft, light-coloured part of the wood that forms each year under the bark): not very distinct;
-Grain : fine;
-Grain direction or fibre orientation : straight;
-Interlocked grain or direction contrary to the axis : absent.
Description of the itauba log
-Diameter of the itauba tree : from 40 to 80 cm;
-Thickness of the sapwood : between 2 and 5 cm;
-Buoyancy : does not float;
-Preservation in the forest : good.
The physical properties of itauba wood
-Density (at 12% moisture content with 1 MPa = 1 N/mm²): 0.86;
-Hardness (at 12% moisture content with 1 MPa = 1 N/mm²) : 5.0;
-Growth :
-Volumetric shrinkage coefficient : 0.60%;
-Total tangential shrinkage (TS): 9.7%;
-Total radial shrinkage (RS): 3.7%;
-Ratio between TS and RS : 2.6;
-Fibre saturation point : 27%;
-Stability in service : moderately stable.
The natural durability and treatability of itauba
-Resistance to fungi : class 1, very durable;
-Resistance to dry wood insects : class D, durable;
-Resistance to termites : class D, durable;
-Treatability : class 4, not treatable;
-Use class: wood class 4, for use in contact with the ground or with fresh water.
Drying itauba wood
-Drying speed : slow, so as to limit defects;
-Risk of distortion : low;
-Risk of case-hardening (accidental hardening): no known risk;
-Risk of checks (splits): high;
-Risk of collapse (waviness, separation of the wood): no known risk.
Sawing and machining itauba wood
-Blunting effect : fairly considerable;
-Sawing teeth : stellite-tipped teeth;
-Machining tools : tungsten carbide;
-Suitability for peeling : not recommended, of no interest;
-Suitability for slicing : good.
Assembling itauba
The assembly of itauba is carried out in two steps:
-Nailing and screwing : good holding, pilot holes required;
-Gluing : satisfactory, but the rules given for the glue used must be carefully followed, because this is a dense wood.
Itauba wood: what is it used for?
Because of its out-of-the-ordinary natural durability, itauba wood lends itself perfectly to any use in direct, or even permanent, contact with fresh or sea water. What is more, it has many other uses, such as cabinetmaking or the making of roof frames or house frames.
-Itauba for hydraulic works : thanks to its natural durability and its resistance to water, it is ideal for this type of use.
-Itauba wood for building bridges : as for the previous category, it is the perfect wood for structures in contact with water because of its high resistance to the weather.
-Itauba wood for exterior joinery and external cladding : its visual appeal and its durability make this species a must for building itauba decks or cladding a house.
-Itauba wood for panelling and flooring : these are among the most frequent uses for itauba because of its stability and its high resistance to indentation.
-Roof frames and house frames in itauba wood : being a strong and stable wood, it can easily be used to make roof frames or in the frame of a house.
-Itauba wood in cabinetmaking : this top-of-the-range wood also proves widespread in the building of luxury solid wood furniture because of how easy it is to work and its consistent finishes.
How do you maintain itauba wood?
Itauba wood needs little maintenance, so there is no point in carrying out a pressure treatment. Durable, solid and hard-wearing, itauba can nevertheless be maintained in the following way:
-A regular cleaning with a cloth or with a pressure washer, for example, to remove all the dirt that has built up;
-Particular attention to avoiding standing water in the case of a deck, so that the wood does not rot;
-A finish to protect the itauba wood and preserve it, such as a saturator.
