General Description: There are about 13 species of Shorea classified under Balau in Malaysia. This timber is one of the most commonly used heavy hardwoods in the country. The trees are medium-sized to very large and grow up to 75m tall. Â
Timber Description:
Density: 850 - 1,155 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow - brown, brown or red, darkening to darker brown, purple-brown or dark red-brown.
Sapwood: fairly distinct, lighter in colour.
Spot Characters:
Timber very heavy.
Vertical canals in long tangential series.
Vessels mostly solitary, crowded and small in size.
Texture fine and even.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for all heavy construction, bridges, wharves, posts, beams, joists, heavy duty flooring, power-line poles, railway sleepers, lorry and truck bodies, container floor boards and heavy duty laboratory benches.
Belian
Scientific Name: Eusideroxylon zwageri
General Description: Belian is the product of a single species, Eusideroxylon zwageri, in Sabah and Sarawak. The timber seasons slowly witb a tendency for checking and splitting.
Timber Description:
Density: 835-1,180 kg/m3
Heartwood: light brown to almost bright yellow when freshly but darkens on exposure to a deep reddish brown, becoming very dark brown, or even black with age.
Sapwood: well defined by colour.
Spot Characters:
Texture is moderately fine to fine and even.
Grain is straight.
Belian
Scientific Name: Madhuca utilis, Palaquium ridleyi and P.stellatum
Timber Description:
Density: 820-1,200 kg/m3
Spot Characters:
Moderate end-check, splitting and surface checking as the major defects.
General Description: A heavy hardwood. The trees can be found in low flat semi-swamps to hills up to 900m, but grow well on undulating land with light sandy oil. The bole is normally well shaped and clear for 30m or more. Â
Timber Description:
Density: 915-980 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow to light brown ageing to dark purple-brown, sometimes rust-red, and often has a greenish tinge when fresh.
Sapwood: distinct, pale yellow.
Spot Characters:
Distinct ripple marks.
Vertical canals in long tangential series, usually much smaller than the vessels.
Vessels are small and crowded.
Parenchyma aliform and in short tangential lines from ray to ray.
Tyloses are abundant.
Pin holes on surface are common.
Utilisation: The timer is suitable for all forms of heavy construction, railway sleepers, bridges, wharves, power-line poles, heavy-duty furniture and flooring. A favourite timber used for boat building by local boat builders.
General Description: A heavy hardwood , coming from 10 heavy species of the genus Hopea. The trees range from small to large sized and they are found scattered in all states in Peninsular Malaysia from the coastal peat swamps to hills of 1,200 m altitude. The usage of this timber is similar to that of Balau.
Timber Description:
Density: 865 - 1,220 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow-brown, ageing to dark tan-brown, generally with a greenish tinge.
Sapwood: moderately distinct, light yellow.
Spot Characters:
Distinct ripple marks.
Vertical canals in long tangential series, usually much smaller than the vessels.
Vessels are small and crowded.
Parenchyma aliform and in short tangential lines from ray to ray.
Tyloses are abundant.
Pin holes on surface are common.
Utilisation: The timer is suitable for all forms of heavy construction, railway sleepers, bridges, wharves, power-line poles, heavy-duty furniture and flooring. A favourite timber used for boat building by local boat builders.
Kekatong
Scientific Name: Cynometra spp.
General Description: Kekatong is the product of Cynometra elmeri, C.iripa, C.malaccensis, C.mirabilis and C.ramiflora. The timber seasons moderately slowly without degrade except for some end-checking.
Timber Description:
Density: 850 - 1,155 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow - brown, brown or red, darkening to darker brown, purple-brown or dark red-brown.
Sapwood: fairly distinct, lighter in colour.
Spot Characters:
The grain is fairly straight or only shallowly interlocked.
Texture is moderately fine and even.
Keranji
Scientific Name: Dialium spp.
General Description: Keranji is the product of several species of Dialium the more common of which are D.havilandii, D.laurinum, D.maingayi, D.procerum, D.patens, D.platysepalum, D.indum and D.wallichi.
Timber Description:
Density: 755-1,250 kg/m3
Heartwood: gold-brown or red brown weathering to dark-brown.
Sapwood: well defined by colour.
Spot Characters:
No serious defects occur except for a very occasional layer of included phloem.
The grain is deeply interlocked.
Vessels are small and crowded.
sometimes wavy giving rise to attractive stripe figure.
texture is fine to moderately coarse and even.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for heavy construction, gymnasium equipment, railway sleepers, tool handles (impact), vehicle bodies (framework and floor boards), mallets, poles, telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms, bridges, pallets (permanent and heavy duty type), laboratory benches, heavy duty furniture, flooring (heavy traffic), piling, door and window frames and sills, posts, beams, joists, rafters, fender supports, columns (heavy duty), staircase (balustrade, carriage, newel, riser, stringer, tread, bullnose, round end and winder), interior finishing, panelling, mouldings, joinery and cabinet making.
Kandis
Scientific Name: Garcinia spp.
General Description: Kandis is the product of Garcinia spp, principally G.atroviridis, G.bancana, G.cowa, G.forbesii, G.griffithii, G.hombroniana, G.malaccensis, G.merguensis, G.nigrolineata and G.parvifolia.
Timber Description:
Density: 690-1,120 kg/m3
Heartwood: variable in colour, dark red-brown in some species and yellow on others.
Sapwood: lighter in colour and is not sharply defined from the heartwood, except for G.hombroniana where the red-brown sapwood is distinct from the dark red brown heartwood.
Spot Characters:
Texture is moderately fine to fine and even.
Grain is straight.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for poles, posts, flooring, pallets (expendable type), staircase (apron lining, handrail and newels). The heavier species are suitable for semi-permanent medium construction like temporary bridges, extraction tramways, telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms.
General Description: A medium hardwood. It is a very strong timber with density as high as some heavy hardwood timbers. The trees are tall and cylindrical and commonly found in lowland forests up to 600 m altitude. The trees can also be found in peat and fresh water swamp forest.
Timber Description:
Density: 770 - 1,120 kg/m3
Heartwood: brick-red ageing to orange-red, streaked with yellow-brown lines.
Sapwood: pale yellow.
Spot Characters:
ripple mark present.
vessels large in size with large layer of aliform parenchyma tissue.
white-coloured deposit rarely present.
included phloem common.
Utilisation: The timber when treated with preservatives is suitable for all heavy constructional works, posts, beams, joists, rafters, bridges, wharves, railway sleepers and power transmission poles. Untreated, it is suitable for structures under cover, parquet and strip flooring, panelling, rotary peeled veneers and charcoal manufacture. It is a favourite timber for timber pile and prefabricated roof truss manufacture.
General Description: Kulim is the product of a single species, Scodorocarpus borneensis. The timber seasons fairly rapidly, with moderate end-checks, splitting and slight surface checking as the main sources of degrade.
Timber Description:
Density: 640-975 kg/m3
Heartwood: dark purple-brown to dark red-brown.
Sapwood: light yellow in colour.
Spot Characters:
texture is moderately fine and even with shallowly to deeply interlocked grains.
slightly difficult to difficult to re-saw.
easy to slightly difficult to cross-cut.
air dried material is slightly difficult to plane but the quality of finish is smooth.
nailing property is rated as very poor.
the logs are generally free from defects except for the core which is often defective.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for medium construction under cover, posts, beams, joists, rafters, door and window frames and sills, bridges and tool handles (impact). The timber possesses a certain degree of resistance to marine borers and may be used in the marine environment. The timber is also suitable for ship and boat building (keels, keel sons and framework), flooring, railway sleepers, cooling towers (structural members), columns (light duty) and telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms when treated with preservatives.
General Description: Mata Ulat is the product of mainly Kokoona littoralis, K.ochracea, K.ovatalanceolata and K.reflexa. While K.littoralis is fairly slow drying with slight splitting, moderate end-checking , surface checking and insect attacks, K.reflexa dries fairly rapidly, with sligh end-checks, splitting and surface checking.
Timber Description:
Density: 895-1,055 kg/m3
Heartwood: dark purple-brown to dark red-brown.
Sapwood: light yellow in colour.
Spot Characters:
difficult to treat with preservatives.
texture is fine but uneven due to the thick bands of parenchyma.
grain is interlocked.
easy to re-saw and cross-cut.
during storage, degrade in the form of end-splitting and checking may appear. The sapwood is liable to be attacked by powder-post beetles.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for heavy construction if treated, e.g. posts, beams, joists, rafters, bridges and railway sleepers. The timber is also suitable for heavy duty and decorative furniture, fender supports, telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms, flooring (heavy traffic), door and window frames and sills, staircase (angle block, rough bracket, handrail and sprandrel framing), joinery, cabinet making, tool handles (impact) and vehicle bodies (framework and floor boards).
General Description: Medium Hardwood, ASEAN Standard Name for the timber of Carallia spp. (Rhizophoraceae). Major species include C. borneensis, C. brachiata, C. euryoides and Carallia sp. Also known as Carallia (India); Ringgit darah (Indonesia); Maniawga (Myanmar); Bakauan gubat (Philippines); Dawata and Uberiya (Sri Lanka); and Chan Phra (Thailand).
Timber Description:
Density: 670-930 kg/m3
Heartwood: red-brown with an orange hue.
Sapwood: lighter in colour than the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable.
texture is coarse and uneven, due to the presence of the extremely large rays.
grain is straight, interlocked or slightly wavy.
Utilisation: The oak-like figure of this timber makes it suitable for interior finishing, decorative works, panelling, mouldings, joinery, cabinet making, decorative and high class furniture, flooring, door and window frames and sills, staircase (apron lining, handrail and sprandrel framing), vehicle bodies (framework and floor boards), plywood, telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms and other ornamental items.
General Description: Medium Hardwood.The tree is sometimes known as kelat, a mistake arising from the close resemblance of the leaves to those of Syzygium spp. Also known as Kalek bung cung, Kayu bawang, Lasah, Madjuit and Ukut (Indonesia); Ctenolophon (Papua New Guinea); and Sudiang (Philippines).
Timber Description:
Density: 895-1,055 kg/m3
Heartwood: brown to purple-red-brown.
Sapwood: not differentiated from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable.
texture is moderately fine and even, with interlocked and sometimes wavy grain.
nailing property is rated as poor.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for medium to heavy construction, posts, beams, joists, rafters, marine construction, flooring (heavy traffic), railway sleepers, telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms, fender supports, vehicle bodies (framework and floor boards), tool handles (impact), pallets (permanent and heavy duty type), piling, door and window frames and sills, columns (heavy duty) and staircase (carriage, newel, riser, stringer, tread, bullnose, round end and winder).
General Description: Heavy Hardwood, ASEAN Standard Name for the timber of Mesua ferrea (Guttiferae). Vernacular names applied include lenggapus(Peninsular Malaysia) and matopus (Peninsular Malaysia). This timber is mainly from one species, viz. Mesua ferrea.Also known as Bosneak (Cambodia); Mesua (India); Nagasari (Indonesia); Ka thang and Mai lek (Laos); Gangaw and Ngaw (Myanmar); Na (Sri Lanka); Bannak and Bunnak (Thailand); and Vap(Vietnam).
Timber Description:
Density: 945-1,185 kg/m3
Heartwood: red-brown with a purple tinge when fresh, becoming dark red-brown.
Sapwood: pale yellow with a pink tinge, becoming grey-brown.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable and is liable to be attacked by termites.
texture is rather fine and even, with interlocked or spiral grain.
nailing property is rated as very poor.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for all forms of heavy construction, heavy duty furniture, flooring (heavy traffic), posts, beams, joists, rafters, joinery, cabinet making, pallets (permanent and heavy duty type), tool handles (impact), staircase (angle block, rough bracket, carriage, newel, riser, stringer, tread, bullnose, round end and winder), columns (heavy duty) as well as telegraphic and power trasmission posts and cross arms. In India, this timber has been used successfully as railway sleepers.
General Description: Medium Hardwood. Only one species is of importance in this country, viz. T. glabra. Also known as Amat (Brunei); and Bangkalis, Carega, Kayu malaka and Punak (Indonesia).
Timber Description:
Density: 625-800 kg/m3
Heartwood: pink-brown, weathering to light brown.
Sapwood: lighter in colour and not always clearly defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable.
texture is moderately coarse but even, with straight, interlocked and sometimes spiral grain.
nailing property is rated as good.
normally free from defects, but some ambrosia-beetle attacks have been noted in some punah timber.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for all forms of heavy construction under cover, posts, beams, joists, rafters, heavy duty and general furniture, flooring (heavy traffic), piling, columns (light duty), railway sleepers (treated), vehicle bodies (framework, floor boards and planking), piling, door and window frames and sills, staircase (baluster, handrail, newel and sprandrel framing), joinery, cabinet making, cooling tower (structural members) as well as telegraphic and power transmission posts and cross arms.
General Description: Medium Hardwood, Vernacular names applied include kayu raja (Sarawak), mengaris (Sabah) and tapang (Sarawak). This is a monospecific timber.
Timber Description:
Density: 800-865 kg/m3
Heartwood: reddish brown to deep brick-red-brown when fresh and darkens with age to a deep chocolate-brown.
Sapwood: buff-coloured or yellow-brown, often with a pink tinge.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable under exposed conditions.
texture is rather coarse but even except in areas where included phloem occurs. Grain is interlocked, often deeply interlocked.
nailing property is rated as good.
the major defect that is associated with the timber of tualang is the presence of hard abnormal tissues commonly known as included phloem.
Utilisation: When treated, the timber is suitable for all heavy construction, like posts, beams, joists, columns (heavy duty), piling, railway sleepers and power transmission poles. Untreated, the timber is suitable for flooring (heavy traffic), panelling, mouldings, heavy duty furniture, fender supports, office and shop fittings, tool handles (impact) and plywood.
