Wenge wood is a hardwood which is commonly referred to as wenge, faux ebony, dikela, mibotu, bokonge and awong. It is often used in furniture and flooring due to its great durability and striking appearance. However, sustainability still remains a vital question within society. Therefore, many furniture makers and flooring contractors are questioning whether or not wenge wood is a sustainable choice for their upcoming projects.
In this blog post, we will explore the characteristics of wenge wood and its uses. We will also take a deep dive into its sustainability to help contractors make informed decisions when choosing appropriate materials.
Wenge wood is great for a variety of applications, although it's often misunderstood in terms of sustainability.
What does wenge wood look like?
Wenge wood is a rich chocolate brown colour, interwoven with distinctive black grain patterns. It resembles lines of milk chocolate in a dark chocolate background. The exotic wood is known for its striking appearance, often being used in luxury furniture and flooring applications. The unique colour and pattern of wenge wood makes it a popular choice for modern and contemporary design styles.
How durable is wenge wood?
Wenge wood is a very dense hardwood, which makes it extremely durable and resistant to wear and tear, scratches and impacts. It is much harder and stronger than other popular hardwoods, such as oak and maple. This makes wenge wood an ideal material for applications requiring longevity, improving its sustainability. The colour generally is a great contrast to other hardwoods and can be used as a feature strip in borders in flooring for example.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Wenge wood features a larger presence of natural oils in the wood which help to protect it from moisture and humidity. This allows wenge wood to be less prone to shrinking, warping or cracking due to it’s incredible dimensional stability.
It is also resistant to rot and decay, which makes it an ideal choice for outdoor furniture and decking. With proper care and maintenance, furniture and flooring made from wenge wood can last for many years without issues.
What can wenge wood be used for?
Wenge wood is ideal for areas of high traffic such as footfall and use. This means that wenge wood is perfect for flooring and furniture applications as it can withstand heavy use and still remain a younger appearance for years to come. This is due to its exceptional durability and strength.
The wood is also used in the construction of musical instruments, such as guitars and drums, where its acoustic properties shine through. Additionally, wenge wood is used in decorative veneers and panelling for its striking appearance.
As wenge wood doesn’t ‘wear’ very easily, it allows the product to remain timeless for many years, in turn, increasing sustainability as it’s less likely to be updated often by homeowners.
It is worth noting that wenge wood is brittle to machine and can splinter, so care is required in working the timber. Drilling is a prerequisite and degreasing surfaces to glue for a better bond.
The wenge wood appearance resembles lines of milk and dark chocolate.
Is wenge wood sustainable?
The million dollar question! When it comes to sustainability, wenge wood has a complicated story.
Wenge wood is native to Central Africa, expanding across Cameroon, Angola and the Congo Basin. Wenge wood can be a great supporter for sustainability. As they grow (which they do, to an exceptional height), they absorb a tremendous amount of CO2 from the atmosphere while releasing oxygen. It acts like a filter for the air as it removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. In turn, this supports change within the climate crisis.
However, it is sadly considered an endangered species due to over-harvesting and illegal logging in its native countries due to high demand of its fantastic qualities. In recent years, the international trade of wenge wood has been heavily regulated in an effort to protect the species and increase sustainability.
Is wenge wood under Appendix II of CITES?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) places timber under Appendix II when at threat of extinction, subjecting traders to strict regulations. Although wenge is not listed under Appendix II, it is listed under the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The IUCN has become the world’s most comprehensive list of global extinction risk status. It covers: animals, fungus and plant species – this includes timber. It has been placed on this list because their population has reduced by more than 50%, in the past three generations alone.
Can wenge wood be used sustainably?
As it is listed as ‘endangered’ on the Red List, this means steps and processes are put into place to protect the timber from exploitation and risk of extinction. However, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies wenge wood to be sustainable when it has been harvested in a responsible and environmentally-friendly manner. This ensures there is no risk of extinction. Therefore, if sourcing wenge wood, it is important that the timber stockist carries the FSC certification label to confirm this.
So, wenge wood can be a sustainable choice when it is harvested and traded responsibly. However, it is important for furniture makers and flooring contractors to do their due diligence and ensure that the wood they are using has been sourced ethically and sustainably.
Overall, wenge wood is a striking, exotic and durable hardwood which is loved for many uses. While it is sustainable in terms of its growth cycle, it has often been misunderstood due to exploitation. Furniture makers and flooring contractors should do their due diligence and ensure that the wood they are using has been sourced ethically and sustainably. Ideally, this would be with confirmation from the FSC, to ensure a more sustainable future for the species and the planet.
If you’re considering utilising the many beneficial properties of wenge wood for an upcoming project in the West Sussex region, you can source your materials from WL West & Sons confidently knowing that you are maintaining sustainability. We are members of the Timber Trade Federation. This means we undertake risk assessments of our timber purchases, ruling out any risk of illegally produced timber in our supply chain. Reach out to one of our friendly team who can support you in your purchase today.
WL West & Sons Ltd is a timber merchant and sawmill business with 150 years of experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.
Our wood products, building materials and certified wood are manufactured and sold with the endorsement of forest certification and the Forest Stewardship Council FSC
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