Keruing wood, a versatile and highly sought-after tropical hardwood, originates from the lush forests of South East Asia. This robust and resilient timber offers distinctive qualities and characteristics, with a reputation for strength, durability and a captivating range of hues. However, its sources are depleting for a variety of reasons. Take a read to explore its texture, origin, sustainability, workability, density and applications.
The Keruing species has a huge array of sub-types, great for a wide range of applications.
What is Keruing wood and where does it grow?
Keruing belongs to the Dipterocarpus family, an expansive group comprising over 70 sub-types.
Keruing (Dipterocarpus) is a vast group of hardwoods whose home is South East Asia, although mostly sourced from Indonesia and Malaysia. It was one of the mainstream hardwoods shipped to Europe from this area. As a tropical hardwood with a continual growing season, trees can reach 45-60m tall and a girth of 1m to 1.5m diameter!
Where is Keruing wood grown?
Keruing (Dipterocarpus) is a vast group of hardwoods, home to South East Asia, although mostly found in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is also one of the mainstream hardwoods shipped to Europe from this area. It is a tropical hardwood with a continual growing season, meaning trees can reach 45-60m tall and a girth of 1m to 1.5m diameter!
The timber is durable due to the gums/extractives it contains. In hot conditions it will ‘bleed’ but the resin is like that of other species. Keruing can be prone to pin hole beetle attack and is always sold pin hole no defect (PHND).
What is the texture of Keruing wood?
Keruing wood typically exhibits a coarse and moderately textured grain. The texture of Keruing wood can vary from one tree to another, but it generally leans towards a rougher and open grain pattern. This coarser texture, along with its range of colouring from pink to rich reddish-brown, contributes to the wood’s unique aesthetic appeal. The pronounced grain pattern is often considered an attractive feature when using Keruing wood for various applications, where the texture adds character and visual interest.
Workability of Keruing
Although Keruing is generally easy to work with hand or machine tools, the slight streaks of calcium carbonate/silica present in the wood tend to blunt tools. Pre-drilling is recommended and gluing needs to be done with care due to the resin that can exude from the wood. The resin can also build up on tools, resulting in the cutters clogging due to resin build up.
Protection of end grain is important as Keruing has a tendency to split in this area. Therefore, an end grain sealer may be beneficial.
Keruing has a rough, open grained texture, perfect for hard wearing applications.
What is Keruing used for?
Keruing timber is valued for being strong, durable and a lower cost hardwood. As a result, this makes it a popular choice in traditional construction projects. This can include window sills for utility housing, as well as some flooring applications. Aside from pin hole beetles, it has a moderate natural resistance to decay and pests with minimal maintenance required, making it ideal for outdoor furniture projects. Additionally, it’s often used for truck and container flooring due to its ability to withstand heavy loads and resist wear and tear.
Keruing is one of the very few hardwoods which are shipped in dimension stock. For example, 25 x 150mm is the most common size for lorry beds.
Keruing timber is also often used in the production of high-quality furniture and flooring. Its attractive reddish-brown hue and rich grain patterns a touch of elegance to interior décor, such as panelling. When used for furniture, it ensures both beauty and sturdiness, appealing to those looking for long-lasting pieces.
What is the density of Keruing?
Keruing timber is renowned for its impressive density. On average, Keruing wood density ranges from around 700 – 900kgm3 at 12% moisture content. This density contributes to its exceptional strength and durability, making it an ideal choice for heavy-duty applications. The high density of Keruing wood also means it has excellent resistance to impact and wear, which is crucial for its use in flooring, construction and other demanding settings. Its ability to withstand pressure and constant use makes it a valuable material in situations where strength and longevity are required.
Is Keruing a sustainable timber?
This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but many species of Dipterocarpus are on the IUCN Red List. They are listed as critically endangered due to a population reduction of over 80% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation. Sadly, much of the natural habitat of the Dipterocarpus plantations have been decimated and replanted with plant oil plantations, which have a negative impact on soils and erosion compared to a fully formed tree root system.
Looking for a suitable hardwood for your next timber project?
If you need to source a hardwood for your upcoming timber project, but you need a little further assistance on which timber would be the most appropriate, please do not hesitate to contact our expert team for advice. Alternatively, explore our timber species online via our timber species guide.
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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