The Pros of Framire
Framire timber (otherwise known as Idigbo or Frameri) is an exotic African hardwood timber which is known for its versatility and stability. It was commonly used between 1930’s and 1960’s as an oak substitute, mainly for British rail carriages. Yellow and light in colour, moderately durable and with a medium texture grain, it looks and performs similarly to oak.
Framire timber today is largely used for internal projects, such as cabinet work, and some external joinery. Due to being light in weight, it is excellent for structured panels and interior use. It is easily mouldable and dries evenly with little degrade, making it a great choice for windows, doors, gates, wooden floors and shutters.
The Cons of Framire
In some Framire, interlocked grain can be present. This provides a certain aesthetic to the wood which is often desirable, however when interlocked the knots can weaken the timber. Further, mature trees can also suffer from brittleheart, which means the wood is low in strength and brittle. Ultimately this means Framire has a few potential defects that we need to look out for when assessing the timber for use.
Framire timber has become less commonly used over the past several years, losing out due to environmental issues and with lack of certification. In some regions, Framire is also falling foul of EUTR regulations. It is becoming harder to source legally and the chain of custody cannot be proven in some instances.
It’s so important for all timber to have traceability, particularly for felling and exporting. With this in mind, we at W.L West and many other timber merchants have stopped sourcing Framire.
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
For more news, tips and updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
For entirely finished products, timber supplies or woodworking tools, have a look at our Retail Shop.
