Sapele
Technical species specifications for Sapele Hardwood Flooring from Fantastic Floor – Discount Exotic and Domestic Hardwood Flooring, Prefinished Solid Flooring, Unfinished Solid Flooring and Engineered Flooring.
Description
Sapele is a beautiful African hardwood that is a reddish-brown wood and is very similar to Mahogany. A remarkable feature of sapele is that the grain is interlocked and changes direction in frequent, irregular intervals. This unique wood will accent a variety of different styles of decor with distinctive coloring and a gorgeous grain.
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Scientific Name, Other Names:
Entandrophragma Cylnidricum, Sapelli, Sapelii, Penkwa, Muyovu, Undianuno
About:
Sapele’s popularity dates back to before WWII when German citizens became infatuated with the wood for its use in decorative cabinetry. During the war, the wood was used to construct the propeller blades of German Zeppelins. In Germany, Sapele is the “go-to” choice for high-end flooring, doors, and window frames, as well as for surface veneers for cabinets and bookcases. Fantastic floor offers Sapele flooring from 3/8″ to 3/4″ thick, 3″ to 7 1/2″ wide, and up to 7′ long. Sapele hardwood flooring is available prefinished and unfinished in both solid and engineered flooring formats.
Applications:
Sapele hardwood flooring, cabinetwork, decorativee veneers, paneling, furniture. Please note, unfinished Sapele flooring is sold in open, strapped bundles and not sold in boxes. Prefinished solid Sapele flooring and prefinished engineered Sapele flooring are sold in boxes. Sapele flooring must be purchased in full bundles or boxes.
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Strength (MOR):
Stiffness (MOE):
Density (KG/m3):
Tangential Shrinkage:
7.4 %
Radial Shrinkage:
4.6 %
Family:
Meliaceae
Tree Characteristics:
The Sapele tree can reach a height of up to 150 feet with a trunk diameter of up to 6 feet.
Geographic Area:
Sapele trees grow in West, Central, and East Africa rain forests, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zaire, and Tanzania.
Color:
The heartwood of Sapele is pink when freshly cut, but it matures to a medium to dark red or purplish brown. Sapele’s sapwood is grayish pink or cream in color.
Photosensitivity:
Sapele wood tends to darken with age.
Luster:
Sapele has a good natural luster that can be described as high and golden. Sapele flooring can be found with finishes that range from a matte to a low-gloss sheen.
Grain:
Sapele’s grain is moderately interlocked and sometimes wavy. Quartersawn cuts of Sapele yield a ribbon striped effect. Sapele is also known for a wide variety of other figured grain patterns, such as: pommele, quilted, mottled, wavy, beeswing, and fiddlebacks.
Texture:
Sapele’s texture is medium fine. Sapele hardwood flooring is typically finished to yield a smooth surface.
Drying Characteristics:
Sapele seasons rapidly with a tendancy to warp. It is best to acclimate engineered Sapele flooring for 1 week and solid Sapele flooring for 2 weeks prior to installation.
Working Characteristics:
Sapele wood works easily with both hand and machine tools. Sapele saws easily and there are no known problems with nailing. Sapele sands satisfactorily if the proper sanding sequence is followed. There are no known finishing problems with Sapele. It is important to keep relative humidity levels in the home between 35% and 50% when installing Sapele hardwood floors.
Durability Rating:
Sapele heartwood is moderately durable to very durable in regard to decay resistance. Sapele is moderately resistant to termite attack. Sapele sapwood is liable to powder-post beatle attack.
Sapele Products
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