Technical species specifications for Zebrawood Hardwood Flooring from Fantastic Floor - Discount Exotic and Domestic Hardwood Flooring, Prefinished Solid Flooring, Unfinished Solid Flooring and Engineered Flooring.
Zebrawood Hardwood Flooring

- Scientific Name, Other Names: African Zebrawood, Allen ele, Zebrano, Zingana, Microberlinia brazzavillensis
- Description: Heartwood is a light brown or cream color with dark blackish brown streaks vaguely resembling a zebra's stripes. Depending on whether the wood is flatsawn or quartersawn, the stripes can be either chaotic and wavy (flatsawn) or somewhat uniform (quartersawn). Zebrawood is strong and stiff with a fairly high density. Zebrawood is frequently quartersawn because of the harvesting difficulties.
- Janka Hardness: 1,575 pounds
- Strength (MOR): 0 psi
- Stiffness (MOE): 0 1000 psi
- Density (KG/m3): 0
- Tangential Shrinkage: 0.0 %
- Radial Shrinkage: 0.0 %
- About:
- Family:
- Tree Characteristics: Trees can reach 150 ft in height with a 4-5 ft. trunk diameter. They usually have very thick barks, which are removed at felling sites.
- Geographic Area: The species is reported to be distributed in West Africa, especially in Gabon and Cameroon. It is sometimes found in pure stands along river banks, but growing sites are reported to be often quite inaccessible.
- Color: The heartwood is light golden-yellow or pale yellow-brown in color, with narrow-veining or streaks of dark brown to almost black, giving a zebra-stripe appearance. The sapwood is whitish in color.
- Photosensitivity:
- Luster: High Luster
- Grain: The grain is usually interlocked or wavy, which yields a ribbon figure
- Texture: Medium to Coarse
- Drying Characteristics: The wood is reported to be fairly difficult to dry but it responds well to air-seasoning.
- Working Characteristics: The wood saws well, but can be very difficult to plane or surface due to the prevalence of interlocking grain. Tearout is common. Zebrawood glues and finishes well, though a pore filler may be desired for the large open pores of the wood's grain.
- Durability Rating: Heartwood is rated as durable and is also resistant to insect damage.
- Applications: Boat building, decorative plywood, fine furniture, decorative veneer, turnery, canoes, skis

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