Renowned for its distinctive look and lustrous sheen, Queensland Maple has been the timber of choice for homes throughout the Eastern states with examples well over 100 years old of doors still hanging today. Heartwood ranges from pink, tan-red, brown tints, through to straw and honey while the narrow sapwood band is white to pale grey in colour. Grain is interlocked, often wavy or curly, and the texture medium and uniform. With the correct overhead protection, regular maintenance and proper care this species can make for a stunning door that can last a lifetime.
Botanical Name - Flindersia Brayleyana
Origin - North Queensland
Supplier - Branch 95
The reputational beauty of Northern Silk Oak stands out thanks to its decorative oak grain giving it a true point of difference as a finished door compared with the other species. Heartwood is pale pink to pinkish-brown. Sapwood is often white, with moderately coarse textured and variable grain. Similar to the Queensland Maple, examples of doors well over 100 years old still hanging today throughout the Eastern states prove this timber is a desired option for many projects. With the correct overhead protection, regular maintenance and proper care this species can make for a stunning door that can last a lifetime.
Botanical Name - Cardwellia sublimis
Origin - North Queensland
Supplier - Branch 95
Blackwood, sometimes referred to as Black Wattle is a fine timber of choice for bespoke projects when an Australian timber is preferred. Heartwood is golden brown, often with narrow bands of darker colour. Grain is typically straight occasionally wavy, producing a fiddle back figure for a designer look. The timber can exhibit a reddish tint and casual black or reddish streaks adding to its individuality, and offers more natural durability compared with Queensland Maple and Northern Silky Oak.
Botanical Name - Acacia Melanoxylon
Origin - Tasmania
Supplier - Britton Timber
Also known as the Solomon Islands Rosewood, this timber can display a considerable amount of variation in both grain and colour. Rosewood can be either golden brown or a dark blood red, the sapwood pale yellow, and the texture medium. When freshly cut, the wood has a fragrant odour and the grain often highly figured. The durability and stability of Rosewood, alongside its natural termite resistant properties makes it an excellent choice for doors that are highly exposed to the elements.
Botanical Name - Pterocarpus Indicus
Origin - Asia Pacific
Supplier - Britton Timbers
Far from the veneered craft wood and engineered timber doors found in hardware stores, solid Dark Red Meranti is our entry level timber for price and durability. Boasting consistent colour and grain, the Heartwood is pale to mid red-brown. Sapwood is a distinguishable yellow, pink or grey. Texture is coarse but even, and grain typically interlocked, producing a stripe figure on the radial surface. The natural timber colour is not actually dark red and the open grain allows for this species to take on many different stain or oil colours from pale to golden, mid to dark brown, deep red and even black. A moderate durability rating suggests Meranti doors must have good overhead protection, regular maintenance and proper care.
Botanical Name - Shorea spp.
Origin - Asia Pacific
Supplier - PHD Timber Importers
